Web overtakes TV as second 'most trusted' source of news

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sat, 09/29/2007 3:34 PM | Business

Ika Krismantari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Good news for print media companies in the region, where businesspeople still consider newspapers the most reliable source of news and information, beating out web-based media and television, according to a 2007 study.

The annual study, conducted by Edelman, the world's largest independent public relations firm, shows 48 percent of business leaders in the Asia Pacific read newspapers to get reliable information.

Newspapers were also cited as the most reliable source of information in the 2006 study, but with only 40 percent of executives citing papers as their first choice for information.

The fifth regional survey examined the opinions of 1,050 business stakeholders in 10 countries and territories in the Asia Pacific. These were Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.

Though newspapers remained the most trusted source of information, the study suggested that media companies should look into publications on the internet, with web-based media overtaking television as the second most trusted source of news and information. Twenty-eight percent of business executives go online to get reliable information, while only 25 percent watch television.

Edelman president for the Asia Pacific, Alan VanderMolen, said Thursday evening during the release of the survey's results in Jakarta that the strength and influence of the web increased this year due to a trend in the broadcasting industry that has seen news programs being mixed up with entertainment programs, leading people to question their reliability.

Discussing Indonesia, VanderMolen said that as in the rest of the region more business leaders turned first to newspapers for their information.

Over the last three years the country has also seen a significant decrease in the role of TV as a source of reliable information, and a concomitant increase in the use of internet-based media as a source of trustworthy information.

""With the increasing access to the internet, the web is no longer an alternative to mainstream media, it is the mainstream media,"" VanderMolen said.

He suggested that newspapers in Indonesia establish or strengthen the online versions of their printed products, if they hoped to thrive.

""I believe that with the cost of PCs going down, resulting in a higher PC penetration, this will provide the public greater convenience to access news on the internet, and web-based media is your future,"" VanderMolen said, adding that nine out of 10 Indonesian business executives spend at least some time each week reading web sites.

VanderMolen also suggested businesses take advantage of the internet by providing online services such as bulletin boards or discussion boards for customers, to allow them to get in touch with the company and get information on the company's latest products.

""We believe the massive shift in media selection -- to web-based news sources, to a company's own website and to employees of the company -- underscores a broader trend in the democratization of media and information,"" VanderMolen said.

""In today's world, consumers are increasingly skeptical and discerning; not to mention, they want to talk back to the companies who make the products, not simply consume them.

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