A growing proportion of Greeks are using the Internet as their preferred source of news and information but the World Wide Web still has a long way to go before it can match TV, according to a nationwide survey carried out by the University of the Aegean.

In results made public yesterday, just over one-third (35.4 percent) of respondents said that they turn to the Net for information, which is slightly higher than the radio (32.2 percent). But the Web is a little lower in terms of popularity than newspapers (41.4 percent) and is still substantially lower than the 78.1 percent that view television as their main source of news.

?The Internet is becoming a more popular source of information because it is interactive,? Efstratios Papanis, the assistant sociology professor who oversaw the survey, told Kathimerini. ?On the Internet, the user can choose the issues he or she wants to find out more about and can get involved in the news, commenting on the item and sending it to other people that may be interested.?

However, Papanis believes the Internet will soon be the dominant medium. ?The Internet is essentially a medium that will leave the others in its wake since we will soon be watching TV, listening to the radio and reading newspapers online.?

Despite the popularity of TV as a source of news, the vast majority of respondents indicated that they do not trust the information they receive. According to the survey, 85.7 percent said that state TV channels are more reliable than private ones.

Six in 10 of those questioned said that they view the media as being capable of spreading propaganda. Papanis pointed out that such views have existed for some time.

Just over half (51.5 percent) said that they are disappointed with the standard of journalism and 60 percent hope that newcomers will join the profession.

Source : kathinerini