Data on the Media

This web page gives information about survey data on the media archived at the FSD. Although not directly connected to the media, several datasets contain variables that might be of interest to media researchers. For instance, background variables often include questions related to the media. The data are classified according to themes in order to facilitate finding a suitable dataset. However, the classification is only indicative, since some of the datasets contain variables related to several themes. The datasets archived at the FSD are mostly Finnish surveys, but the international survey series (Eurobarometers, International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), European Social Survey (ESS), World Values Survey (WVS)) enable cross-country comparisons as well.

Although most surveys related to the media are mentioned on this page, the list is not by all means complete. Therefore, it is worthwhile to search for individual variables in the FSD's Nesstar data catalogue, with which it is easy to find, for example, variables related to a specific medium. The data archive's search engine is useful as well.

The data archived at the FSD are freely available for research and teaching purposes. More information on how to order data.

Reliability, Impartiality and Influence of the Media

Several datasets chart public opinion on the reliability and impartiality of the media, as well as on the importance and influence of various information sources. In some datasets, only a few variables are related to the media, whereas the matter is more in focus in others.

Trust in the Media

FSD2217 Finnish Youth Survey 2006 explored young people's trust in the press, TV, and the Internet.
The datasets in the World Values Survey series include variables measuring trust in TV and the press. For instance, FSD2118 World Values Survey 2005 : Finnish Data includes questions on the information sources the respondents use, their trust in TV and the press, and their familiarity with the Swedish media.
FSD1181 Science Barometer 2001 and FSD2023 Science Barometer 2004 probed the respondents' trust in the media.
FSD0115 ISSP 2000 : Environment II : Finnish Data charted the respondents' opinions on how truthful information the press, TV and radio provide on polluters.

Impartiality of the Media

In the Finnish EU Attitudes survey series, changes in Finnish citizens' attitudes towards integration are charted. Questions pertain for example to the impartiality of the media in EU issues.
The Energy Attitudes of the Finns research series investigates public opinion on the impartiality of the media as regards energy issues (e.g. nuclear power).
FSD2274 Finnish Voter Barometers 1992 - 2005 : Combined Data contains for example questions on political journalism and advertising.

Influence of the Media

The Energy Attitudes of the Finns research series charts for instance the influence of the media on energy decisions.
The EVA Surveys on Finnish Values and Attitudes series measures and analyses Finnish citizens' experiences on the functioning of society and its various sectors. Questions cover the influence of the media on various issues and creating mental images. Finnish EU Attitudes surveys also chart the aforementioned topics.
In the Finnish Local Government Barometers research series, local inhabitants, municipal managers, and the chairpersons of municipal boards give their opinions on the influence of the media on municipal decision-making.
FSD2504 Media and Power 2009 charted the opinions of Finnish elite power brokers on the media and its influence on their work, media strategies adopted etc.
FSD2262 Climate Change 2006 charted the importance of the various media in conveying information on climate change.
FSD2049 Young People and Local Democracy 2004 : Active Participants investigated how young people influence through the various media.

Role of the Media in Everyday Life

There has been much research on the role of the media in everyday life, and the data archive has a good selection of both quantitative and qualitative datasets related to the topic. In the last few years, questions on Internet use have been especially frequent in various surveys, but the FSD collections also include plenty of interesting datasets for researchers interested in the press, TV and radio.

The Press, TV and Radio

FSD2116 European Social Survey 2004/2005 : Finnish Data charted for instance the respondents' TV viewing and newspaper reading.
FSD2026 Attitudes to Finnish Broadcasting 2003 canvassed Finnish opinion on television and radio programmes in general and the programme policy of YLE (Finnish Broadcasting Company) by asking whether the respondents thought YLE was able to serve different age, language and interest groups. Some questions pertained to commercial TV and radio channels.
FSD2041 Youth Consumer Cultures in Information Society 2001 investigated the young people's relationship with TV and the Internet.
FSD1250 Morality 2001 was conducted by the weekly supplement NYT of the daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. The respondents were asked for example whether they considered it wrong to surf on the Internet during working hours or watch TV without paying the TV licence fee (collected from all users of television in Finland).

