Standard Eurobarometer 84 Autumn Report. Media use in the European Union

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1 Fieldwork November 2015 Survey requested and co-ordinated by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Communication This document does not represent the point of view of the European Commission. The interpretations and opinions contained in it are solely those of the authors. Wave EB84.3 TNS opinion & social

2 Fieldwork: November 2015 Survey conducted by TNS opinion & social at the request of the European Commission, Directorate-General for Communication Survey coordinated by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Communication (DG COMM Strategy, Corporate Communication Actions and Eurobarometer" Unit)

3 Project number Project title Language version EN Catalogue number NA EN-N ISBN doi: / European Union,

4 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 2 I. MEDIA USE AND TRUST IN THE MEDIA 4 1 Media uses 4 2 Trust in the media 21 II. INFORMATION ON EUROPEAN MATTERS 32 III. SOURCES OF NEWS ON NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN POLITICAL MATTERS 39 1 National political matters 39 2 European political matters 44 3 Active searches for information on the European Union 49 4 Media coverage of the European Union 53 IV. SOCIAL NETWORKS 68 ANNEXES Technical specifications

5 2 INTRODUCTION The survey was conducted between 7 and 17 November in 34 countries and territories: the 28 Member States of the European Union, the five candidate countries (the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania), and the Turkish Cypriot Community in the part of the country not controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus. This volume of the Standard Eurobarometer survey of autumn 2015 (EB84) analyses the media use of Europeans and their perceptions of information on the European Union, and the evolutions that have occurred since the Standard Eurobarometer survey of autumn 2014 (EB82). This theme has been monitored in each Standard Eurobarometer autumn survey since For some indicators, older figures will appear, sometimes going back to The previous Standard Eurobarometer survey of autumn 2014 (EB82) showed a slight increase in trust in all the media and a continued belief in the objectivity of their coverage of the European Union. It also highlighted a rise in Internet use in the media habits of Europeans, and recognition of the political relevance of online social networks. But it also showed growing criticism of these online social networks' lack of reliability in terms of political information. Respondents were a little more likely to feel well-informed about the European Union, but those who did so were still a minority. This report contains results and analyses that cover: The media use of Europeans, and their trust in the media; Information on the European Union; The preferred sources of information on national and European political matters; Perceptions of the way in which the media present the European Union, in terms of the quantity and objectivity of their coverage; Opinions on social networks. The full report of the Standard Eurobarometer survey 84 consists of several volumes. The first volume presents the main public opinion trends in the European Union. Three other volumes present the opinions of Europeans on other themes: the EU's priorities; European citizenship; media habits within the European Union. This volume is devoted to media habits. 1 Please consult the technical specifications for the exact dates that the interviews were conducted in each country.

6 3 The methodology used is that of the Standard Eurobarometer surveys of the Directorate-General for Communication ( Strategy, Corporate Communication Actions and Eurobarometer Unit) 2. A technical note describing how the institutes within the TNS opinion & social network conduct interviews is included in the report s annexes. This note also specifies the confidence intervals 3, which enable us to assess the accuracy of a survey s results, according to the size of the sample polled in relation to the total size of the population studied. The abbreviations used in this report correspond to: Belgium BE Lithuania LT Bulgaria BG Luxembourg LU Czech Republic CZ Hungary HU Denmark DK Malta MT Germany DE The Netherlands NL Estonia EE Austria AT Ireland IE Poland PL Greece EL Portugal PT Spain ES Romania RO France FR Slovenia SI Croatia HR Slovakia SK Italy IT Finland FI Republic of Cyprus CY * Sweden SE Latvia LV United Kingdom UK Turkish Cypriot Community CY(tcc) Albania AL Turkey TR Montenegro ME Serbia RS Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) MK ** European Union weighted average for the 28 Member States BE, FR, IT, LU, DE, AT, ES, PT, IE, NL, FI, EL, EE, SI, CY, MT, SK, LV, LT BG, CZ, DK, HR, HU, PL, RO, SE, UK EU28 Euro area Non euro area * Cyprus as a whole is one of the 28 European Union Member States. However, the acquis communautaire has been suspended in the part of the country that is not controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus. For practical reasons, only the interviews carried out in the part of the country controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus are included in the CY category and in the EU28 average. ** Provisional abbreviation which in no way prejudges the definitive name of this country, which will be agreed once the current negotiations at the United Nations have been completed. We wish to thank all the people interviewed throughout Europe who took the time to take part in this survey. Without their active participation, this survey would not have been possible The results tables are annexed. It should be noted that the total of the percentages indicated in the tables in the tables in this report may exceed 100% when the respondents were able to choose several answers to a question.

7 4 I. MEDIA USE AND TRUST IN THE MEDIA 1 Media uses In terms of media habits, Internet use is stabilising; the use of online social networks is gaining ground Television (watched on a TV set or via the Internet) is the preferred medium of Europeans: 84% watch it every day or almost every day. This proportion is down two percentage points since the Standard Eurobarometer survey of autumn 2014 (EB82). The proportion of Europeans who say they watch TV at least once a week has risen by one percentage point (97%). A large majority of Europeans watch television primarily on a TV set (95% at least once a week). This proportion is down two percentage points since the Eurobarometer survey of autumn 2010 (EB74), but still remains strong. The proportion of Europeans who watch television on the Internet at least once a week has risen by one percentage point since autumn 2014 (21%), an increase of five points since the autumn Eurobarometer survey of 2011 (EB76). More than half of Europeans still never watch television on the Internet (57%), a 4-point fall since autumn 2011 (EB76).

8 e QE3 Could you tell me to what extent you? (% - EU - AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK) % WATCH TV ON A TV SET + VIA THE INTERNET WATCH TELEVISION ON A TV SET % 79 80% % 69 60% LISTEN TO THE RADIO USE THE INTERNET READ THE WRITTEN PRESS 50% USE ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS 40% % 20% WATCH TELEVISION VIA THE INTERNET 10% 0% A majority of respondents watch television on a TV set every day or almost every day in all Member States: it varies from 69% in Sweden to 94% in Portugal. 5

9 QE3.1 Could you tell me to what extent you? Watch television on a TV set (% - EU) Everyday/ Almost everyday Two or three times a week + About once a week Two or three times a month + Less often Never No access to this medium (SPONTANEOUS) Don't know At least once a week EU Gender Man Woman Age Education (End of) Still studying Socio-professional category Self-employed Managers Other white collars Manual workers House persons Unemployed Retired Students Difficulties paying bills Most of the time From time to time Almost never/ Never Consider belonging to The working class The lower middle class The middle class The upper middle class The upper class

10 7 More than one in five Europeans (21%) say they watch television on the Internet at least once a week. In Sweden, more than half of respondents say they do so at least once a week (51%), the highest percentage in the 28 Member States. There is a wide gap between Sweden and Greece, where watching television on the Internet is the least widespread (11% at least once a week).

11 QE3.2 Could you tell me to what extent you? Watch television via the Internet (% - EU) Everyday/ Almost everyday Two or three times a week + About once a week Two or three times a month + Less often Never No access to this medium (SPONTANEOUS) Don't know At least once a week EU Gender Man Woman Age Education (End of) Still studying Socio-professional category Self-employed Managers Other white collars Manual workers House persons Unemployed Retired Students Difficulties paying bills Most of the time From time to time Almost never/ Never

12 9 Radio is the second most widely used medium for Europeans: more than three-quarters listen to the radio at least once a week (76%, unchanged since the EB82 survey of autumn 2014). Of these, 50% do so every day or almost every day. This proportion is down three percentage points since autumn 2014 and six points since autumn 2010 (EB74). 0% QE3.3 Could you tell me to what extent you? Listen to the radio (% - EU) 70% 60% 56 50% EVERYDAY/ ALMOST EVERYDAY 40% 30% 23 20% 11 10% % TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK + ABOUT ONCE A WEEK 13 NEVER TWO OR THREE TIMES A MONTH + LESS OFTEN NO ACCESS TO THIS MEDIUM (SPONTANEOUS) DON'T KNOW

13 10 The proportion of respondents who listen to the radio every day or almost every day varies greatly between Member States: it reaches 71% in Germany, compared with only 28% in Bulgaria. There has been a sharp decline since autumn 2014 in Hungary (32%, -10 percentage points).

