Most voters agree media is fair and balanced

SINCE 1994, the ANC has placed great emphasis on the argument that the media are generally hostile to its cause and routinely misrepresent its performance and conduct.

Voters, however, generally disagree with that statement.

Presented with the statement: “Some people say the media act like an opposition party to the ANC — that it is too negative about the ANC and only report bad news because they are hostile to the ANC. Others say the bad news is the ANC’s fault because it fails to deliver and suffers a lot of corruption, and the media are fair and report the facts,” the majority of all registered voters surveyed, 44%, agreed negative coverage was the ANC’s own fault.

In all, 28% of those registered believed the media were biased against the ANC. Neutral responses came from 16%, and 12% did not know.

Only slightly more of the ANC’s own voters (38%) believed the media were deliberately hostile towards the party than believed they were fair and balanced in their reporting (35%).

For voters affiliated with the three biggest parties, the results were as follows: 38% of ANC voters believed the media were hostile, as did 13% of Democratic Alliance and Economic Freedom Fighters voters.

In turn, 35% of ANC voters, 61% of DA voters and 65% of EFF voters believed “bad news is the ANC’s fault”.

By race, the voters in each group who agreed with the sentiment the ANC was to blame for its own bad publicity came down to 40% of black voters, 54% of white and 58% of Indian and coloured voters who agreed with that statement.