Britain's MPs prefer their news from the BBC (BBC1 and News 24), Channel 4 and Sky, according to the latest research among MPs from BPRI. ITN is lagging behind its competitors, and CNN is also relatively little watched.
The results reflect those from the last time similar questions were asked, in 2002: ITN was last choice then, and then as now the BBC is seen as trusted and reliable.Report author Debbie Senior, BPRI's Head of Marketing, says that although this is very encouraging for the Corporation, 'MPs are watching the BBC not just because of its reliability but out of habit. This could be a cause of concern for the public service broadcaster as the MPs also said that Sky was fairly impartial and accessible at all times with good breaking news coverage'.
'Sky News is surprisingly independent, interesting and has good coverage' said one MP, while another commented 'I watch BBC through habit but Sky is catching up fast'.
100 MPs were interviewed during May and June 2004. The 100 are a representative sample of the composition of the House and part of the BPRI Political Opinion Panel. The company's web site is at www.bprigroup.com