14 QE3.3 Could you tell me to what extent you? Listen to the radio (% - EU) Everyday/ Almost everyday Two or three times a week + About once a week Two or three times a month + Less often Never No access to this medium (SPONTANEOUS) Don't know At least once a week EU Gender Man Woman Age Education (End of) Still studying Socio-professional category Self-employed Managers Other white collars Manual workers House persons Unemployed Retired Students Consider belonging to The working class The lower middle class The middle class The upper middle class The upper class

15 12 Fewer than two-thirds of Europeans now say they read the written press at least once a week: 63%, a decrease of two percentage points since the Standard Eurobarometer survey of autumn 2014 (EB82). Fewer than a third do so every day or almost every day (31%), a proportion that is also down since autumn 2014 (-2 points). The proportion of Europeans reading the press every day or almost every day has lost seven percentage points since autumn 2010 (EB74). Nearly one in five Europeans say they never read the written press (18%) or do not have access to this medium (1%). 0% QE3.4 Could you tell me to what extent you? Read the written press (% - EU) 50% 40% % TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK + ABOUT ONCE A WEEK EVERYDAY/ ALMOST EVERYDAY 31 20% TWO OR THREE TIMES A MONTH + LESS OFTEN NEVER 18 10% % NO ACCESS TO THIS MEDIUM (SPONTANEOUS) DON'T KNOW

16 13 There are wide divergences between Member States: in Finland, 90% of respondents read the press at least once a week and 67% every day or almost every day, while in Greece only 34% do so once a week and 7% every day or almost every day.

17 QE3.4 Could you tell me to what extent you? Read the written press (% - EU) Everyday/ Almost everyday Two or three times a week + About once a week Two or three times a month + Less often Never No access to this medium (SPONTANEOUS) Don't know At least once a week EU Gender Man Woman Age Education (End of) Still studying Socio-professional category Self-employed Managers Other white collars Manual workers House persons Unemployed Retired Students Consider belonging to The working class The lower middle class The middle class The upper middle class The upper class

18 15 Internet use by Europeans appears fairly stable since the Standard Eurobarometer survey of autumn 2014 (EB82): 73% (+1 percentage point) use the Internet at least once a week. The proportion of Europeans who say they do so every day or almost every day is down one percentage point (59%), and this is the first decline since the question was first asked. It had risen by 15 points between the Standard Eurobarometer survey of autumn 2010 (EB74) and the Standard Eurobarometer of autumn 2014 (EB82). 0% QE3.5 Could you tell me to what extent you? Use the Internet (% - EU) 80% 70% 60% EVERYDAY/ ALMOST EVERYDAY 50% % 30% % % % NEVER 12 TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK + 14 ABOUT ONCE A WEEK 8 7 NO ACCESS TO THIS MEDIUM (SPONTANEOUS) 3 5 TWO OR THREE TIMES A MONTH + LESS OFTEN DON'T KNOW

19 16 More than half of respondents use the Internet every day or almost every day in 21 Member States, led by the Netherlands (86%), Denmark (85%) and Sweden (85%). Fewer than four in ten respondents use the Internet daily or almost every day in Romania (39%).

20 QE3.5 Could you tell me to what extent you? Use the Internet (% - EU) Everyday/ Almost everyday Two or three times a week + About once a week Two or three times a month + Less often Never No access to this medium (SPONTANEOUS) Don't know At least once a week EU Gender Man Woman Age Education (End of) Still studying Socio-professional category Self-employed Managers Other white collars Manual workers House persons Unemployed Retired Students Consider belonging to The working class The lower middle class The middle class The upper middle class The upper class

21 18 The use of online social networks shows the most significant evolutions: half of Europeans now use them at least once a week, up three percentage points since the Standard Eurobarometer survey of autumn 2014, six points since autumn 2013 and 15 points since autumn More than a third of Europeans use social networks daily or almost every day: 35% (representing +3 points since autumn 2014, +5 since autumn 2013 and +17 since autumn 2010). 0% QE3.6 Could you tell me to what extent you? Use online social networks (% - EU) 60% 50% % 30% 20% % 9 0% NEVER EVERYDAY/ ALMOST EVERYDAY TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK + ABOUT ONCE A WEEK 9 7 NO ACCESS TO THIS MEDIUM (SPONTANEOUS) TWO OR THREE TIMES A MONTH + LESS OFTEN 6 DON'T KNOW

22 19 Online social networks are used daily or almost every day by half or more of respondents in Denmark (59%), Sweden (56%), the Netherlands (53%) and Malta (50%), compared with only 26% in Germany.

23 QE3.6 Could you tell me to what extent you? Use online social networks (% - EU) Everyday/ Almost everyday Two or three times a week + About once a week Two or three times a month + Less often Never No access to this medium (SPONTANEOUS) Don't know At least once a week EU Gender Man Woman Age Education (End of) Still studying Socio-professional category Self-employed Managers Other white collars Manual workers House persons Unemployed Retired Students

24 21 2 Trust in the media Trust in the media has declined slightly After rising between the Standard Eurobarometer of autumn 2013 (EB80) and the Standard Eurobarometer of autumn 2014 (EB82), trust in the media has declined again slightly in the autumn 2015 survey. Radio remains the medium for which Europeans demonstrate the most trust, but it has lost three percentage points since autumn 2014 (55%, versus 36% distrust, +3). It had risen by four points between autumn 2013 and autumn A narrow majority of respondents continue to trust television, but it too has lost ground (48%, -2 points, versus 47%, +2). It had gained two points in autumn An unchanged minority of respondents trust the written press (43%, unchanged, versus 50%, +1); it had gained two points in autumn Just over a third of Europeans say they trust the Internet (35%, -1, versus 45%, +1) and two in ten Europeans say they trust online social networks (20%, -1, versus 55%, +1).

25 22 Long-term trends show that trust in the media has changed only slightly since the Standard Eurobarometer survey of autumn 2009 (EB72): it has fallen by three percentage points for radio (from 58% to 55%), by one point for television (from 49% to 48%) and by two points for the Internet (from 37% to 35%). However, trust in the written press has risen by one point (from 42% to 43%). QA8a I would like to ask you a question about how much trust you have in certain media and institutions. For each of the following media and institutions, please tell me if you tend to trust it or tend not to trust it. (% - EU - TEND TO TRUST) 70% 60% % % RADIO TELEVISION THE WRITTEN PRESS 30% THE INTERNET 20% ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS 10% 0%

26 QA8a I would like to ask you a question about how much trust you have in certain media and institutions. For each of the following media and institutions, please tell me if you tend to trust it or tend notto trust it. (% - EU - TEND TO TRUST) Radio Television The written press The Internet Online social networks EU Gender Man Woman Age Education (End of) Still studying Socio-professional category Self-employed Managers Other white collars Manual workers House persons Unemployed Retired Students Difficulties paying bills Most of the time From time to time Almost never/ Never

