Opinion Monitor for Development Policy 2021: Media content, information, appeals and their impact on public opinion

Abstract

The DEval Opinion Monitor 2021 examines five key questions: (1) How often and in what way does the media report on the topic of development policy? (2) What impact do arguments for and against development cooperation used in the media have on the general public’s attitude towards the topic? (3) What impact does information on the effectiveness of development cooperation projects have on attitudes towards the topic? (4) What role do moral arguments and various foundations of morality play in attitudes towards the topic? (5) What expectations do citizens have of development cooperation? The report also explores how public opinion on development policy and on specific development policy measures has developed during the coronavirus pandemic. Therefor, the DEval Opinion Monitor 2021 gives development policy decision-makers feedback on the general public’s attitudes to development policy. The publication follows the Opinion Monitor for Development Policy 2018 and the Opinion Monitor for Development Policy 2019, which examined attitudes towards development cooperation and sustainable development in Germany (2018) and media use with a focus on international reporting and global poverty (2019).