An overwhelming majority of Russians are confident that foreign media aims to destabilize and disintegrate Russia.
MOSCOW, October 29, 2014. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data concerning the following questions: how often Russians get information from international media; how they assess the information provided by foreign media; whether they think that criticism over Russia is valid or not.
Today more Russians refer to foreign media than it was five years ago: 37% get information from international sources (29% in 2009). According to the latest data, 15% of respondents get news from international media every day, 10% - several times per week, 8% - not rarer than two or three times per month, 4% - several times per year. Sixty-two percent of Russians do not get information from international sources (vs 71% in 2009).
Two-thirds of Russians who get information from foreign media (68%) are confident that they provide biased information about Russian politicians. Those who think so are mainly respondents with high income (79%), residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg (75%), and those who graduated from the universities (73%). Twenty percent of Russians believe that the information is objective.
Fifty-two percent of Russians heard western politicians criticize Russian president in newspapers, on television and in the Internet; they are mainly those persons who get information from international media (60% and 48%, respectively). An overwhelming majority of respondents who came across such statements assess them as being unfounded (87%). Other 87% are confident that the statements were a reaction to the independent policy of V. Putin.
Those who criticize Russia and its leadership do it to destabilize the situation in the country (87%). Only 4% believe that the criticism may help improve the situation. Eighty-two percent of Russians consider that those who condemn Putin`s policies pursue the dissolution of Russia.
The VCIOM opinion poll was conducted on October 25-26, 2014. 1600 respondents were interviewed in 130 communities in 42 regions of Russia. Data are weighted by gender, age, education, working status and type of settlement. The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.
How often do you get information from foreign media (television, newspapers, Internet)? (closed-ended question, one answer) | ||
| 2009 | 2014 |
Every day | 3 | 15 |
Several times per week | 6 | 10 |
Several times per month | 9 | 8 |
Several times per year | 11 | 4 |
I do not read foreign media | 71 | 62 |
Don`t know | - | 1 |
In your opinion, is information provided by international media about Russia objective/rather objective/biased? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those who read foreign media) | |||||
| Total respondents | Elementary (incomplete secondary) education | Secondary education (school, vocational school) | Specialized secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher (not less than three years in a higher education institute), higher education |
Rather objective | 20 | 29 | 20 | 20 | 17 |
Rather not objective; biased | 68 | 54 | 65 | 69 | 73 |
Don`t know | 12 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 10 |
Have you recently heard any western politicians criticize Vladimir Putin? (closed-ended question, one answer | |||
| Total respondents | Those who get information from foreign media | Those who do not get information from foreign media |
Yes | 52 | 60 | 48 |
No | 43 | 33 | 49 |
Don`t know | 5 | 7 | 3 |
Which of the following statements do you most agree with? (closed-ended question, one answer per each pair of statements, % of those who heard western politicians criticize Vladimir Putin) | |||
| Total respondents | Those who get information from foreign media | Those who get information from foreign media |
The criticism of western politicians over V. Putin is justified. Putin has got something to be criticized for | 7 | 8 | 7 |
The criticism of western politicians over V. Putin is not quite justified. Many arguments seem strained and distorted | 87 | 86 | 88 |
Don`t know | 6 | 6 | 6 |
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Certain western politicians criticize V. Putin for making mistakes; and they show him his mistakes | 6 | 5 | 7 |
Certain western politicians criticize V. Putin for conducting independent policies which offend politicians in other countries | 87 | 88 | 87 |
Don`t know | 7 | 7 | 7 |
In your opinion, what do those who criticize Russia and Russian policy in international media pursue? (closed-ended question, one answer) | |||||||
| Total respondents | A Just Russia party | Supporters of LDPR | Supporters of CPRF | Supporters of United Russia party | Supporters of non-parliament parties | I would not take part in elections |
They want to improve the situation in Russia | 4 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 3 |
They want to destabilize the situation in Russia and to make Russia weak | 87 | 86 | 82 | 93 | 91 | 64 | 79 |
Don`t know | 9 | 9 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 18 | 17 |
Do you personally agree or disagree that the criticism over V. Putin`s policies and the situation in Russia is an attempt to destroy and to disintegrate Russia? (closed-ended question, one answer) | ||||||
| Total respondents | Aged 18-24 | Aged 25-34 | Aged 35-44 | Aged 45-59 | Aged 60 and more |
Agree | 82 | 78 | 83 | 82 | 83 | 82 |
Disagree | 12 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 |
Don`t know | 6 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!