Norwegians believe that media coverage helped them get better at preventing the spread of infection

A total of 85% of Norwegians believe that Norwegian news media’s coverage of the corona crisis has made them better at preventing the spread of infection, a new survey shows.

The nationwide survey was conducted by Respons Analyze on behalf of the Media Survey for Nordic Media Days.

A total of 85% of the respondents answered that they have become better at preventing the spread of infection through following the media coverage.

Almost all respondents (94%) said they used the news media to get information about the corona crisis, while 58% said they used the authorities’ information pages.

High trust

“In general, the results show that Norwegians have great confidence in both the authorities and the media when it comes to the information they receive about the coronavirus,” postdoctoral fellow Erik Knudsen, who is professionally responsible for the study, noted.

A total of 43% of the respondents said they have high confidence that Norwegian journalists and editors who report on the corona crisis have sufficient understanding and knowledge to convey correct information about it. 

Furthermore, 37% said they had “some confidence” in the statement, while 16% said they had little or no confidence.

“These are strong numbers, considering that journalists and editors are not professionals in medicine,” Knudsen said.

More skepticism about social media

Six out of ten Norwegians believe that the media coverage of the corona crisis has helped to make them safer. 

In comparison, only 17% of those with an account on social media say the same about the information they found there.

A total of 31% of the respondents answered that the Norwegian media paid too much attention to the number of sick and dead during the pandemic. 

Every third respondent said that media coverage contributed to making them anxious, while 26% believe there had been too much media coverage of the corona crisis.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today