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Radio is the 'most trusted' source of news, says Ofcom

BBC Published May 18, 2010 Reviewed Jul 1, 2026 ✓ Reviewed by citations.press editors
Citation-ready fact
The Ofcom survey in 2009 sampled 1,824 people over the age of 16.
1824 · people over age 16
Ofcom, regulator
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Ofcom found that 66% of people considered radio to be reliable and accurate, compared with 58% for online, 54% for TV and just 34% for newspapers.
66 % · people considered radio reliable and accurate58 % · people considered online reliable and accurate54 % · people considered TV reliable and accurate34 % · people considered newspapers reliable and accurate
Ofcom, regulator
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About three quarters of adults used the internet in 2009, up from two thirds in 2007.
73 % · adults used the internet63 % · adults used the internet
Ofcom, regulator
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91% of the population used a mobile phone.
91 % · population used a mobile phone
Ofcom, regulator
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Half of all internet users said that using the internet had increased their contact with friends or family who lived further away, and about a quarter said it had increased their contact with friends who live nearby.
50 % · internet users increased contact with friends/family further away25 % · internet users increased contact with friends nearby
Ofcom, regulator
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35% of respondents regularly used the internet to keep in touch with family and friends via social networking sites such as Facebook.
35 % · respondents using internet to keep in touch with family/friends
Ofcom, regulator
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44% of internet users had a social networking site profile in 2009, twice as many as in 2007.
44 % · internet users with social networking site profile
Ofcom, regulator
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Citation-ready fact
Three in ten adults rated websites as 'reliable and accurate'.
3 · adults rating websites as reliable and accurate
Ofcom, regulator
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Radio is the most trusted source of news in the UK, beating both TV and the internet, according to a report from Ofcom.

The regulator found that 66% of people considered radio to be reliable and accurate, compared with 58% for online, 54% for TV and just 34% for newspapers.

It is the first time that news websites have overtaken television as a trusted source for current affairs.

The survey, of 1,824 people over the age of 16, was conducted in 2009.

It discovered that, outside of news, most people were still sceptical about the quality of information they found on the internet.

Just three in 10 adults rated websites as "reliable and accurate" with TV and radio coming out on top.

Newspapers were still deemed the most untrustworthy medium.

The survey also found the use of digital TV, internet and mobile phones had increased since 2007.

About three quarters (73%) of adults used the internet in 2009, up from two thirds (63%) in 2007, while 91% of the population used a mobile phone.

Half of all internet users said that using the internet had increased their contact with friends or family who lived further away, and about a quarter said it had increased their contact with friends who live nearby.

Social networking sites such as Facebook were among the most popular sites, with 35% of respondents regularly using the internet to keep in touch with family and friends.

Twice as many internet users had a social networking site profile (44%) compared with 2007.

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