Survey shows most Kenyans confident in work of media

Majority of Kenyans have confidence in the media as an important institution to protect public interest, according to a recent report released by the Media Council of Kenya.

The “Status of the Media Report 2019” indicates that 89 per cent of the surveyed respondents do not have issues with media reporting, further highlighting the public’s confidence in the institution.

The report that captures media consumption trends and public confidence in the media over the past 12 months, shows that television is the notable source of news as newspaper readership declined.

“The most important reason for trust in the media, according to the respondents, is that it reports important issues, as stated by 23 per cent of them. The Kenyan media is therefore still seen as an important institution in ensuring that public interest is protected,” said the report.

RANKING

The report was released ahead of the World Press Freedom Day to be marked today in Ethiopia. This years’ theme is “Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation”.

The survey, which was conducted between April 18 to 26, 2019, by Infotrak Research and Consulting on behalf of the council, sampled and interviewed 2,518 respondents to represent the Kenyan adult population. The survey covered all the 47 counties.

The report ranked Daily Nation as the most read newspaper among the print publications at 53 per cent, followed by the Standard, People Daily, The Star as Taifa Leo tied with the Nairobian.

A paltry 23 per cent of the surveyed respondents indicated that they read newspapers on a regular basis. This highlights the continued decline of newspaper readership in the country.