Guardian's Edward Snowden revelations receive backing in poll

Edward Snowden: a majority of Britons back the Guardian's reporting. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

A public opinion poll has found that more Britons think it was right for the Guardian to publish Edward Snowden's NSA leaks about surveillance than think it was wrong that the paper did so.

According to the YouGov poll, 37% of the British people thought it right to publish while 22% thought it wrong. Asked whether it was good or bad for society, 46% considered it good against 22% who regarded it as bad.

There was noticeably firmer backing from Labour and Lib Dem voters, with 51% and 56% respectively arguing that it was good to see the story published.

The poll of 2,166 UK adults took place after the Guardian and the Washington Post had been jointly awarded a Pulitzer prize for their reporting of Snowden's revelations. Snowden, the former CIA contractor, called the award a "vindication".

But there were several official voices who regarded Snowden's act as treason and, by implication, that the two papers had aided his treachery.

Former defence secretary Liam Fox called Snowden a "self-publicising narcissist" while a US congressman called the award of the Pulitzer a "disgrace".

Yet, by a 2-1 majority, British people showed that they disagree with those politicians. And they did so despite overall trust in journalists remaining near historic lows.

In October last year, a YouGov poll found that only 45% said they trusted journalists from "upmarket" newspapers, such as the Guardian, to tell the truth, which was down from 65% in 2003.