The Internet

The Use of Online Services and Information Technology in Tampere survey series charts the respondents' use of information technology, the Internet, and the online services of the city of Tampere.
FSD2533 Virtual Youth Work 2007: Youth Survey studied the social virtual world Habbo Hotel and online youth counselling carried out there by the Netari.fi project. The respondents were young people who use Habbo Hotel.
In FSD2217 Finnish Youth Survey 2006, the respondents were asked whether they considered it acceptable to download music from the Internet for free.
Background variables in FSD2114 Opinions on Security Policy, Autumn 2005 contain some questions related to Internet use. The survey was conducted by the Advisory Board for Defence Information (ABDI).
FSD2273 Finnish Local Government 2004 : Inhabitants 2004 probed the use of municipal Internet services.
FSD1269 Foreign Students in Finland's Higher Education Institutions 2002 investigated the role of the Internet in foreign students' integration into Finnish society and in their social relationships.
FSD2053 Police Barometer 2001 contains, for example, variables relating to Internet data security. Some background variables also charted the respondents' Internet and television use.

Elections and the Media

The media plays a significant role in shaping public opinion. Several election studies have surveyed the influence of the media on voting behaviour.

Parliamentary Elections

Presidential Elections

FSD2138 Presidential Elections 2006, Second Round
FSD2137 Presidential Elections 2006, First Round
FSD2128 Presidential Elections 2006 : Candidate Responses to YLE Candidate Selector
FSD2127 Presidential Elections 2006 : Candidate Responses to MTV3 Candidate Selector
FSD2126 Presidential Elections 2006 : Candidate Responses to HS Candidate Selector
FSD1041 Presidential Elections 2000, Second Round
FSD1040 Presidential Elections 2000, First Round
FSD1048 Young People and Presidential Elections 2000
Voter opinion surveys on polling in presidential elections in Finland were conducted in 1994 (parts 1 and 2) and in 2000. The surveys studied views on polls in the media and to what extent they affected people's choice of candidate.

EU Membership Referendum and European Parliamentary Elections

Municipal Elections

Several studies in the Finnish Local Government 2004 research programme include questions on municipal elections, such as whether it should be possible to vote electronically (e.g. FSD2273 Finnish Local Government 2004 : Inhabitants 2004).

Eurobarometers

Eurobarometers are financed by the European Commission and are carried out simultaneously in the European Union member countries. The surveys study the social and political opinions of persons living in the member countries. Several Eurobarometers contain variables related to the media, even if the surveys did not primarily focus on the media. Only a few Eurobarometers are listed on this page. ZACAT, the data portal of the German Central Archive for Empirical Social Research, includes abstracts of all Eurobarometers. The pages offer information on Eurobarometer trends as well.

In addition to standard Eurobarometers, there are also Flash Eurobarometers, some of which are related to the Internet.

Other Data on the Media

Development Cooperation Surveys contain individual questions related to the media charting, for example, which sources the respondents had used to receive information on development cooperation issues.
FSD2719 Children's Media Barometer 2011 surveyed the media use and experiences of media education of children aged 7-11 in Finland.
In FSD2407 State of the Finnish News Media 2008, the news output of nineteen Finnish media (newspapers, TV, and radio) during 14 days between October 2007 and March 2008 was analysed.
FSD2361 Finnish Journalists in Changing Media: Journalist Survey 2007 studied how Finnish journalists view their own work and working conditions, the changing media environment, multimedia journalism, and Finnish society.
FSD1304 Homosexuality in a Daily Newspaper includes a summary on homosexuality references in Finland's leading national newspaper Helsingin Sanomat between December 2002 and February 2003.

Search FSD Database

The surveys listed on this page are only a small sample of all data related to the media archived at the FSD. It is therefore worthwhile to search the FSD's data catalogue, also by keywords. See also the search instructions.

» Basic search

Links Related to the Media

The aim of The Finnish Society on Media Education is to support and develop the field of research and practices concerning media education in Finland.
Research Committee on Sociology of Communication, Knowledge and Culture RC14 (ISA) develops international contacts among scholars engaged in studying the sociology of communication, knowledge and culture.
ICPSR (Inter-University Consortium For Political And Social Research) is the world's largest archive of digital social science data located in the USA.
Nordic Information Centre for Media and Communication Research (NORDICOM)

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

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