YouGov poll also finds nearly two-thirds of the public do not think newspapers’ behaviour has improved since the Leveson inquiry

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

More than half of the UK population thinks newspapers are covering Ed Miliband negatively, according to a YouGov poll commissioned by campaign group Hacked Off.

Just 17% said coverage of Miliband was positive, compared with 36% who said David Cameron is covered positively.

Just 21% said coverage of Miliband was neutral, rising to 28% when asked about Cameron.

Press coverage of Ed Miliband and David Cameron

Almost three-quarters of those who said coverage of Miliband was negative said the press’s dislike of his personality and characteristics was one cause, while almost half cited dislike of Labour and 36% said it was down to the party’s policies.

Miliband has been consistently targeted by rightwing newspapers, which have criticised both his suitability to be prime minister and his policies on issues including benefits, taxation and the EU.

However, a third of those surveyed said the Labour leader’s criticism of the press and calls for tougher regulation also contributed to hostility.

Despite that criticism, nearly a quarter of those surveyed said Ed Miliband’s stance on press regulation had made them respect him more, rising to 42% among those who intend to vote Labour.

According to the poll, almost two-thirds of the public do not think the behaviour of the press has improved since the Leveson inquiry.



A quarter said press behaviour had improved, but nearly the same proportion said behaviour had got worse.

The study also found that three-fifths lack confidence in a system of self-regulation set up by newspapers, which currently takes the form of Ipso, and 59% of those surveyed support tougher regulation of the press.

The study found support for tougher regulation even among the readers of newspapers that have been most opposed to stronger measures.

More than half of Daily Mail readers and two-fifths of Sun readers said they want tougher press regulation, while just one in five Mail readers and a quarter of Sun readers back self-regulation of the press.

Hacked Off associate director Evan Harris said: “This poll shows that the views of national newspapers on press regulation are dramatically out of line with the views of their readerships. Even the readers of Murdoch papers want tougher regulation. Most of the public see no difference between Ipso and what went before.”

Readers of both the Guardian and the Independent were even more likely to support tougher regulation, but the size of the samples of each paper’s readership means there is a higher margin for error. Total number of people surveyed was 1717.

In a sign that perceptions of the press may be having an impact on readership, those who said they did not read a paper were more likely to say behaviour had got worse, support tougher regulation and lack confidence in the current system of self-regulation.