TV 'turns people off politics'

TV misrepresents public opinion, say researchers

Television news may be partly to blame for voter apathy.

A study of more than 5,600 political TV reports screened in Britain and the United States has concluded that news media may be a major turn-off.

Cardiff University journalism professors have called on broadcasters to include more opinion polls so that people can become more involved in programming.

The research has been revealed just a week after the elections for the Welsh assembly, Scottish Parliament and English councils.

The turn-out in most areas was hugely disappointing, with only 38% of the electorate bothering to vote in Wales.

Opinion

The Cardiff media study was carried out between September 2001 and February 2002, and was prompted by declining election turn-outs on both sides of the Atlantic.

Engagement in protests doesn't seem to connect to an interest in representative politics

Professor Justin Lewis

Researchers asked what model of citizenship news media provided, and analysed news items for references to public opinion.

"The most common references to public opinion (44%) are inferences - claims made without any supporting evidence," said Professor Justin Lewis.

"Polls are the most systematic form of evidence we have about what people think about the world - yet we found that they're used surprisingly rarely in television news."

And just 5% of people interviewed in the sampled reports expressed definite political views, helping to represent the public as apolitical, he added.

Inquiry

The Electoral Commission is beginning an inquiry into why turnout at Wales' election fell from 46% to 38%.

Whilst some commentators say the assembly has failed to make an impact, the result can be seen in the wider context of UK political apathy.

"We have recently seen people taking part in huge protests - whether for the countryside or against the war," added Prof Lewis.

"[But] this engagement doesn't seem to connect to an interest in representative politics."