27 24 A comparison of the results for media use and trust shows that - in general - the more respondents use a medium, the more they tend to trust it. However, significant differences are observed depending on the media tested: QA8 I would like to ask you a question about how much trust you have in certain media and institutions. For each of the following media and institutions, please tell me if you tend to trust it or tend not to trust it. Radio Tend to trust Tend not to trust Don't know EU Listen to the radio At least once a week Two or three times a month / Less often Never Television Tend to trust Tend not to trust Don't know EU Watch television At least once a week Two or three times a month / Less often Never The written press Tend to trust Tend not to trust Don't know EU Read the written press At least once a week Two or three times a month / Less often Never The Internet Tend to trust Tend not to trust Don't know EU Use the Internet At least once a week Two or three times a month / Less often Never The link between use and trust is particularly clear for radio (61% of those who listen to the radio at least once a week trust it, compared with 55% on average) and the written press (50% versus 43%); However, there is almost no difference for television since only a narrow majority of people who watch television at least once a week trust it (49%, versus 46% "tend not to trust"), only three percentage points above the average (48/47); In the case of the Internet and online social networks, media trusted by only a minority of Europeans, there is a confirmed link between regular use and greater than average trust: 44% of respondents using the Internet at least once a week tend to trust it compared with 35% on average, while 31% of those using social networks at least once a week trust them compared with 20% on average. Nevertheless, only a minority of frequent users trust these media, and this group are even more likely than average to distrust them: 48% of regular Internet users do not trust it compared with an average of 45%, and 61% of regular users of online social networks do not trust them versus 55%). Online social networks Tend to trust Tend not to trust Don't know EU Use online social networks At least once a week Two or three times a month / Less often Never

28 25 An analysis of national results shows that a majority of respondents trust the radio in 23 Member States (versus 24 in autumn 2014). It varies from 37% in Greece to 85% in Sweden. Trust has fallen sharply since autumn 2014 in Slovenia (40%, -10 percentage points, versus 53%, +10) and increased in Croatia (48%, +10, versus 45%, -10). QA8a.2 I would like to ask you a question about how much trust you have in certain media and institutions. For each of the following media and institutions, please tell me if you tend to trust it or tend not to trust it. Radio (%) Tend to trust Aut Tend not to trust Aut EU HR SE PT LT RO DK IE PL SK 66 = 30 1 BG 45 = 40 2 ES HU = FR BE EL FI EE = = LV UK CY MT DE CZ AT IT NL LU SI

29 26 Majorities trust television in 20 Member States (versus 22 in autumn 2014). It varies between 20% in Greece and 75% in Finland and Sweden. As with radio, trust in television declined significantly in Slovenia (37%, -13 percentage points, versus 58%, +12) and increased in Croatia (51%, +10, versus 46%, -9). QA8a.3 I would like to ask you a question about how much trust you have in certain media and institutions. For each of the following media and institutions, please tell me if you tend to trust it or tend not to trust it. Television (%) Tend to trust Aut Tend not to trust Aut EU HR LT SE PT DK SK HU RO MT 47 = 41 1 FR 34 = 62 = EE EL IE = PL UK = CY ES BE FI LV CZ IT NL BG DE LU AT SI

30 27 A majority of respondents trust the written press in 12 Member States (versus 13 in autumn 2014). Trust is low in the United Kingdom (22%) and most widespread in the Netherlands and in Finland (63% in both countries). Trust in the written press has fallen sharply since autumn 2014 in Slovenia (31%, -10 percentage points, versus 61%, +8). QA8a.1 I would like to ask you a question about how much trust you have in certain media and institutions. For each of the following media and institutions, please tell me if you tend to trust it or tend not to trust it. The written press (%) Tend to trust Tend not to trust EU28 43 = 50 1 IE HR SE DK RO FR LT PL EL PT 60 = 36 1 HU 33 = 60 = MT 32 = 46 1 DE ES = BG UK = BE EE = SK NL LU LV CY FI AT IT CZ SI

31 28 A majority of respondents trust the Internet in nine Member States (versus 16 in autumn 2014): Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Italy, Romania and Greece. Opinions are balanced in two Member States, Denmark and Croatia. A majority distrust the Internet in 17 Member States. Trust is most widespread in Poland and Slovakia (both 48% in both countries) and least so in Sweden (22%). Readers will recall that Internet use is not very common in Poland (only 48% use it daily or almost every day) whereas it is much more widespread in Sweden (85% every day or almost every day). Trust in the Internet has declined very sharply since autumn 2014 in Finland (35%, -16 percentage points, versus 40%, +8), a country where Internet use is also very frequent (75% every day or almost), and in Slovenia (35%, -9, versus 44%, +10). QA8a.4 I would like to ask you a question about how much trust you have in certain media and institutions. For each of the following media and institutions, please tell me if you tend to trust it or tend not to trust it. The Internet (%) Tend to trust Aut Tend not to trust Aut EU LT BG = HR DE PL = RO SK DK FR = PT 39 = 42 3 IE 30 = 55 1 NL BE EL UK EE IT CY ES HU AT CZ LV LU SE MT SI FI

32 29 A minority of respondents trust online social networks in 25 Member States. Opinions are evenly balanced in Bulgaria, Poland and Romania, countries where their use is low. The highest level of trust is recorded in Romania (35%) and the lowest in Sweden (only 8%). It should be noted that the use of online social networks is low in Romania (31% of respondents use them daily or almost every day) and high in Sweden (56% use them daily or almost). Since spring 2015, distrust in online social networks has gained ground significantly in Luxembourg, where it was already the majority view (70% "tend not to trust", +13 percentage points, versus 11%, -6). QA8a.5 I would like to ask you a question about how much trust you have in certain media and institutions. For each of the following media and institutions, please tell me if you tend to trust it or tend not to trust it. Online social networks (%) Tend to trust Aut2015- Aut2014 Tend not to trust Aut2015- Aut2014 EU RO HR SK BG DK CY = FR PL CZ 26 = 43 2 DE 15 = 59 1 LT 23 = 40 2 PT 27 = 52 2 BE EE = IE HU NL UK EL LV MT IT AT SE LU SI ES FI

33 30 A media trust index has been constructed based on trust in each of the five media analysed (television, radio, written press, the Internet and online social networks) 4. A narrow majority of Europeans report low or zero trust in the media (41%), up 3 percentage points since the Standard Eurobarometer survey of autumn 2014 (EB82), with a corresponding slight fall in the proportion of Europeans with medium trust in the media (40%, -2). A little less than two in ten Europeans show a high level of trust in the media (19%, -1). C5 Media trust index (% - EU) Low or no trust in the media 41 (+3) High trust in the media 19 (-1) Medium trust in the media 40 (-2) ( - Autumn 2014) Slovakia is the only Member State in which a narrow majority of respondents have a high media trust index (35%, compared with 33% with a medium trust index and 32% with a low or zero index). A majority of respondents have a medium media trust index in 17 Member States (versus 16 in autumn 2014), ranging from 64% in Sweden to 31% in Slovenia and Malta. Majorities have a low or zero trust index in ten Member States, with a high of 54% in Slovenia and a low of 18% in Finland. 4 For each of the five media for which trust was analysed in QA8 (television, radio, written press, Internet, social networks), points were attributed as follows: 1 point for "tend to trust" and 0 points for the "tend not to trust" and "DK" answers. Each respondent was then attributed a media trust index of between 0 and 5. A score of 0 to 1 corresponds to a zero or low media trust index, 2 to 3 to a moderate media trust index and 4 to 5 to a high media trust index.

34 31 In Slovenia, opinions have changed significantly since autumn 2014: the high trust index has lost ten percentage points (down to 15%) and the low or zero trust index has gained ground significantly (54%, +11). In Finland, the high trust index has also declined (25%, -13), but in this instance a majority of respondents now have a medium trust index (57%, +10).

