Media credibility high: survey

It may come as a surprise to readers of this website, but a survey has revealed that 86 per cent of Indians believe that the Indian media accurately reports events in India and 83 per cent believe that Indian media’s reportage on world events is accurate. The figures are contained in a survey conducted in India in 2012 by the Lowy Institute for International policy and the Australia India Institute, Australia, an extract of which was released in Sydney on April 17.

The Indian media reportage, particularly that of the 24x7 English news channels on the attacks on Indian students in 2008-09, has been the subject of both academic study and popular discussion since. Much of it has focussed on the complexities of the issue and the gross over-simplification of it by the Indian media which created a frenzy, the positive outcome of which was to galvanise the respective governments to initiate a series of strong measures. In the case of Australia, the predominantly negative coverage prompted the Commonwealth Government to invite journalists with an intention to expose them to conditions in the country, but had little effect in improving its image. The negative media coverage has had far-reaching effects on the migration policy as it delinked education and migration in Australia.

About 62 per cent of Indians still felt that Australia was a dangerous place for Indian students while an equal number believed that the attacks were a reflection of deep-rooted racism. About 53 per cent agreed that Australia is safer now than a few years ago. With regards to students’ safety, 64 per cent said that any country ‘can be potentially dangerous’ for students if they were not careful and 52 per cent considered it ‘impossible for Australian authorities to stop all crimes against Indian students’. It was also remarked in the discussion at the release of the survey results that many students who had returned to India at the height of the attacks discontinuing their study in Australia now seem to regret their decision.

The questions relating to media pertained to the accuracy of Indian media in reporting happenings in India, in reporting what is happening in the rest of the world, the influence of media reportage on the Indian government, and whether the Indian media outlets need  their own correspondents in foreign countries for more credible reportage, besides the accuracy of reporting the problems faced by Indian students in Australia in 2009. The figures reveal that indeed two-thirds of Indians, corresponding to 61 per cent of the respondents, ‘accepted the Indian media’s mostly negative depictions of Australia’. Of these, 83 per cent were from larger cities, 77 per cent were tertiary educated, 78 per cent belonged to high-income groups and 70 per cent were males. About 75 per cent felt that the Indian government paid ‘too much attention to what the media has to say’.

The panelists – ABC journalist Geraldine Doogue, Member of the Indian Prime Minister’s Global Advisory Council for Overseas Indians Neville Roach, journalist Christopher Kremmer and Price Waterhouse Coopers partner Mark Laurie – at the discussion marking the release of the survey results expressed surprise at some of the findings, especially with regard to the trust placed on Indian media, prompting a suggestion that perhaps Australian journalists must spend three months in Indian news media outlets to understand its working.

Interestingly, 83 per cent of the respondents felt a need for Indian correspondents in foreign countries for a better representation of issues concerning India. Most Indian news media outlets desist from appointing full-time correspondents abroad for various reasons and it is notable that there are none in Australia.

The issues raised in the face-to-face survey of 1,233 ‘representative Indian adults’ between August 30 and October 15 2012 – in all areas excluding Jammu and Kashmir, the North-eastern states, Andaman and Nicobar islands – reveal not merely a desire to understand the workings of a vibrant media but also assess their role in shaping perceptions of Australia. The image of Australia in India has gained importance as an issue in recent times in the light of increasing interest in India as a significant player in the region. India is poised to become Australia’s fourth largest export market and people of Indian origin have become Australia’s fastest-growing migrant communities. The survey seems to have indicated ‘relatively warm feelings toward Australia (56 degrees on a scale of 100)’, but Australia ranked below the US (62), Singapore (58) and Japan (57) out of 22 countries that included Great Britain (53), France (54) and China (44) among others.

Three issues define India-Australia relations currently: the selling of uranium, education and cricket diplomacy. In 2011 the Australian government had agreed to lift the ban on uranium sales to India. About 70 per cent of the responden,ts thought that the sale of uranium was important to India-Australia relations. Australian education was considered next only to the US with 76 per cent regarding it a favourable destination placing it over Canada, Singapore and Great Britain. Despite the behaviour of Australian cricketers on the field, three-quarters of the respondents believed that cricket could help improve relations. However, 35 per cent felt that cricket could cause tensions.

Of significant interest is the perception of the respondents on issues of governance: 78 per cent thought “it would be better if India worked more like the US, while 60 per cent believed that emulating Australia and Japan in issues of governance would be better. Singapore ranked a close third with 59 per cent preferring its form of governance while other countries like Great Britain, China and Germany were ranked lower. About 67 per cent felt that Indian government can do more to help   Indians in Australia.

Australia emerged as a good place to live and work (62 per cent and 59 per cent respectively) and to visit, with 51 per cent of the respondents thinking that the country was welcoming. However, 69 per cent felt that the Australian government should do more to help Indian migrants. The respondents felt that education, English-language skills and work skills determined chances of migration. And that race and religion mattered, perceptions which – it has been pointed out in the report authored by Director of the International Security Programme at the Lowy Institute Rory Medcalf – are not in consonance with ‘reality of Australian migration policy’.

Maya Ranganathan teaches in the disciplines of ‘media’ and ‘international communication’ in Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.