Status: 08/30/2022 2:01 p.m
More and more young people are suspicious of the media. This is now shown by a current study by Bielefeld University. The results are “alarming,” they say. One possible reason is the large number of crises.
According to a study, a large majority of young people in Germany do not trust the media. 75.8 percent mistrust newspapers, 71.6 percent mistrust journalists. More than a third of young people suspect that the media intentionally withholds important information (37.9 percent) and only spreads their own opinion (32.8 percent).
Results are “alarming”
Study director Prof. Holger Ziegler described these results as “alarming”. A healthy skepticism is definitely helpful, but this is about something else: “If we not only question the truthfulness of information, but if we suspect that – in this case – the media want to deliberately withhold information and manipulate it, then we move us in a dangerous realm of conspiracy beliefs.”
1,582 children (aged six to eleven) and young people (aged twelve to sixteen) were interviewed for the study, which was carried out by the University of Bielefeld on behalf of the Bepanthen Children’s Fund. The study is representative within the urban section of the population considered, said Ziegler. Families in Berlin, Leipzig, Cologne, Deggendorf, Herne, Neunkirchen/Saar, Reutlingen, Stralsund, Bitburg and Aurich were surveyed.
Mistrust fueled by fear?
Regarding the possible reasons for the low level of trust in the media, Ziegler said: “The lives of growing children and young people are shaped to a large extent by the media.” With just a few clicks you can get up-to-date information about the state of the world.
“Reports of climate change and poverty, fake news and war can be scary and leave their mark. One way to react is to question this information, withdraw and distrust others – including the media.”
According to the study, trust in public institutions is also only moderate among young people. Only every second young person trusts the federal government (53.9 percent). In contrast, scientists (76.1 percent) and the police (79.9 percent) enjoy significantly higher levels of trust.