The European Commission’s national perceptions report found that many Maltese do not trust what they hear on the radio and television. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Many Maltese do not believe what they see or hear in the media, according to a new study of Maltese perceptions.

Published yesterday, the European Commission’s national perceptions report found that many Maltese do not trust what they hear on the radio (just 42 per cent do) and television (47 per cent).

The Maltese also have big reservations when it comes to newspapers, with a trust rating 10 per cent lower than the EU average, the report found.

They appear to be putting more faith in online news reports, even if this is from the same source, with 40 per cent saying they trust this source more than the hard copy.

Newer media do not enjoy high trust ratings either. Three-quarters of 500 local respondents have no faith at all in what they read on their Facebook and Twitter accounts, only slightly more than the number of Europeans who had issues with this.

The low trustworthiness of social media may be partly due to the content being uploaded.

Last week Times of Malta reported that a quarter of Maltese had been exposed to racial hatred or religious extremism on social media over the past few months, the second highest rate in Europe.

Yesterday’s study, carried out last November, found that social media was not the only phenomenon that Maltese had dwindling faith in.

The police and army do enjoy the people’s faith, with three-quarters of people saying they trust them

They also had limited trust in the judicial system with just a third saying they felt it was fair and honest, 10 per cent lower than the EU average.

The police and the army meanwhile do enjoy the people’s faith, with three quarters of people saying they trust them, more or less the same as the European average. Half the country said they did not trust the government and 75 per cent said they had no trust in political parties.

The study also asked Maltese about their concerns and fears. And, as has been the case with previous studies, migration topped the list of concerns, this time with 82 per cent saying this was their biggest personal worry.

Maltese were three times more concerned about migration than the rest of the EU.

They were mainly worried about migrants originating from outside the EU, with three quarters saying these evoked very negative feelings, some 20 per cent more than the EU average.

Asked what future policy was most important for the stability of the EU, 82 per cent called for a common migration policy.