ICS`s Survey: Citizens are Skeptical of the Media but Rarely Verify Information
Although citizens doubt the credibility of information published by the media, they rarely take steps to verify its accuracy. This was revealed by the public opinion survey “Citizens’ Practices and Perceptions Regarding Information and Disinformation“, conducted by the Institute of Communication Studies (ICS) in February.
When asked about their ability to recognize disinformation, 41% of respondents believe they can sometimes identify it, 29% are confident they can always determine the accuracy of information, while 11% admit they cannot distinguish between false and true information at all. However, as many as 80% of respondents rarely or never check the author of a news article, and 71% rarely or never verify the publisher. Regarding the frequency of sharing incorrect information, the majority (52%) acknowledge that it has happened, though not often, while a significant 40% are convinced that the information they share is always accurate.
When it comes to sources of disinformation, 36% of respondents believe that political parties are the primary source, 12% point to the media sector, and 4% cite state institutions. However, nearly half of respondents (47%) believe that all these sources collectively contribute to the spread of disinformation among citizens.
Perceptions of media credibility are divided: 29% of citizens doubt everything published in the media, while the same percentage cross-checks news with other reputable media outlets. Meanwhile, only 21% believe that if something is published, it must be true. In terms of media content quality, 74% of respondents believe that the media provides only basic or superficial information without in-depth analysis. The topics of greatest interest to respondents are healthcare, public finances, and education.
The survey found that 51% of citizens seek information multiple times a day, while 27% do so once daily, indicating a high level of daily engagement with various topics. Television, social media, and online news portals remain the most common sources of information, while fewer than 10% rely on personal contacts for news.
The survey was conducted by the Institute for Democracy “Societas Civilis” on a representative sample of 1,000 adult citizens from various regions across the country. ICS carried out the public opinion research as part of the “Use Facts” project, supported by the British Embassy in Skopje.