Central Data Catalog
Citation Information
Type | Journal Article - Political Research Quarterly |
Title | Whose news do you trust? Explaining trust in private versus public media in Africa |
Author(s) | |
Volume | 64 |
Issue | 2 |
Publication (Day/Month/Year) | 2011 |
Page numbers | 276-292 |
URL | http://prq.sagepub.com/content/64/2/276.full.pdf+html |
Abstract | Why do citizens in postauthoritarian African democracies trust government-owned broadcast media more than they trust private broadcasters, given the public media’s lack of independence and history of state propaganda? Analysis of Afrobarometer data from sixteen countries indicates that low political sophistication, illiberal attitudes, and support for incumbents are all associated with greater relative trust in government media. Citizens also prefer public broadcasters in polities with greater press freedom and lower corruption. These results suggest that private media need more democratic and critical citizens, rather than higher quality reporting and greater press freedom, to compete with the state media for influence and resources. |
Related studies
» | Africa - Afrobarometer Survey 2002-2004, Merged 16 Country, Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA), Michigan State University (MSU), Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) |
» | Africa - Afrobarometer Survey 2005-2006, Merged 18 Country, Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA), Michigan State University (MSU), Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) |
Moehler, Devra C, and Naunihal Singh. "Whose news do you trust? Explaining trust in private versus public media in Africa." Political Research Quarterly 64, no. 2 (2011): 276-292.