Reputation survey: Media coverage of Royal engagement

One in five members of the public thought the media coverage of Prince William and Kate Middleton's engagement was completely over the top, new figures show. However, despite the blanket coverage, a small but significant five per cent of the 3,000 respondents to PRWeek/OnePoll's latest survey complained there was not enough coverage of the event.

Just 13 per cent deliberately sat down to watch ITV's interview with the couple after they announced their engagement, although 31 per cent said they happened to catch it. More than half the respondents, 55 per cent, did not watch it.

Half the public believes the BBC is the broadcaster that is most pro-Royal family. ITV took second place with ten per cent and Sky News came third with five per cent.

When asked about newspapers, 19 per cent of respondents chose the Daily Mail as the most pro-Royal national newspaper. Eleven per cent chose The Sun and ten per cent picked The Times.

The Independent was the only major national newspaper not to publish a photograph of the happy couple on its front page the day following the announcement. This proved a popular move with 61 per cent of respondents.

Despite the media trumpeting how the Royal engagement would boost British spirits, just 14 per cent of respondents said they were 'very interested' in the news, 46 per cent said they were interested in it, while 40 per cent said they were 'not interested'.

But despite these figures, 71 per cent of the British public think we should keep the Royal Family, whereas just 29 per cent would prefer a republic.

SURVEY OF 3,000 MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CONDUCTED BY GLOBAL RESEARCH AGENCY ONEPOLL

How I see it

Tristan Pineiro, Associate director, 3 Monkeys Communications

Although there seems to be little question in people's minds we should still have a Royal family, the results of this poll reveal that most are already fairly nonplussed by the Royal nuptials.

Yet the media seem to be acting exactly as we would have expected. On the day of the marriage announcement, an Express journalist tweeted: 'Oh God, I work for the Daily Express and there's going to be a Royal wedding ...'. Yep.

Fifty-five per cent of us still believe the BBC is the most impartial broadcaster when it comes to reporting Royal matters, compared with nine per cent for ITV. But 50 per cent also believe the BBC is the most pro-Royal family (nine per cent for ITV). So, is the public still really paying that much attention, or is it all becoming noise to us?

More than half of respondents said The Independent made the right decision by not putting William and Kate on its front cover. The public seems to have learned the Diana lesson, but have the media?

HOW INTERESTED WERE YOU IN THE NEWS THAT KATE IS TO MARRY PRINCE WILLIAM?

40% Not interested

14% Very interested

46% Interested

DO YOU THINK THE MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE ROYAL ENGAGEMENT HAS been ...

4.5% Not enough

20% Completely over the top

46.5% A bit excessive

29% Ideal

ROYAL SUPPORT

71% of respondents said Britain should still have a Royal family

STAYING INDEPENDENT

61% said The Independent was right not to publish William and Kate's picture on its front page - unlike all the other national newspapers

MIDDLE-CLASS

58% agreed that details of Kate's middle-class roots is irrelevant in modern times

PRO-ROYALS

50% of those polled said the BBC is the most pro-Royal family broadcaster

AVOIDING THE BIG DAY

10% said they will go out of their way to avoid watching the Royal wedding