Since March 2020, articles, reports, debates on Covid-19 have been omnipresent in the media.

"Too present", according to more than one in two French people.

According to a survey carried out by the Viavoice institute on the occasion of the Assises du journalisme, which will take place in Tours from September 29 to October 1, and of which France 24 is a partner, a majority of French people severely judge the media treatment of the pandemic.

"Since our previous study, in October 2020, the opinion of the French has changed little on the issue," notes Stewart Chau, opinion strategy consultant at Viavoice with France 24. "And the results are generally mixed."

First criticism formulated: the media have given "too much importance" to the pandemic according to 60% of those questioned.

"And this has led the public to gradually turn away from the media in recent months", explains the consultant.

"If we compare the privileged sources of information of the French today, compared to October 2020, we notice a decline for all traditional channels."

"There was certainly a desire to distance yourself from the news linked to the pandemic," he analyzes.

60% of French people consider the media treatment of Covid-19 "too important", according to a survey by the Viavoice institute.

© Viavoice Institute

"Catastrophic" information

Among the other criticisms formulated, 45% of the people questioned consider that the information on the pandemic is "anxiety-provoking", 45% consider it "excessive" and 33% "catastrophist".

Conversely, only 8% of French people congratulate “measured” and “constructive” information, 6% qualify it as “rigorous” and 12% consider it “educational”. 

"The very nature of the crisis explains this 'anxiety' felt", nuance Stewart Chau.

"On the other hand, the criticism of a catastrophist approach is more worrying. It means that there is a real disconnect between what the French have experienced and the way the media have told and analyzed things."

As a result of this feeling, the media have had difficulty reassuring the population: 40% of those polled believe that the work of journalists has fueled fear of the pandemic and 34% consider that this fear has been "used to attract audiences. . "

Only 14% say the media have helped to control and combat this fear.

40% of French people consider that the media have fueled the fear of Covid-19 according to a survey by the Viavoice institute.

© Viavoice Institute

"Overall, a fairly large segment of the population has found that information on Covid-19 has been of little use for their daily lives," also notes Stewart Chau. In detail, 7% consider that the information was "essential," 16% "very useful" and a majority, "37%", "quite useful". On the other hand, 18% denounce "harmful" information. 

Asked about their expectations to be better informed about the pandemic, one in two French people want "constructive information, which offers solutions to protect themselves from the disease", 48% claim fact-checking work and 45% of researchers' expertise or specialists in health issues.

On the other hand, they are less interested in reports from the field (20%) and debates between experts (25%). 

Less Covid-19, more global warming

But if the people questioned express their fed-up with the information linked to the pandemic, the Covid-19 seems to have accentuated the demand for information on global warming. 

"Many French people have understood that the health crisis was linked to the ecological crisis," notes Stewart Chau.

"So if the pandemic has been the big issue for the past couple of years, we are certainly going to witness a handover and see the climate issue become the new big topic."

In the run-up to COP26, which takes place in Glasgow, Scotland in November, and as the UN climate experts report in August once again sounded the alarm, 61% of French people interviewed ensure that they feel sufficiently informed by the media on the issue. 

61% of French people consider themselves sufficiently informed about Covid-19 according to a survey by the Viavoice Institute © Institut Viavoice

But in detail, 53% believe that the media and journalists do not give enough space to questions asked on climate change, a figure up 5 points compared to October 2020.

"And we find the same criticisms as for the health crisis. Many also deplore an anxiety-provoking and catastrophic treatment," notes Stewart Chau.

"As for the Covid-19, the French are asking for constructive information, which offers concrete solutions or the expertise of researchers," he continues. 

"We are entering a new stage. Global warming has been internalized. Now, we want to get out of pure analyzes, findings to move towards concrete solutions. And we expect journalists to accompany and help concretely to act."

Interviews conducted online, from September 1 to 4, 2021, with a sample of

1,000 people representative of the French population

aged

18

and over.

Representativeness by the quota method applied to the following criteria

: sex, age, profession, region and category of agglomeration.

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