35 32 II. INFORMATION ON EUROPEAN MATTERS The impression of being informed about European matters has gained ground, but is still the least widespread opinion The proportion of Europeans who believe that people are well informed about European matters in their country has risen significantly: 31%, an increase of five percentage points since the Standard Eurobarometer survey of autumn 2014 (EB82) and eight points since autumn 2013 (EB80). The impression that people are ill-informed in their country is still prevalent even though it is losing ground (65%, -5 percentage points since autumn 2014). The improvement is also noticeable in personal terms: 41% of respondents feel well-informed on European matters, an increase of six percentage points since autumn 2014 and 12 points since autumn A majority still feel ill-informed though this proportion is falling (58%, -5 percentage points since autumn 2014).

36 33 QE1a Overall, to what extent do you think that in (OUR COUNTRY) people are well informed or not about European matters? (% - EU) 90% 80% % TOTAL 'NOT WELL INFORMED' 60% 50% 40% 30% TOTAL 'WELL INFORMED' 20% 10% 0% DON'T KNOW QE2 And overall, to what extent do you think that you are well informed or not about European matters? (% - EU) 80% 70% % 58 TOTAL 'NOT WELL INFORMED' 50% 40% 30% TOTAL 'WELL INFORMED' 20% 10% 0% DON'T KNOW

37 34 A majority of respondents say that people are well-informed about European matters in their country in six Member States (versus two in autumn 2014). The divergences are very wide, however: 61% of respondents in Luxembourg and 60% in Denmark believe that people are well-informed about European matters in their country, but this figure falls to only 16% in Spain and 17% in France. The impression that the population is well-informed has gained ground by ten percentage points or more since autumn 2014 in six Member States: Croatia (40%, +17 percentage points), Denmark (60%, +13), the United Kingdom (40%, +12), Lithuania (56%, +11), Finland (54%, +11) and Malta (55%, +10).

38 35 QE1a Overall, to what extent do you think that in (OUR COUNTRY) people are well informed or not about European matters? (%) Total 'Well informed' Total 'Not well informed' Don't know EU HR DK UK LT FI MT SI RO HU SE IE EE DE LU NL IT SK CZ BG PL PT ES EL 24 = CY 21 = LV = 4 BE FR = 3 AT

39 36 A majority of respondents say that they are personally well-informed about European matters in eight Member States (versus five in autumn 2014). This proportion is high in Luxembourg (69%) and Denmark (65%) and much lower in France (24%) and Spain (26%). Since autumn 2014, the proportion who say they are well-informed personally has risen by at least ten percentage points in seven Member States where the score for people generally has also improved: Malta (59%, +16 percentage points), Luxembourg (69%, +13), Romania (49%, +13), Croatia (48%, +13), the United Kingdom (47%, +11), Hungary (45%, +11) and Denmark (65%, +10).

40 37 QE2 And overall, to what extent do you think that you are well informed or not about European matters? (%) Total 'Well informed' Total 'Not well informed' Don't know EU MT LU RO HR UK HU DK FI IE SE PT IT LT NL DE EE SK EL PL SI ES BG LV CZ FR AT CY BE

41 38 The following tables show the results by socio-demographic criteria in the European Union as a whole (EU28 average), in the six largest EU countries and in countries that are receiving or have received European Union aid to help them cope with the economic and financial crisis. QE2 And overall, to what extent do you think that you are well informed or not about European matters? (% - TOTAL 'WELL INFORMED') EU28 DE ES FR IT PL UK EL PT IE CY TOTAL Gender Male Female Age Education (End of) Still studying Socio-professional category Self-employed Managers Other white collars Manual workers House persons Unemployed Retired Students QE2 And overall, to what extent do you think that you are well informed or not about European matters? (% - TOTAL 'NOT WELL INFORMED') EU28 DE ES FR IT PL UK EL PT IE CY TOTAL Gender Male Female Age Education (End of) Still studying Socio-professional category Self-employed Managers Other white collars Manual workers House persons Unemployed Retired Students

42 39 III. SOURCES OF NEWS ON NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN POLITICAL MATTERS 1 National political matters Television is still the main source of national political news; radio and the Internet are gaining ground For Europeans, television remains the main source of national political news (81%). This proportion is nevertheless tending to decline: it has lost one percentage point since the Standard Eurobarometer of autumn 2014 (EB82) and four points since the EB76 of autumn Radio is now in equal second place as a source of national political news, level with the written press: 41%, up two percentage points since autumn Mentions of radio fell by three points between autumn 2011 and autumn 2013, but they have gained five since then. The position of the written press has remained stable since autumn 2014, but had declined continuously since autumn 2011 (-9 percentage points in total up to autumn 2014). While still in fourth position, the Internet is gaining ground as a favoured source of information about national political matters: 38%, up three percentage points since autumn 2014 and up nine points since autumn Websites are consulted most (33%, +2 percentage points since autumn 2014), but online social networks have also gained ground since autumn 2014 (13%, +3). 5 The term "Internet" includes websites and online social networks. This aggregation is not a sum: respondents were able to give both "websites" and "online social networks" answers. They are therefore counted only once in the total "Internet" aggregation, whose score of 38% is therefore less than the sum of "websites" (33%) responses and "online social networks" (13%) responses.

43 40 Multiple answers possible *Total Internet: aggregation of the two following items: "websites" and "online social networks"

44 41 In terms of the first response given, television remains the preferred source of news about national issues, but it has lost ground (58%, -4 percentage points). The Internet remains in second position (16%) and has recorded a one-point rise. First answer given *Total Internet: aggregation of the two following items: "websites" and "online social networks" Television tops the list of preferred media sources for news on national political matters in 27 Member States. The only exception is Luxembourg, where respondents prefer the written press (67% versus 65% for television). Responses diverge sharply, however: mentions of TV range from 90% in Romania to only 65% in Luxembourg. The variations are even more significant for the other media: Radio is frequently mentioned in Ireland (60%), Slovakia (57%) and Austria (55%), but by less than a third of respondents in Italy (27%) and Portugal (32%); The written press is mentioned by more than two-thirds of respondents in Austria (69%) and Luxembourg (67%, where it is the main source of news), but is cited by less than a fifth of respondents in Cyprus (19 %) and Malta (19%); Websites are frequently mentioned in Estonia (56%) and Lithuania (56%) but less often in Portugal (14%), Romania (25%), Austria (25%) and Germany (25%); Online social networks obtain 32% of responses in Malta compared with only 7% in Poland and France.

45 42 The only notable development on this issue involves Luxembourg, where television is mentioned far more than in autumn 2014 as a preferred source of news on national political matters (65%, +11 percentage points). QE4T Where do you get most of your news on national political matters? (% - EU) 100% 90% % TELEVISION 70% 60% 50 50% 39 40% 30% RADIO THE WRITTEN PRESS TOTAL 38 'THE INTERNET'* 20% 10% 0% Multiple answers possible *Total Internet: aggregation of the two following items: "websites" and "online social networks"

46 QE4T Where do you get most of your news on national political matters? (% - EU) Television The written press Radio Total 'The Internet'* Websites Online social networks Other (SPONTANEOUS) You do not look for news on national political matters (SPONTANEOUS) Don't know EU Gender Man Woman Age Generation Total 'Before 1946' "BB" "X" After 1980 "Y" Education (End of) Still studying Socio-professional category Self-employed Managers Other white collars Manual workers House persons Unemployed Retired Students Consider belonging to The working class The lower middle class The middle class The upper middle class The upper class *Total Internet: aggregation of the two following items: "websites" and "online social networks" 43

47 44 2 European political matters Television and the written press remain the main sources for news on European political matters but they are declining in favour of radio and the Internet Europeans also prefer television as a source of news about European political matters (74%). However, its position is gradually eroding: it has lost three percentage points since the Standard Eurobarometer of autumn 2014 (EB82) and seven since the Standard Eurobarometer survey of autumn 2010 (EB74). The written press remains in second position for news on European political matters (39%), unchanged since autumn Over a longer period, however, the written press has also lost ground (-10 percentage points between autumn 2010 and autumn 2014). Radio comes in third place among the media preferred for European political news (36%), with mentions rising by two percentage points since autumn It had lost ground between autumn 2011 and autumn 2013 (-4 percentage points), but has rallied since then (+5 in total). More than a third of Europeans now cite the Internet among their preferred media for news on European matters (35%), with an increase of three percentage points since autumn The Internet has steadily gained ground since autumn 2011 (+9 percentage points in total). Websites represent the bulk of Internet sources consulted (31%, +3 percentage points since autumn 2014), while online social networks remain marginal (11%, +2).

