Media

In its special research, The Public Opinion Research Centre focused on the media coverage of the coronavirus crisis and how Czech citizens orientate themselves in information about the new type of coronavirus. Three-fifths (60%) of Czech citizens think that the amount of information on how to protect themselves from coronavirus infection is adequate, about a tenth (11%) of society think that there is little information in this regard, and more than a quarter (27%) of citizens believe that there is even more or too much information.

In March survey respondents evaluated news coverage of selected Czech mass-media from the perspective of its veracity and completeness.

In March survey the Public Opinion Research Centre focused on topic public opinion polls. The respondents were asked if they are interested in polls results or if they have ever changed their opinion because of a poll. The survey also investigated citizens´ opinion on issues and correctness of the polls.

As a part of March survey realized by CVVM there were some questions focused on Czech citizens´ evaluation of media. The most-watched TV channel and radio stations were included in the survey as well as the national dailies and some selected internet news websites. Respondents were asked to evaluate whether these media inform objectively and how objective they are. Because currently the most widespread media is TV so we asked people how often they watch Media coverage and what TV News are their favourite and then there was a question whether this TV News inform them about important events.

In October survey we asked respondents whether media influence decisions of politicians. More than a half of respondents agreed that media influence decisions of politicians (20 % definitely „yes“, 33 % rather „yes“ ) A quarter of people think that media have no such influence (rather „no“) and a tenth suposse media not to have definitely such influence.

According to 80 % of respondents Česká televize has main influence on decisions of politicians, Nova 73 % and Prima 59 %.

As a part of October CVVM survey there were also some questions investigating how Czech citizens evaluate media. We were also focused on whether people think that monitored media inform them objectively, completely and whether media offer them complete list of important events. Currently the most widespread media is TV so we asked people how often they watch Media coverage.

The best evaluated was Channel - Česká televize (the main news programme – “Events“).

According to June survey Czech citizens watch mostly news programmes on Czech Television and TV Nova. A half of respondents think these news programmes, which they watch regularly, inform us about important events. A third of repondents watch news programmes every day.

The June survey among other things concentrated on how often and which news programmes on TV Czechs watched and how often and which newspapers they read.

Every day, news programmes on TV are seen by more than two fifths of respondents (42 %), 21 % watch news programmes three to four times a week, 23 % five to six times a week. Almost two thirds of respondents regularly watch Televizní noviny (Television News) on Nova channel (65 %), almost a half (48 %) Události (Events) on ČT 1 channel and more than a fifth (22 %) the main news broadcast of Prima TV channel.

Within the June research we surveyed standpoints of the Czech public towards the media. First of all we were interested in ratings of the main television news programmes. Eight out of ten respondents said that in the previous week they had seen TV Nova news at least once. About three quarters of respondents had watched "Události (Events)" (the main news broadcast of ČT1) at least once. Prima news had been seen at least once by less than a half of Czechs (46%) and ČT2 news by a third (33%).