The Qatar Media Organisation owned Al Jazeera has been named the most watched and most trusted news channel in the UAE, as per the latest syndicated survey of Grayling, one of the world’s leading PR consultancies.
About 42 per cent of the 1,509 respondents said Al Jazeera was their favourite news channel, while 38 per cent named it their most trusted.
“At a time when appetites for news have clearly increased across the region, TV remains the most popular source. While social media has hit the headlines for putting forward new ideas and opinions, understanding how issues are being reported is crucially important to our clients and our industry,” said Guy Taylor, managing director of Grayling Momentum in the Middle East.
The popularity of Al Jazeera TV has spread beyond the Arab world. A shift in perception was most prominently acknowledged by US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, who recently lauded the channel for its quality coverage of the events in the Arab world.
The survey underlines changes in viewing habits and renewed interest in news channels following political upheaval in the region. BBC World News English was ranked second with 35 per cent saying it was both the most watched and the most trusted channel. This was followed by CNN at 32 per cent and 30 per cent respectively. Interestingly, local TV news scored only 10% in terms of a trust, compared to 50% and 49% for the most watched channels.
