"The majority think their national media provide a diversity of views, but most say it is not free from political or commercial pressures. Two thirds of respondents (66%) agree that their national media provide a diversity of views and opinions, and the majority in all but one Member State agree (Greece is the only exception). More than four in ten EU citizens (44%) say the level of diversity of views and opinions in the national media are the same as it was five years ago, 29% think there is more diversity, while 18% say there is less. Almost four in ten respondents (38%) agree their national media provide information free from political or commercial pressure – the majority disagree (57%). There are only nine Member States where the majority agree. Just over a third of respondents agree their national public service media are free from political pressure (35%), but the majority (60%) disagree. Almost half (45%) think their national media are as free and independent as they were five years ago, while 18% say it is more free and independent, and 28% think it is less so. A small majority (53%) agree their national media provide trustworthy information, while 44% think it does not. In 19 Member States, the majority of respondents agree their national media provide trustworthy information. Radio is most likely to be considered reliable (66%), followed by television and newspapers (both 55%). Far fewer respondents consider social media to be reliable (32%). Radio is considered the most reliable media in 25 countries." (Key findings, page 4)

"The results of this survey paint a mixed picture of media pluralism and freedom across the European Union. On the positive side, the majority of respondents think their national media provide a diversity of views and opinions. Furthermore, the majority in each Member State think this is the case. Most respondents also think the level of diversity is either the same as, or more than the level of five years ago. A small majority agree national media provide trustworthy information. However, in spite of the diversity of the media, the majority of respondents say neither their national or their public service media are free and independent. Furthermore, almost three in ten think their national media are less free and independent than they were five years ago. Media independence and trust in the information provided by the media often go hand in hand. In many countries, when a high proportion of respondents think their national media are free from political and commercial pressures, there are also high proportions of respondents who think the media provides trustworthy information. For example, this is the case in Finland, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands. The reverse is also true. In France, Greece, and Spain, for instance, respondents are much less likely to think their national media are free from political and commercial pressures, and they are much less likely to consider the national media provides trustworthy information. While all Member States have a body to regulate audiovisual media, just over one in five know their country’s media regulator. Furthermore, only a minority believe their media regulator is free and independent from political, governmental or commercial pressures. Just over half of respondents follow debates on social media by reading articles on the Internet, or through blogs or other social media. Less than three in ten actively participate in them by posting comments and so on. For those who do participate, it is more likely to be an occasional rather than a regular occurrence." (Conclusions)