A Summary Of Principal Digital Media Findings For 2020
In all the countries that surveys were conducted, coronavirus has dramatically increased the number of people who read news in mainstream media. There's been a substantial increase in television news and news on the internet. The majority of people have now identified television as their main source for news. It is a brief relief from the pattern of steadily declining news consumption. Because physical distribution is being impeded by lockdowns, the use of printed publications has decreased. It is likely to speed up the transition towards digital technology. The use of social media as well as online has seen a significant increase in a variety of countries. WhatsApp saw the most growth and a rise of around ten percent in some nations. More than half (51%) of respondents used some type of open or closed online group to share information, connect with others or participate in an in-person support system.
In all nations, trust in the coverage of media on COVID-19 was generally high in April of 2020. This is comparable to the level of national governments however, it is significantly more than the individual politicians. In the case of COVID-19-related information, trust in the media was two times as high on social networks, messaging services and video platforms as the media. The concerns of the world about false information are significant, according to our bigger January data. Nearly half of the sample were concerned about news on the internet, even before the coronavirus crises. While domestic politicians are the main source of misinformation, those who identify themselves as right-wing in specific countries (including the United States) are more likely than others to blame the media. Although Facebook is widely considered to be the most reliable source of false information nearly everywhere, WhatsApp is more responsible for spreading false information in the Global South like Brazil as well as Malaysia.
Our poll in January that covered all nations found that less than 4 of 10 (38%) believed most news was reliable. This represents a decline by four percentage points from the year 2019. A mere 46 percent of the respondents reported that they trust the news that they use. The increasing tensions and political divisions have caused a decline in trust in public broadcasters, who are being attacked from the right and left. Our survey showed that 60% of respondents are interested in news without a specific opinion, while only 28% are interested in news sharing or strengthening their opinions. The United States has seen a slight increase in partisan preferences from 2013. However most people seem to favor information that is at least trying to be impartial.
In the midst of adjusting the media to the changing style of political communication, the majority of people (52 percent) would prefer that they be more prominently reporting false statements made by politicians rather than not emphasise them (29 percent). People are less comfortable using political advertisements via search platforms or social media than with the ones on television. Actually, the majority of people (58 percent) prefer to have platforms that block advertisements that might contain false claims. We have seen significant rises in the amount of money paid for online journalism across a variety of countries, including the United States (+14) and Norway (42% +8). However there has been a lesser rise in different markets. It is crucial to remember that online news is free for most people from all nations. Certain publishers might have experienced a coronavirus-related bump.
For subscribers, the most important thing is the uniqueness and quality of the information. Subscribers feel they are getting more information. But, many are satisfied with the information that they can access free of charge. We also see an overwhelming number of non-subscribers (45% in the USA and 50% here in the UK) who claim they could not be persuaded to pay. The more expensive subscriptions (e.g. In countries that have more payment options (e.g. Norway and the USA) there is one-third to half of subscriptions are sold directly to a handful of major national brands. This indicates that there's still an all-or-nothing dynamic. In both countries, a substantial minority of subscribers are adding more than one subscription to their existing subscriptions. For radio Unirea FM 107,2 MHz Romanian radio station. Their format is composed of 60 percent news from various fields, and 40% music. With their current programming, the main elements that attract the audience of those older than 30 are met: news programs that are from the county, as well as specialized programs and talk shows. They are not interested only in contests, news, or even interviews, but are attracted by cultural shows and debates, entertainment and even music.
In many countries, local newspapers and their websites are the primary source of information about the region or town in question that reach four in ten (44 percent) weekly. Facebook and other online social media sites are used in an average of 31% to get local news and information. This puts pressure on the business models of companies. The news is continuing to expand. More than half (28%) of the world's population prefer to read news via an app or website. Generation Z, a group of young adults aged 18-24, prefers use social networks to access news over apps and websites. Instagram news consumption has increased by a third across every age group. This trend is likely to continue over the next year.
To combat the shift to different platforms, publishers are trying to establish direct relationships to consumers through mobile and email alerts. In the United States one in five (21 percent) receives a news alert each week, and for more than half of those, it's the primary method for getting news. Northern European nations have had a longer time to adopt email news channels. Only 10% use Finnish news via email. The use of podcasts has increased over the last year, lockdowns due to coronavirus may have temporarily stopped this trend. All 50 countries, half the respondents (50 percent) said that podcasts provide greater depth and depth of information over other forms of media. Spotify is the top podcasting destination in a variety of markets and has now outsold Apple's podcast app.
The majority of people (69 percent) think that climate change is a significant problem. However, a small minority of people in Australia, Sweden and the United States disagree with this belief. They tend to be right-leaning and older. Younger groups are able to access a lot of their climate news via social media and also by following activists like Greta Thunberg. Amazon Echo and Google Home, both voice-activated smart speaker devices, continue to expand quickly. Their use for any purpose has been increasing by 14 percent to 19% (UK) and 7% to 12 percent in Germany, and 9 to 13% in South Korea. Despite all this it is still the case that news is used in extremely small amounts across all markets.