JMCC Public Opinion Poll No. 29 - Part II

On Palestinian and Media

August 1998

Introduction  The poll found that less than one-third of the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip read a newspaper daily. Newspapers come fourth as far as sources of news. Television is the primary source of news (35 percent), with radio following (28 percent), and friends and family third (18 percent). The Internet’s presence is virtually non-existent.

Of the newspapers, Al-Quds is the most popular. Sixty-eight percent of newspaper readers in the West Bank and 48 percent of newspaper readers in the Gaza Strip say that Al-Quds is their no. 1 paper. Al-Ayyam comes in second (19 percent) and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida third (14 percent).

One-third of readers and non-readers said they were either unsatisfied or very unsatisfied with the state of press freedoms in the Palestinian areas. Another one-third said they were undecided, while 19 percent said they were satisfied.

Twenty-nine percent of those surveyed said they felt that all of the local newspapers belong to the Palestinian Authority. Eight percent said they believed the press was independent.

Of television stations, the Qatar-based Al-Jazira is dominant as the no. 1 station for households with satellite dishes. Over one-third (34 percent) of Palestinian households have satellite dishes, and most dish owners (23 percent) said Al-Jazira was their favorite station. Al-Jazira was also the most-trusted source of news for owners of satellite dishes (46 percent).

For households without satellite dishes, the Gaza-based Palestine TV was the no. 1 station for Gazans (65 percent) and Jordan TV was the no. 1 station for West Bankers (42 percent).

In the West Bank, Palestine TV has weak viewership (13 percent), almost equal to that of the Israeli television stations (11 percent). West Bankers consider Israeli and Palestine TV news to be equally trustworthy (13 percent), and Jordan TV to be the most-trusted source of news (30 percent).

The largest majority of Gazans (37 percent) consider Palestine TV to be the most-trusted source of news, with Israel second (25 percent).

Radio is the second-most popular medium in the Palestinian areas. Overall, the most popular station is Israel Radio’s Arabic Service, with 29 percent of those surveyed saying it is their favorite. The Ramallah-based Voice of Palestine comes in second in the West Bank (24 percent) and fifth in the Gaza Strip (9 percent). However, reception of the Voice of Palestine is not strong in the Gaza Strip.

In the West Bank, the Voice of Palestine is the most-trusted source of news (21 percent), with Israel coming in second (17 percent). In the Gaza Strip, Israel Radio’s Arabic Service is the most-trusted source of news (34 percent), with the BBC’s Arabic Service coming in second (20 percent). 

Results

Q.1 How often do you read the newspaper?
 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Every day or nearly every day 
27.6% 
29.1%
25.1%
At least once a week
28.0%
29.1%
26.2%
At least once a month
13.3%
13.3%
13.3%
Never (move to Questin 9)
31.0%
28.4%
35.4%
No answer
0.1%
0.1%
0.0%

Q.2 Name two newspapers you read the most and second-most (asked only of those who said they read newspapers)?
 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
First
Second 
First
Second
First
Second
Al-Quds
61.3%
21.0%
68.2%
17.7%
48.2%
27.4%
Al-Ayyam
19.2%
30.9%
15.0%
30.1%
27.5%
32.4%
Al-Hayat
13.7%
20.7%
9.8%
18.1%
21.4%
25.6%
Another
5.1%
10.7%
6.1%
11.9%
2.5%
8.6%
No answer
0.7%
16.7%
0.9%
22.2%
0.4%
6.0%

Q.3 Why do you prefere (the first newspaper)... is it because...
 