48 45 Multiple answers possible *Total Internet: aggregation of the two following items: "websites" and "online social networks"

49 46 In terms of the first response, television remains in the lead (55%), but as with questions on national political matters, mentions of this medium have declined since autumn 2014 (-4 percentage points). The Internet comes in second position with 15% of responses (+1). First answer given *Total Internet: aggregation of the two following items: "websites" and "online social networks" Television tops the list of Europeans' favoured media sources for news on political matters in all Member States, led by Germany (84%), Denmark (83%) and Lithuania (83%). It is mentioned least in Cyprus (62%), Ireland (65%) and Poland (65%). But there are also wide differences between Member States for the other media: The written press is frequently mentioned in Austria (66%), Luxembourg (64%) and Finland (63%), but much less in Malta (17%) and Cyprus (18%); Radio is mentioned by more than half of respondents in Slovakia (54%), Austria (53%) and Ireland (52%), but much less frequently in Italy (22%) and Cyprus (28%); Websites are mentioned far more often than average in Estonia (54%), Lithuania (53%) and Finland (51%). Their position has weakened in Portugal (13%); Online social networks are mentioned by at least a quarter of respondents in Malta (26%) and Greece (25%), but have lost ground in France (6%) and Poland (7%).

50 47 QE5T Where do you get most of your news on European political matters? (% - EU) 100% 90% 81 80% TELEVISION 70% 60% 49 50% THE WRITTEN PRESS 40% RADIO TOTAL 'THE INTERNET'* 30% 32 WEBSITES % 10% 9 11 ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS 0% Multiple answers possible *Total Internet: aggregation of the two following items: "websites" and "online social networks"

51 48 QE5T Where do you get most of your news on European political matters? (% - EU) Television The written press Radio Total 'The Internet'* Websites Online social networks Other (SPONTANEOUS) You do not look for news on European political matters (SPONTANEOUS) Don't know EU Gender Man Woman Age Generation Total 'Before 1946' "BB" "X" After 1980 "Y" Education (End of) Still studying Socio-professional category Self-employed Managers Other white collars Manual workers House persons Unemployed Retired Students Consider belonging to The working class The lower middle class The middle class The upper middle class The upper class *Total Internet: aggregation of the two following items: "websites" and "online social networks"

52 49 3 Active searches for information on the European Union Television is the preferred medium when searching for information on the European Union, but the Internet is catching up When asked about their preferred sources when searching for information on the European Union, its policies and its institutions, Europeans always rank television first (49%). However, mentions of TV have declined since autumn 2014 (-2 percentage points), and almost continuously since 2005 (when 70% of respondents mentioned this item, a 21-point fall by autumn 2015). The Internet is in second position in terms of preferred sources of information on the European Union (38%), unchanged since autumn It has gained significant ground since 2005 (+16 points in total). The gap between television and the Internet has narrowed from 48 points in the Standard Eurobarometer of spring 2005 (EB63) to 11 points in autumn In more detail: Information websites are the Internet source most used by Europeans to seek information on the European Union (24%, unchanged since autumn 2014); Institutional and official websites come in second position (17%, =); They are followed by online social networks (10%, +1 percentage point), ahead of blogs (4%, +1), and video sharing sites (3%, +1). After the Internet, daily newspapers are used as a source of news on the European Union (25%, -1 percentage point since autumn 2014), ahead of radio (23%, +2). Two in ten Europeans also mention discussions with family, friends and colleagues (20%), which represents an increase of two percentage points since autumn Also mentioned are other newspapers and magazines (11%, +1 percentage point), far ahead of books, brochures and information leaflets (6%, unchanged) and attending talks, conferences and meetings (3%, +1). Dedicated telephone lines (Info lines, Europe Direct, etc.) seem unknown to the general public and are not mentioned. More than two in ten Europeans spontaneously say they never look for this information (21%), an increase of two percentage points since autumn 2014.

53 50 * Total Internet: aggregation of the five following items: Information websites, Institutional and official websites, online social networks, blogs and video hosting websites

54 51 QE6 When you are looking for information about the EU, its policies, its institutions, which of the following sources do you use? (% - EU) 90% 80% 70 70% % % TELEVISION 40% TOTAL 'THE INTERNET'* 30% % % 0% * Total Internet: aggregation of the five following items: Information websites, Institutional and official websites, online social networks, blogs and video hosting websites Television is the preferred source of information on the European Union, its policies and its institutions in 27 Member States. In Sweden, it also stands in equal first place with information websites (43%), which are also frequently mentioned in the Netherlands (37%), Luxembourg (35%), Finland (35%) and Denmark (34%). Institutional websites are also mentioned more than average as sources of information on the European Union in the Netherlands (41%), Finland (37%) and Sweden (35%).

55 QE6 When you are looking for information about the EU, its policies, its institutions, which of the following sources do you use? (% - EU) Television Total 'The Internet'* Information websites (websites from newspapers, news magazines, etc.) Institutional and official websites (governmental websites, etc.) Online social networks Blogs Video hosting websites Daily newspapers Radio Discussions with relatives, friends, colleagues Other newspapers, magazines Books, brochures, information leaflets Attending conferences, talks, meetings Telephone (Info lines, Europe Direct, etc.) Other (SPONTANEOUS) Never look for such information, not interested (SPONTANEOUS) Don't know EU Gender Man Woman Age Education (End of) Still studying Socio-professional category Self-employed Managers Other white collars Manual workers House persons Unemployed Retired Students Consider belonging to The working class The lower middle class The middle class The upper middle class The upper class * Total Internet: aggregation of the five following items: Information websites, Institutional and official websites, online social networks, blogs and video hosting websites 52

56 53 4 Media coverage of the European Union Media coverage of the European Union is largely seen as objective A majority of Europeans say that the media give the EU the right amount of coverage, broadly unchanged since autumn 2014: More than half of Europeans believe this applies to television (54%, unchanged, versus 23% who believe that television talks too little about the European Union, -4 percentage points, and 13% "too much", +2). This impression has remained stable since autumn 2011 (54% in EB76). Only a minority of respondents gave this answer in EB68 in autumn 2007 (39% versus 48% who felt that television talked too little about the European Union); A similar proportion also think that the written press talks about the right amount about the European Union (53%, unchanged since autumn 2014). Fewer people believe that the written press gives the EU too little attention than is the case for television (15%, -3 percentage points) and only one in ten Europeans believe that the written press talks too much about the EU (+1). More than a fifth of respondents did not answer (22%, +2), a 10-point rise since autumn 2007; Nearly half of Europeans also think that radio gives about the right coverage to the European Union (49%, +1 percentage point since autumn 2014). The feeling that radio talks too little about the EU is more pronounced than in the case of the written press (23%), despite a decline of four percentage points since autumn 2014; More than four in ten Europeans believe that websites talk about the right amount about the European Union (44%), a one-point rise since autumn Few respondents say that websites give the EU insufficient coverage and this proportion has fallen (10%, -10). Although Europeans increasingly use the Internet to find information about the EU, a significant proportion have no opinion on the matter (39%, unchanged); A majority of respondents also feel the European Union receives about the right amount of coverage in online social networks (31%, +2 percentage points, compared with 12%, -3, who say "too little" and 7%, +2, "too much"). However, respondents were most likely to be unable to answer this question: half of Europeans expressed no opinion on the subject (50%, -1).

