Astro AWANI continues to excel as the Most Trusted News Brand - Reuters Institute

KUALA LUMPUR: Astro AWANI Network Sdn Bhd, the nation’s 24-hour news television channel, continues to maintain its reputation as the Most Trusted News Brands in Malaysia 2022 for the fifth consecutive year.

Based on the 2022 Digital News Report of the Reuters Institute and Oxford University, Astro AWANI ranked first with 64 per cent on the brand trust scores.

Meanwhile, The Star climbed to second position with 56 per cent followed by Malaysiakini (54%), Sinar Harian (53%), and Radio Televisyen Malaysia (53%).

The Digital News Report 2022 which is based on a YouGov survey consisting of more than 93,000 online news consumers from 46 markets in six continents, covering half of the world's population, reveals new perspective about digital news consumption.

The report shows that “national and vernacular newspapers are often associated with political parties in terms of ownership and level of editorial bias.

“However digitalisation has resulted in significant changes to the medium.

“Newspapers that used to be the main news source for the people now occupy the lowest position among trusted news brands."

According to the report, Malaysiakini and Astro AWANI "remain at the top largely because of the balanced yet critical approach of the former and the independence of the latter."

Head and Editor-in-Chief of Astro AWANI Ashwad Ismail said, "In these times of numerous uncertainties around the globe, building trust is ‘expensive, in all sense of the word.

He said, "People are the ‘heart’ in building trust and faith. Without the voice, feel and touch by the ‘rakyat’, the media is deemed empty and nothing."

The Reuters Institute said online news portals and social media remain as the main news sources in the country.

Social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp continue to be the main mediums with 52 per cent of news dissemination in the social, messaging and email categories, followed by Youtube, Instagram, Twitter, and Telegram.

Meanwhile, the print media continued to record a downward trend, from 45 per cent in 2017 to 17 per cent for 2022.

However, it is also quite surprising as the trend of accessing news using smartphones shows a drop of seven per cent, to 78 per cent this year, the Reuters Institute said.

Ashwad said, "With the determination and commitment, ‘us together with us’ in upholding the spirit of #KitaJagaKita, in whatever areas, rise together in rebuilding the faith towards our brand - the Malaysian Brand - on to the global arena."

"We would like to thank all Malaysians for steadfastly and continuously supporting the principles of Astro AWANI being an independent, fair, and constructive media house," he added.