PETALING JAYA: The trust Malaysians have in traditional a is stronger now than five years ago, a study has revealed.
Global market research firm, Ipsos Malaysia said 79% of Malaysians think newspapers and magazines have good intentions, 77% trust the intentions of TV and radio, while for online new sources the figure is 70%.
This is as opposed to the global trend which showed that trust in traditional media is low due to the prevalence of fake news and doubts over the intention of media outlets.
Globally, only 50% of readers trust newspapers and magazines while 52% of viewers are believe in the content of TV and radio. Only 49% of global users of online new sources think they are credible.
Malaysians also trust news and information from people they know personally more than any other sources, said the study.
Ipsos Malaysia managing director Arun Menon in a statement said it is interesting how while the rest of the world is declining in terms of their trust in the media, Malaysia’s trust has increased.
“This was particularly obvious in the data post 2018 general election,“ he said, adding that Malaysians also tend to trust news coming from sources that they are familiar with.
This gives traditional channels an advantage over online news platforms, Arun said.
“We need to be cautious and careful as to the source and type of information that we pass on,“ he added.
The study was conducted online across 27 countries between Jan 25 and Feb 8.
Around 500 Malaysians were surveyed for the study, with Ipsos saying this sample do not represent the whole country.
“This sample was more urban and educated, and with a higher income than their fellow citizens, with these respondents known as ‘Upper Deck Consumer Citizens’,“ the statement read.