57 54 QE7 Generally speaking, do you think that the (NATIONALITY)... talk(s) too much, about the right amount or too little about the EU? (% - EU) TELEVISION Autumn 2014 Autumn 2013 Autumn 2012 Autumn 2011 Autumn 2010 Autumn 2007 WRITTEN PRESS Autumn 2014 Autumn 2013 Autumn 2012 Autumn 2011 Autumn 2010 Autumn 2007 RADIO Autumn 2014 Autumn 2013 Autumn 2012 Autumn 2011 Autumn 2010 Autumn 2007 WEBSITES Autumn 2014 Autumn 2013 Autumn 2012 Autumn 2011 Autumn 2010 Autumn 2007 ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS Autumn 2014 Too much About the right amount Too little Don't know

58 55 A majority of respondents say that television gives about the right amount of coverage to the European Union in all of the Member States except Greece, where an identical proportion say there is "too much" coverage (38%). Respondents are more likely than average is to believe there is too little TV coverage of the EU in the Netherlands (38%) and France (37%). The proportion of respondents who think television talks "too much" about the European Union has increased significantly since autumn 2014 in Austria (25%, +10 percentage points). The proportion believing that it does so about the right amount rose sharply in Luxembourg (56%, +14). Lastly, there has been a sharp fall in the proportions who say there is too little coverage in Croatia (20%, -12) and Italy (18%, -10). QE7.1 Generally speaking, do you think that the (NATIONALITY)... talk(s) too much, about the right amount or too little about the EU? Television (%) Too much About the right amount Too little Don't know EU = AT IT ES PT CZ SI HU HR EE = 11 IE FR LV DE LU MT BE SE RO 16 = SK 15 = 69 = PL 9 = 61 = LT 5 = NL = EL UK FI BG = 6 DK CY

59 56 In every Member State, the written press is even more likely than television to be seen as giving the EU the right amount of coverage. This impression has gained ten percentage points in Luxembourg (74%). QE7.3 Generally speaking, do you think that the (NATIONALITY)... talk(s) too much, about the right amount or too little about the EU? Written press (%) Too much About the right amount Too little Don't know EU = AT HR IE IT MT DE = EE SI = 17 FR LV NL CZ 12 = HU 10 = PT 9 = FI 7 = LU 5 = LT 4 = ES = 29 SK = RO = 37 BE PL DK SE UK BG CY EL

60 57 Majorities of respondents say that radio talks about the right amount about the European Union in almost all Member States, except the Netherlands, where more than a third believe this coverage is inadequate (34%, versus 32% "about the right amount" and 33% "do not know"). A significant proportion also say there is too little radio coverage in France (32%, versus 37% "about the right amount" and 25% "do not know"). The impression that radio talks about the right amount about the European Union has gained ground significantly in Luxembourg (56%, +10 percentage points); while the belief that radio coverage is insufficient has declined in Italy (22%, -12) and Croatia (24%, -10). QE7.2 Generally speaking, do you think that the (NATIONALITY)... talk(s) too much, about the right amount or too little about the EU? Radio (%) Too much About the right amount Too little Don't know EU AT SI HR SK CZ IE FR DE LU BG = MT HU = 22 BE EE CY 9 = UK 8 = RO 6 = = 29 PL 5 = LV 4 = 55 = DK 3 = SE 1 = ES = 28 IT FI LT NL EL PT

61 58 A majority of respondents think that websites talk about the right amount about the European Union in all Member States. Those in France and Sweden are most likely to say that their coverage is inadequate (16% in both of these Member States). As in the case of television, the written press and radio, the impression that websites give the right amount of coverage of the European Union has gained the most ground in Luxembourg (50%, +12 percentage points). QE7.4 Generally speaking, do you think that the (NATIONALITY)... talk(s) too much, about the right amount or too little about the EU? Websites (%) Too much About the right amount Too little Don't know EU EL HR MT LV SI AT CZ SK = PL DE EE IE 7 = = 39 RO 7 = = 49 BG 6 = = 46 IT 6 = HU 6 = 47 = BE 5 = FR 4 = LU 4 = FI 2 = 57 = SE 2 = UK LT = 32 PT = 47 DK NL = 13 = 42 ES CY

62 59 Half of Europeans express no opinion on whether online social networks talk too much, about the right amount or too little about the European Union. As in the case of the radio, a majority of those who do give an answer say that online social networks talk adequately about the European Union in all Member States except the Netherlands (19% say that online social networks give too little coverage, 17% say about the right amount and 58% "do not know"). The proportion believing that online social networks talk about the right amount about the European Union has risen significantly in Luxembourg (35%, +17 percentage points) and Lithuania (47%, +10). QE7.5 Generally speaking, do you think that the (NATIONALITY)... talk(s) too much, about the right amount or too little about the EU? Online social networks (%) Too much About the right amount Too little Don't know EU SI = 45 MT EL HR SE FI CY = AT LV = 45 SK IT DE EE BE NL FR PL UK HU CZ LU ES 9 = DK 4 = LT 4 = = 41 PT 4 = IE = 45 RO BG

63 60 A majority of Europeans think that coverage of the European Union in the mainstream media is objective Half Europeans believe that television discusses the European Union objectively, down one percentage point since autumn 2014 and three points since autumn However, a fifth of Europeans believe that the European Union receives "too positive" coverage on television, up five points since autumn The belief that TV coverage is "too negative" is less widespread (13%, unchanged). A majority of Europeans also believe that the written press covers the European Union objectively (46%), but this proportion has fallen by two percentage points since autumn 2014 and five points since autumn The proportion of respondents who say the press talks too positively about the European Union is lower than for television (14%), but has also risen (+2 percentage points since autumn 2014). Half of Europeans think that radio provides objective coverage of the European Union (versus 13% "too positive" and 8% "too negative"). These are the most stable results measured on this indicator since autumn Websites are also seen as providing objective coverage of the European Union (38%, versus 9% "too negative" and 7% "too positive"), unchanged since autumn This is the medium for which perceived objectivity has improved the most since autumn 2007 (+5 percentage points, versus +3 points for too negative and +1 for too positive). However, nearly half of Europeans express no opinion on the subject. A majority of respondents also believe that online social networks offer objective coverage of the European Union (28%, +2 percentage points), but criticism of this coverage as too negative is greater than for websites (12%, +1). Only 5% (unchanged) of Europeans believe that online social networks speak too positively about the European Union. 55% of Europeans express no opinion.

64 61 QE8 Do you think that the (NATIONALITY)... present(s) the EU too positively, objectively or too negatively? (% - EU) TELEVISION Autumn 2014 Autumn 2013 Autumn 2012 Autumn 2011 Autumn 2010 Autumn 2007 WRITTEN PRESS Autumn 2014 Autumn 2013 Autumn 2012 Autumn 2011 Autumn 2010 Autumn 2007 RADIO Autumn 2014 Autumn 2013 Autumn 2012 Autumn 2011 Autumn 2010 Autumn 2007 WEBSITES Autumn 2014 Autumn 2013 Autumn 2012 Autumn 2011 Autumn 2010 Autumn 2007 ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS Autumn 2014 Too positively Objectively Too negatively Don't know Television is seen as providing objective media coverage of the European Union by a majority of respondents in almost all Member States, led by Finland (67%) and Lithuania (66%). The belief that television provides objective coverage of the European Union has risen sharply in Luxembourg (58%, +12 percentage points), but has lost ten percentage points in Estonia (56%), Austria (49%) and Slovenia (49%). A majority of respondents feel that television talks too positively about the European Union in Greece (45%, versus 29% objectively), though this score has fallen significantly since autumn 2014 (-12 percentage points). Respondents also believe that coverage is too positive in Austria, where the score has risen markedly (37%, +12). The impression that television coverage of the European Union is too negative is most widespread in the United Kingdom (23%), Greece (22%), France (21%) and the Netherlands (20%).

