How users rank their media's failure to act impartially on content from bloggers

National Radio is the mainstream medium with most of its users believing it has failed to act impartially in relation to material provided by bloggers, according to a HorizonPoll on issues arising from the publication of the book “Dirty Politics”.

Central to some allegations in Mr Hager’s book is that some main stream media journalists acted in concert with pro-National bloggers who were making political attacks.

Some media also published columns from some bloggers while others were allegedly given first use of material to publish at times specified by Mr Slater.

It raises questions over the independent role of mainstream media and the role of new media, like political attack blogs.

The survey, of a representative sample of 1,752 New Zealand adults at the last census, finds:

• More than half of adult New Zealanders (53.1%) believe mainstream media (newspapers, radio and television) have failed to act impartially in relation to material provided to them by bloggers

• Only 15.2% disbelieve this while 31.7% are unsure.

Results for those believing newspapers, television and radio failed to act impartially in relation to material provided by bloggers, analysed by the media respondents use are:

• National Radio (72.8% believe the media failed), followed by
• RadioLIVE (62.8%)
• The NZ Herald Monday-Friday edition (62.6%)
• NewstalkZB (53.8%)
• The Dominion Post (52.2%)
• TV One (49%), and
• TV3 (47.9%).

The percentages of people by party vote 2011 who believe the media have failed to act impartially in relation to material provided by bloggers are:

• Mana 72.8%
• United Future 76%
• Conservative 67.1%
• National 65.6%
• Act 57.8%
• Labour 53.8%
• Green 51.3%
• Maori Party 51.3%
• NZ First 49.1%.

The survey was conducted between August 18 and 25, 2014, during the first 12 days after publication of the book.

Respondents are members of the HorizonPoll online panel, recruited to match the New Zealand population aged 18+.

The survey is weighted by age, gender, region, personal income, educational qualification level, and party vote 2011 to provide a representative sample of the New Zealand adult population. At a confidence level of 95%, the maximum margin of error is +/- 2.3%.

VIEW DETAILED MEDIA RESULTS HERE

View FULL SURVEY REPORTS HERE