Total
 West Bank  Gaza Strip 
Quds
Ayyam
Hayat
Quds 
Ayyam
Hayat
Quds 
Ayyam
Hayat
It's always available
35.3%
19.6%
37.2%
37.2%
19.8%
39.6%
29.6%
19.5%
35.0%
It 's cheaper
2.4%
7.0%
33.0%
2.4%
7.4%
26.4%
2.2%
6.5%
20.0%
It's content better
58.9%
67.1%
38.1%
56.4%
63.0%
32.1%
65.9%
71.4%
43.3%
No answer
3.4%
6.3%
1.8%
4.0%
9.8%
1.9%
2.3%
2.6%
1.7%

Q. 4 I will list now pages of the newspaper, which you will state whether you show interest or not?

Total
 
Interested 
Not Interested 
No answer 
Politics
74.9%
24.3%
0.8%
Classifieds 
46.0%
50.7%
3.3%
Deaths/Congratulations
59.7%
38.7%
1.6%
Opinion
55.8%
42.1%
2.1%
Sports
38.7%
59.9%
1.4%
Economy
33.1%
65.1%
1.8%
Religious
69.5%
28.6%
1.9%
Caricatures
66.7%
30.8%
2.5%
Culture
71.2%
27.6%
1.2%
Entertainmnet
66.2%
32.2%
1.6%
Celebrities
58.4%
39.8%
1.8%

West Bank
 
Interested 
Not Interested 
No answer 
Politics
77.6%
21.6%
0.8%
Classifieds 
45.3%
49.9%
4.8%
Deaths/Congratulations
64.5%
33.8%
1.7%
Opinion
57.9%
39.6%
2.5%
Sports
37.5%
60.6%
1.9%
Economy
32.9%
64.9%
2.2%
Religious
66.4%
31.2%
2.4%
Caricatures
68.6%
28.7%
2.7%
Culture
71.9%
26.4%
1.7%
Entertainmnet
63.2%
34.6%
2.2%
Celebrities
57.9%
39.6%
2.5%

Gaza Strip
 
Interested 
Not Interested 
No answer 
Politics
69.8%
29.5%
0.7%
Classifieds 
47.3%
52.3%
0.4%
Deaths/Congratulations
50.5%
48.0%
1.5%
Opinion
52.0%
47.0%
1.0%
Sports
40.9%
58.4%
0.7%
Economy
33.5%
65.5%
1.0%
Religious
75.4%
23.5%
1.1%
Caricatures
63.0%
34.9%
2.1%
Culture
69.8%
29.9%
0.3%
Entertainmnet
71.9%
27.8%
0.3%
Celebrities
59.4%
40.2%
0.4%

Q.5 From the previous list, what is the first page you read? (Please read pages again)
 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Politics
47.8% 
52.1%
39.5%
Classifieds
4.0% 
4.1%
3.9%
Deaths / Congratulations
10.1% 
12.2%
6.0%
Opinion
1.8%
0.9%
3.6%
Sports
5.7%
5.2%
6.8%
Economy
2.2%
2.0%
2.5%
Religious
2.8%
2.0%
4.3%
Caricatures
3.3%
.3.5%
2.8%
Culture
4.9%
4.1%
6.4%
Entertainment
6.4%
3.9%
11.4%
Celebreties
6.8%
5.4%
9.6%
No answer
4.2%
4.6%
3.2%

Q.6 What is the subject you show most interest in as with regards to news (Please read answers)
 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip
Peace Process 
33.8%
35.1%
31.3%
Local Palestinian news (other than peace process) 
42.2%
42.0%
42.7%
Arab World news
9.0%
9.2%
8.5%
Regional news
11.7%
10.7%
13.5%
No answer
3.3%
3.0%
4.0%

Q 7. How satisfied are you with the newspaper you read?
 
Total 
West Bank
Gaza Strip 
Quds
Ayyam
Hayat
Quds
Ayyam
Hayat
Quds
Ayyam
Hayat
Satified (move to Q.9)
46.4%
49.4%
30.1%
46.9%
48.1%
30.2%
45.2%
50.6%
30.0%
Sometimes satisfied/ sometimes not (move to Q.9)
44.0%
42.4%
57.9%
43.4%
44.4%
45.3%
45.9%
40.3%
63.3%
Unsatisfied (move to Q.9)
7.5%
5.7%
11.5%
7.3%
3.7%
18.9%
8.1%
7.8%
5.0%
No answer (move to Q.9)
2.1%
2.5%
3.5%
2.4%
3.8%
5.6%
0.8%
1.3%
1.7%

Q 8. The reason why I do not read a newspaper / magazine is because - in decreasing order:
 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Price 
2.7%
1.9%
3.9%
Lack of time to read 
29.7%
23.6%
38.3%
Newspaper is boring 
6.8%
6.9%
6.5%
I have no interest in news (Political) 
11.9%
13.0%
10.4%
I do not trust the newspaper
7.0%
4.6%
10.4%
Other (Specify)
29.5%
35.6%
19.5%
No answer
12.4%
14.4%
11.0%

Q 9. Who is the best writer in the local press?
 
