The French renew their confidence in journalists. But this is tinged with distrust and demand. The sixth edition of the Viavoice barometer on the usefulness of journalism, produced for the Assises internationales du journalisme de Tours, in partnership with France Télévisions, Radio France, France Médias Monde and The Sunday newspaper, delivered its verdict on Saturday 7 May. Here are the lessons.
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The vast majority of French people consider journalism to be “useful”
The verdict is almost unanimous: nine out of 10 respondents believe that journalism is “useful” – either “very useful” (41%) or “fairly useful (49%). This statistic is a slight increase compared to 2021. Above all, the upward trend has been observed since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. These positive opinions on the work of journalists “confirm that in times of crisis in particular, journalism is seen as essential”analysis for franceinfo Stewart Chau, director of political studies and opinion at ViaVoice.
These numbers are “extremely comforting”judges the journalist Jérôme Bouvier, who is at the head of the International Meetings of Journalism. “It reassures us to see that the various crises, health or political, have not changed the view of the French on the importance of journalists”he confides to franceinfo.
The Viavoice barometer indeed reveals that 87% of French people believe that “journalism will always exist” and “that we cannot imagine a society without the media”. Finally, 84% believe that journalism is “indispensable in a democratic society”. Statistics up, respectively by 10 and 11 points over the last two years.
Vigilance grows vis-à-vis “fake news”
The French people interviewed by Viavoice also pay more and more attention to their sources of information. They are 91% (+3 points) to believe that “there are more and more rumors or false information on the internet and social networks”, reveals the barometer. An opinion which is reinforced as one climbs the age pyramid. The vast majority of French people (78%) first trust the professional media, much more than the information relayed by those around them or on social networks. A statistic up by nearly 10 points since the start of 2020. However, 73% of respondents find it “increasingly difficult” to differentiate between serious media sites and sites spreading unverified rumors. Still, 64% of respondents believe that “reliable information can be found outside the reference media”.
“There is a collective awareness about the danger of ‘fake news'”observes Jérôme Bouvier, who explains these figures by media education on the one hand, but also by “vigilance within communities”. The work of verifying false information, undertaken in recent years by many media, including franceinfo with its “True or fake” section, however, has its limits according to Jérôme Bouvier. “Part of the population will continue to remain impervious to ‘fact-checking’ operationshe warns, with a state of mind that can be summed up by the following sentence: ‘I only see what I believe'”.
The treatment of the war in Ukraine is approved by more than 80%…
News obliges, the barometer of Viavoice is interested in the way in which the journalists covered the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Their work satisfies the vast majority of French respondents. Thus, they are 35% to find the journalistic treatment of this war “completely useful”, and 47% “rather useful”. That is a cumulative result of 82% for these positive opinions, which illustrates “the appetite of the French for field investigations, in a war marked by propaganda and ‘fake news'”analyzes Stewart Chau.
Moreover, 78% of the French people questioned (cumulative score of “yes”) believe that the work of journalists concerning the war in Ukraine is “essential”. A result that confirms “how journalists are a crucial part of democratic life”, according to Stewart Chau. This is especially visible when [les journalistes] are going into hostile terrain, into a democracy that is just falling.”
But what do the media bring in particular? In order, the interviewees declare above all to appreciate the work of the journalists to understand the reality of the facts committed during this war, but also to better understand the international tensions and to form an opinion on the responsibilities of each in this confrontation.
… despite reservations about the neutrality of journalists in this conflict
This largely positive opinion must however be nuanced, because only 58% of the French people questioned believe that the treatment of the conflict in Ukraine is “sufficiently neutral”. An erosion of confidence which is a little more marked among those under 50, as well as among employees and workers, all age groups combined.
“In France, public opinion is very lucid about this conflict.analyzes Stewart Chau. She is aware that we can direct her treatment to denounce facts, policies. Moreover, the war in Ukraine “is a very politicized conflict, even in the French political sphere”recalls the specialist in opinion strategy, evoking the way in which the past statements of certain presidential candidates, such as Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Marine Le Pen or Eric Zemmour were invited into the campaign.
An analysis shared by Jérôme Bouvier, who underlines the weight of political orientation in the expression of this mistrust. “These are figures that you really have to look at in the light of partisan choices, he explains, because certain ideologies advocate an almost categorical rejection of traditional media.” On this subject, the Viavoice barometer reveals that it is first of all the French who voted for Eric Zemmour (57%) and Marine Le Pen (41%) in the first round of the presidential election who believe that journalists lack neutrality in their treatment. of the war in Ukraine.
* Study carried out by Viavoice for the Assises internationales du journalisme de Tours (May 9 to 13) based on online interviews, from April 25 to 27, 2022, with a sample of 1,000 people representative of the French population of 18 and over. Representativeness by the quota method applied to the following criteria: sex, age, profession, region and category of agglomeration.