Poll: TV the preferred news medium for 98 per cent of Bangkokians

Mar 4, 2007, 12:07 GMT

Bangkok - Television is the favourite news medium for some 98 per cent of Bangkokians, an opinion poll revealed on Sunday.

According to the survey conducted among 1,269 Bangkok denizens aged between 18 to 60 by the Assumption University's ABAC Poll, 98.3 per cent of the respondents preferred to get their news on TV, the Thai News Agency TNA reported.

The survey was to mark Thai Reporters' Day on Monday.

After the 'boob tube,' radio was the second most popular medium for news, followed by the internet, according to ABAC director Noppadol Kannikar.

Although papers were not the preferred news medium, some 40.8 per cent of respondents said they read newspapers every day, while 17.1 per cent said they read them on 5 or 6 days a week.

Newspaper readers found local political news most interesting, while only 22.4 per cent of readers said they were most interested in international news.

Although newspapers remain popular, 41.7 per cent of respondents said they were not certain that newspapers promoted the interests of the people, while 37.3 per cent were confident that newspapers had the courage to present a news coverage that was critical of those in power.

Newspapers have long been seen as the most critical news medium in Thailand, while television and radio, which are primarily government owned, are seen as less so.