Starting with climate change BBC surveys to look at global news agenda

BBC World and international market research firm Synovate have announced a global survey partnership which will look at the global news agenda.

Haze, which according to a meteorological official was caused by a change in direction of the south wind, covers the business district in Bangkok, Thailand Tuesday, February 6, 2007. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday he is committed to urgent action beyond 2012 to address climate change and will be consulting the 192 UN member states on specific steps. Ban said a report released Friday by the world's leading climate scientists that global warming is 'very likely' caused by mankind and that climate change will continue for centuries was 'very important.' (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Synovate will carry out six opinion surveys across 21 markets in 2007, the topics of which are linked to the global news agenda and BBC World programming. Key findings and insights from the first survey, focusing on climate change, will be revealed in April when BBC World's ClimateWatch season starts.

The markets included in the survey are: the US, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, India, Japan, Poland, Dubai, the UK, South Korea, Brazil, Italy, South Africa, Norway, Spain, Denmark, Russia and Canada.

Steve Garton, global head of media research for Synovate, said, "We will be covering issues of key importance to the global audience. The insights and opinions we gather will reveal how the world thinks."

Sian Kevill, editorial director for BBC World said, "This is a great partnership for BBC World because Synovate has such a comprehensive global database of panellists. It will be fascinating to see if this global survey will reveal that people around the world have similar, or very different views and opinions about the key global issues, such as global warming or terrorism."