Trust in Media and Press Freedom in southern Europe: differences between countries and sociodemographic profiles

Abstract

This research proposes a comparative study of six countries of the Southern European Union (Croatia, Slovenia, Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal), analysing the socio-demographic characteristics of gender, age, educational level and ideology to observe their influence on trust in the media and to create profiles. Simultaneously, it is proposed to test if there is a correlation between trust and press freedom. Using data from Eurobarometer and Reporters Without Borders, a descriptive quantitative methodology is applied and tested for statistical significance. With the exception of Portugal, all countries show low levels of trust, especially Greece. The variables show great heterogeneity between territories, but it is noted that women, the young, the old and those with primary education show greater trust, although in some cases with slight differences. On the contrary, those who define themselves as left-wing are less trusting. There is a strong correlation between press freedom and trust. Based on the results, Southern Europe cannot be considered a uniform territory in these phenomena.