Most Israelis have no faith in government or press – survey

Edelman’s latest global poll includes Israel for the first time.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
Updated: FEBRUARY 3, 2016 15:39
THE KNESSET building. (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
THE KNESSET building.
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
The majority of Israelis have no trust in either the government or the media according to the Edelman Trust Barometer which is a vehicle of Edelman Public Relations, one of the largest public relations companies in the world. 
Since 2012 Edelman has been publishing an annual trust index based on a country’s confidence in the institutions of government, business, media and NGOs.
The latest survey was taken in 28 countries, with Israel included for the first time as a result of Edelman's cooperation with Debby Communications.
The lowest level of confidence by Israelis is in government institutions. Only 26% of respondents answered in the affirmative when asked if they trust the government; compared to a 43% global average.
The media did not fare much better, but the survey found nonetheless that the Israeli public has more confidence in the media than in the government.
It found 35% of Israelis expressed trust in the media in comparison to a global average of 49%.
The survey also showed that the Israeli public has greater confidence in business which scored a trust index of 46%, visà- vis the global average of 53%.
The closest that Israelis come to the global average is in the trust they have in NGOs – 53% compared to a world average of 55%.
As for the media, it appears that the older one gets in Israel, the less trust one has in the media. Respondents with the least confidence were in the 45-54 age group; whereas respondents with the lowest level of confidence in government institutions were aged 25-34.
The surveys were conducted among different strata of society and among varying age groups.
The global trust barometer indicated that there had been an improvement in trust in business enterprises, and that since the beginning of this year, there has also been an improvement in trust in the media.