65 62 QE8.1 Do you think that the (NATIONALITY)... present(s) the EU too positively, objectively or too negatively? Television (%) Too positively Objectively Too negatively Don't know EU = 17 AT SI = 16 DE EE CZ ES BE BG = 16 FR RO = IE LU LV 22 = DK 18 = HU 16 = FI 15 = UK 13 = PT 12 = IT MT NL HR CY SK PL SE LT = 12 EL

66 63 A majority of respondents say that radio provides objective coverage of the European Union in all Member States, including Greece. This belief has gained ground in Luxembourg (59%, +12 percentage points), but has declined in Austria (52%, -11) and Estonia (52%, -10). At the same time, coverage is increasingly seen as too positive in Austria (30%, +10 points since autumn 2014). An above-average proportion of respondents think that that radio coverage of the European Union is too negative in Greece, France and the United Kingdom (13% in all three). QE8.2 Do you think that the (NATIONALITY)... present(s) the EU too positively, objectively or too negatively? Radio (%) Too positively Objectively Too negatively Don't know EU AT SI DE = 19 EE = 29 BE BG CZ HR = LV FR FI = 27 MT 18 = ES 13 = PL 13 = DK 10 = LU 10 = = 25 RO 10 = = 35 NL 9 = UK 8 = IE PT IT CY HU SK SE = 27 LT EL

67 64 The written press provides objective coverage of the European Union, according to a majority of respondents in all Member States, though this majority varies widely, ranging from 64% in Finland to only 32% in Cyprus 32% (46% of respondents express no opinion on the subject). Significantly fewer respondents now see the written press as objective in Austria (47%, -11 percentage points), Estonia (49%, -11) and Cyprus (32%, -10). Once again, respondents are most likely to see coverage of the EU as too positive in Austria (30%), with an increase of nine percentage points since autumn QE8.3 Do you think that the (NATIONALITY)... present(s) the EU too positively, objectively or too negatively? Written press (%) Too positively Objectively Too negatively Don't know EU AT DE = 18 SI = 24 CZ EE FI = 14 LU BG MT ES HR = LV BE NL RO = 41 FR PT SE 13 = UK 9 = IE CY = 46 IT = PL = 29 HU DK LT SK EL

68 65 A majority of respondents believe that websites provide objective coverage of the European Union in all Member States, led by Poland (52%), Lithuania (51%), the Czech Republic (51%) and Greece (50%). This view has gained significant ground since autumn 2014 in Luxembourg (44%, +13 percentage points) but is now less widespread in Estonia (40%, -11) and Slovenia (36%, -10). QE8.4 Do you think that the (NATIONALITY)... present(s) the EU too positively, objectively or too negatively? Websites (%) Too positively Objectively Too negatively Don't know EU28 7 = 38 = SI = 43 EE MT LV = 39 AT IE RO FI UK LU ES = 51 CY BG DE FR = 55 BE 8 = CZ 8 = IT 6 = 40 = HU 5 = PT 4 = = 52 HR = 34 LT PL SK DK SE NL EL

69 66 Opinions regarding online social networks are not as developed (between 40% and 67% of respondents express no view on the subject, depending on the Member State in question). A majority of respondents say that coverage is objective in 25 Member States, particularly in Poland (44%), Lithuania (42%) and Greece (41%). In three Member States, coverage is seen as too negative: Sweden (24%, versus 16% "objectively" and 56% "do not know"), the Netherlands (20%, versus 13% and 64% respectively) and France (15%, versus 14% and 67% respectively). The impression that online social networks provide objective coverage of the European Union has gained ground significantly in Luxembourg (30%, +16 percentage points), but has declined in Finland (26%, -11) and Slovenia (29%, -10). QE8.5 Do you think that the (NATIONALITY)... present(s) the EU too positively, objectively or too negatively? Online social networks (%) Too positively Objectively Too negatively Don't know EU28 5 = SI AT EE = 57 UK LU LV CY IT RO = 54 CZ HU FR SE FI HR 10 = = 42 IE 7 = = 49 BG 6 = ES 6 = BE 5 = 30 = DE 4 = MT LT DK PL NL = PT EL SK

70 QE8 Do you think that the (NATIONALITY)... present(s) the EU too positively, objectively or too negatively? (% - EU - OBJECTIVELY) Television Radio Written press Websites Online social networks EU Gender Man Woman Age Education (End of) Still studying Socio-professional category Self-employed Managers Other white collars Manual workers House persons Unemployed Retired Students

71 68 IV. SOCIAL NETWORKS Europeans still believe that social networks have political relevance; however, criticism of their unreliability is gaining ground A slightly increased majority of Europeans agree with various positive statements regarding online social networks: A majority agree that "online social networks can get people interested in political affairs" (52%, +2 percentage points since autumn 2014, versus 22% who disagree, unchanged); More than half of Europeans also agree that they are "a modern way to keep abreast of political affairs" (52%, +2 percentage points, versus 23%, =); A majority also believe that they are "a good way to have your say on political issues" (51%, +1, versus 23%, =). Agreement with these statements increased between autumn 2010 and autumn 2012 (by between +8 and +9 percentage points depending on the statement), and has remained fairly stable since then (with variations of one to two percentage points in different Eurobarometer waves). A majority of Europeans also say they agree with a negative statement regarding online social networks: "information on political affairs from online social networks cannot be trusted" (47%, +3 percentage points, versus 23%, -2). Agreement with this criticism has increased steadily since autumn 2010 (+10 percentage points in total).

72 69 QE9 Regardless of whether you participate in online social networks or not (social networking websites, blogs, video hosting websites), please tell me whether you totally agree, tend to agree, tend to disagree or totally disagree with each of the following statements. (% - EU) Total 'Agree' Total 'Disagree' Don't know ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS CAN GET PEOPLE INTERESTED IN POLITICAL AFFAIRS Autumn Autumn Autumn Autumn Autumn ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS ARE A MODERN WAY TO KEEP ABREAST OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS Autumn Autumn Autumn Autumn Autumn ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS ARE A GOOD WAY TO HAVE YOUR SAY ON POLITICAL ISSUES Autumn Autumn Autumn Autumn Autumn INFORMATION ON POLITICAL AFFAIRS FROM ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS CANNOT BE TRUSTED Autumn Autumn Autumn Autumn Autumn

73 70 There are some differences between Member States and a few notable evolutions regarding these positive statements about online social networks: A majority of respondents agree that online social networks are "a modern way to keep abreast of political affairs" in all Member States. However, there are wide divergences between respondents in Denmark (72%), Malta (69%) and Greece (68%) and those in Germany (38%) and France (45%). This belief has gained significant ground since autumn 2014 in Luxembourg (53%, +12 percentage points); Majorities also say that "online social networks can get people interested in political affairs in all Member States, most strikingly in Sweden (79%), Denmark (72%), the Netherlands (71%) and Finland (70%). Fewer people agree in France (39%) and Cyprus (41%). This item also increased its score significantly in Luxembourg (53%, +16 percentage points); A majority of respondents also agree that online social networks are "a good way to have your say on political issues" in all Member States. This statement receives very strong support in Greece (65%), Finland (63%) and Slovenia (61%), but fewer than half the respondents agree in Germany (40%), the Netherlands (46%), Croatia (48%) and France (49%). As is the case with other positive statements about social networks, this idea has gained ground in Luxembourg (55%, +10 percentage points since autumn 2014), but has declined in Sweden (57%, -11).