Total  West Bank  Gaza Strip 
Hasan Al-Kashef
2.8%
1.8%
4.4%
Hafeth Al-Bargouthi 
1.7%
1.6%
1.8%
Other (specify) 
21.7%
20.5%
22.5%
No one
2.9%
2.0%
5.1%
No answer 
70.9%
73.6%
66.2%

Q 10. Do you think that the local newspapers are being exploited by the PNA?
 
Total
West Bank 
Gaza Strip
Independent 
8.4%
11.4%
3.2%
Backed by PNA
29.5%
28.9%
30.6%
Some independent, some backed by PNA 
47.0%
42.0%
55.6%
No answer
15.1%
17.7%
10.6%

Q 11. Do you know of any newspaper related to opposition?
 
Total
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Yes
25.2%
17.8%
37.9%
No (move to Q. 13)
58.6%
61.3%
54.0%
No answer (move to Q. 13)
16.2%
20.9%
8.1%

Q 11-b What is it?
 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Al-Haq
13.3%
25.2%
3.6%
Al-Risalah
37.7%
15.6%
55.8%
Al-Istiqlal
14.3%
9.6%
18.2%
Other
18.7%
31.8%
7.9%
No answer 
16.0%
17.8%
14.5%

Q.12 How often do you by newspaper?
 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Every day or nearly every day 
21.7% 
25.2%
15.6%
At least once a week
25.9%
28.1%
22.1%
At least once a month
10.5%
10.3%
10.8%
Never (move to Questin 14)
37.8%
32.5%
47.1%
No answer
4.1%
3.9%
4.4%

Q.13 Name and state the price of the newspapers you buy the most?
 
Total West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Quds
Ayyam
Hayat
Quds
Ayyam
Hayat 
Quds
Ayyam
Hayat
The real price
42.7%
16.7%
12.1%
52.9%
14.3%
9.1%
19.4%
22.3%
18.5%
Without a price 
1.0%
0.6%
0.1%
1.2%
0.6%
0.2%
0.5%
0.5%
0.0%
Wrong price
13.7%
2.2%
3.8%
10.6%
0.8%
3.5%
20.9%
5.2%
4.3%
No answer
7.1%
-
-
6.8%
-
-
8.4%
-
-

Q.14 Name the local newspaper sold in your country?
 
Total
 West Bank  Gaza Strip 
Al-Quds
41.3%
44.3%
36.9%
Al-Ayyam
13.2%
30.8%
31.8%
Al-Hayat
27.5%
24.9%
31.3%

Q. 15 Do you think that the newspaper should cover problems in our society?
 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Yes 
69.5%
65.1%
77.2%
No
20.5%
23.0%
16.1%
No answer
10.0%
11.9%
6.7%

Q 16. Do you believe that there are issues that should not be published so Israel will not take advantage the information?
 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Yes
55.4%
54.8%
56.3%
No
33.4%
31.7%
36.3%
No answer 
11.2%
13.5%
7.4%

Q. 17 In your opinion, how satisfactory are press freedoms in our country?
 
Total
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Extremely satisfactory
2.4%
2.2%
2.8%
Satisfactory
18.5%
18.6%
18.2%
Sometimes satisfactory, sometimes not 
33.4%
34.7%
31.0%
Unsatisfactory
21.1%
19.7%
23.7%
Extremely unsatisfactory
12.1%
10.7%
14.5%
No answer
12.5%
14.1%
9.8%

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