74 71 The idea that "information on political affairs from online social networks cannot be trusted" attracts majority support in 25 Member States (versus 27 in autumn 2014). Support is high in countries where the political relevance of social networks is also more widely accepted than average, as in Sweden (70%), Malta (61%) and Finland (60%), as well as in Luxembourg (60%). This criticism has attracted significantly more support since autumn 2014 in Luxembourg (60%, +16 percentage points), as well as in Slovenia (59%, +12).

75 72 QE9 Regardless of wether you participate in online social networks or not (social networking websites, blogs, video hosting websites), please tell me whether you totally agree, tend to agree, tend to disagree or totally disagree with each of the following statements. (%) Online social networks can get people interested in political affairs Online social networks are a modern way to keep abreast of political affairs Online social networks are a good way to have your say on political issues Information on political affairs from online social networks cannot be trusted Total 'Agree' Total 'Disagree' Total 'Agree' Total 'Disagree' Total 'Agree' Total 'Disagree' Total 'Agree' Total 'Disagree' EU = = = BE = BG = = CZ 43 = DK = DE = EE IE = EL ES FR = = HR IT = = 29 1 CY LV 62 = LT = = = 21 3 LU HU MT NL = AT 58 = = 30 2 PL PT RO = SI SK = FI = SE = UK

76 73 QE9.3 Regardless of whether you participate in online social networks or not (social networking websites, blogs, video hosting websites), please tell me whether you totally agree, tend to agree, tend to disagree or totally disagree with each of the following statements. Online social networks can get people interested in political affairs (% - EU) 70% 60% 50% TOTAL 'AGREE' 41 40% 35 30% DON'T KNOW 24 20% TOTAL 'DISAGREE' % 0% QE9.1 Regardless of whether you participate in online social networks or not (social networking websites, blogs, video hosting websites), please tell me whether you totally agree, tend to agree, tend to disagree or totally disagree with each of the following statements. Online social networks are a modern way to keep abreast of political affairs (% - EU) 70% 60% 50% TOTAL 'AGREE' 42 40% % % DON'T KNOW TOTAL 'DISAGREE' % 0%

77 74 QE9.4 Regardless of whether you participate in online social networks or not (social networking websites, blogs, video hosting websites), please tell me whether you totally agree, tend to agree, tend to disagree or totally disagree with each of the following statements. Online social networks are a good way to have your say on political issues (% - EU) 70% 60% 50% TOTAL 'AGREE' 41 40% 36 30% % DON'T KNOW TOTAL 'DISAGREE' % 0% QE9.2 Regardless of whether you participate in online social networks or not (social networking websites, blogs, video hosting websites), please tell me whether you totally agree, tend to agree, tend to disagree or totally disagree with each of the following statements. Information on political affairs from online social networks cannot be trusted (% - EU) 60% 50% 40 40% TOTAL 'AGREE' 37 30% DON'T KNOW 20% TOTAL 'DISAGREE' 10% 0%

78 75 As the following table illustrates, those Europeans who most use online social networks have a greater tendency to see them as politically relevant but they are also more likely to criticise their lack of reliability: More than seven out of ten Europeans who use online social networks at least once a week recognise that they are a good way to stay abreast of political affairs (72%, versus 52% on average for all Europeans), to get people interested in political affairs (72%, versus 52%) and to have your say on political issues (70%, versus 51% on average); Europeans who use online social networks at least once a week are more likely than average to say that the information they contain about political affairs cannot be trusted (59%, versus 47% on average). This trend is confirmed in all Member States.

79 QE9 Regardless of wether you participate in online social networks or not (social networking websites, blogs, video hosting websites), please tell me whether you totally agree, tend to agree, tend to disagree or totally disagree with each of the following statements. (%) Online social networks can get people interested in political affairs Online social networks are a modern way to keep abreast of political affairs Online social networks are a good way to have your say on political issues Information on political affairs from online social networks cannot be trusted Total 'Agree' Total 'Disagree' Total 'Agree' Total 'Disagree' Total 'Agree' Total 'Disagree' Total 'Agree' Total 'Disagree' All Europeans Those using social networks at least once a week All Europeans Those using social networks at least once a week All Europeans Those using social networks at least once a week All Europeans Those using social networks at least once a week All Europeans Those using social networks at least once a week All Europeans Those using social networks at least once a week All Europeans Those using social networks at least once a week All Europeans Those using social networks at least once a week EU BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR HR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK

80 QE9 Regardless of wether you participate in online social networks or not (social networking websites, blogs, video hosting websites), please tell me whether you totally agree, tend to agree, tend to disagree or totally disagree with each of the following statements. (% - EU) Online social networks are a modern way to keep abreast of political affairs Information on political affairs from online social networks cannot be trusted Online social networks can get people interested in political affairs Online social networks are a good way to have your say on political issues Total 'Agree' Total 'Disagree' Total 'Agree' Total 'Disagree' Total 'Agree' Total 'Disagree' Total 'Agree' Total 'Disagree' EU Gender Man Woman Age Generation Total 'Before 1946' "BB" "X" After 1980 "Y" Education (End of) Still studying Socio-professional category Self-employed Managers Other white collars Manual workers House persons Unemployed Retired Students Use online social networks Every day or almost Between 1 and 3 times a week Less often Never

81 Technical specifications TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Between the 7 TH and the 17 TH November 2015, TNS opinion & social, a consortium created between TNS political & social, TNS UK and TNS opinion, carried out the wave 84.3 of the EUROBAROMETER survey, on request of the EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Directorate-General for Communication, Strategy, Corporate Communication Actions and Eurobarometer Unit. The wave 84.3 is the STANDARD EUROBAROMETER 84 and covers the population of the respective nationalities of the European Union Member States, resident in each of the 28 Member States and aged 15 years and over. The STANDARD EUROBAROMETER 84 survey has also been conducted in five candidate countries (Turkey, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania) and in the Turkish Cypriot Community. In these countries, the survey covers the national population of citizens and the population of citizens of all the European Union Member States that are residents in these countries and have a sufficient command of the national languages to answer the questionnaire. TS 1

82 Technical specifications The basic sample design applied in all states is a multi-stage, random (probability) one. In each country, a number of sampling points was drawn with probability proportional to population size (for a total coverage of the country) and to population density. In order to do so, the sampling points were drawn systematically from each of the "administrative regional units", after stratification by individual unit and type of area. They thus represent the whole territory of the countries surveyed according to the EUROSTAT NUTS II 1 (or equivalent) and according to the distribution of the resident population of the respective nationalities in terms of metropolitan, urban and rural areas. In each of the selected sampling points, a starting address was drawn, at random. Further addresses (every Nth address) were selected by standard "random route" procedures, from the initial address. In each household, the respondent was drawn, at random (following the "closest birthday rule"). All interviews were conducted face-to-face in people's homes and in the appropriate national language. As far as the data capture is concerned, CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interview) was used in those countries where this technique was available. For each country a comparison between the sample and the universe was carried out. The Universe description was derived from Eurostat population data or from national statistics offices. For all countries surveyed, a national weighting procedure, using marginal and intercellular weighting, was carried out based on this Universe description. In all countries, gender, age, region and size of locality were introduced in the iteration procedure. For international weighting (i.e. EU averages), TNS opinion & social applies the official population figures as provided by EUROSTAT or national statistic offices. The total population figures for input in this post-weighting procedure are listed here. Readers are reminded that survey results are estimations, the accuracy of which, everything being equal, rests upon the sample size and upon the observed percentage. With samples of about 1,000 interviews, the real percentages vary within the following confidence limits: 1 Figures updated in August 2015 TS 2