A Summary Of The Principal Digital Media Findings For 2020

The coronavirus crisis has substantially increased the amount of news consumed by mainstream media in all of the countries where we conducted surveys prior to and after the outbreak began to take effect. The number of people who use news on television as their primary source of news has increased dramatically as more people identify it as their main source of news. This temporary respite is welcomed after a prolonged period of decline. As lockdowns make it harder to distribute newspapers in physical form, consumption has decreased. It is likely that the transition to digital publishing will accelerate. The use of social media as well as online has risen dramatically in many countries. WhatsApp saw the highest growth, with increases around ten percent in certain countries. In addition, more than half of the people interviewed (51 percent) used some form of open and closed online community to share information, connect, and taking part in a local support team.

As of April 2020, confidence in the media's coverage of COVID-19 was fairly high across all countries, with a similar level to the national government and much more than individual politicians. Concerning COVID-19 data, trust among media was two times as high on social networks, messaging services, and video platforms than the media. The general concern over misinformation remains high as per the larger dataset we collected in January. Even before the coronavirus epidemic was a reality, over half of our global sample said they were concerned about the truth or not in relation to information. Although domestic politicians are the primary source of misinformation most often, in some countries (including the United States), people who consider themselves right-wing blame media outlets more. Facebook is the main platform for disseminating false information almost everywhere. However, WhatsApp is seen as being more responsible in the areas that are part of the Global South such as Brazil as well as Malaysia.

We found that less than four percent of people trust news more often than they did in our survey in January all over the world. This is an increase of four percentage points over the year before. More than half (46%) reported that they trust the news they consume themselves. Particularly, political polarisation and rising uncertainty seem to have undermined trust among public broadcasters. They are losing supporters from both the right as well as the left. However, our research finds that the majority (60 percent) still prefer news that doesn't have a particular point of view and that only a small minority (28%) prefer news that shares or reinforces their views. While partisanship preferences in the United States have slightly increased from 2013 to 2013, our study finds that the majority of Americans still favor news that is objective or shares their views.

Most people (52 percent) prefer news media to highlight false claims made by politicians (29%), as they adjust to new communication styles. People are more hesitant to use political advertisements via search platforms or on social media than with those shown on TV. In reality, the majority of people (58 percent) prefer to have platforms to prevent ads which might include false claims. We've seen significant increases in online journalism's payment rates across many countries, such as the United States (+14) and Norway (42% +8). However there has seen a less significant rise in different markets. It is important to remember that nearly all countries are not paying for online information, even though certain publishers have complained of the existence of a "coronavirus rise".

Subscribing to the newsletter is a sign of confidence. The most important factor is the quality and authenticity of the content. Subscribers feel they receive better quality information. However, a lot of people are happy with the news they get for free. We have a significant portion of non-subscribers (40% USA, 50% UK) who believe that no one can convince them to join. Paying more (e.g. the USA and Norway) approximately 1/3 and 50% of all subscriptions go to only a few major national brands, suggesting that the winner-takes-all-the-time dynamic is still in place. However, in both countries a significant minority are now purchasing multiple subscriptions, often including a local or specialist publication. For radio Unirea FM Romanian radio station. Their format is composed of 60 percent news from all areas, and 40 percent music. The most popular features that attract the audience are news programs that come from the county as well as special shows, as well as talk programs. They enjoy news, contests, and interviews. They also love cultural shows, debates and music.

Local newspapers and their websites are the most reliable source of information about an area or town in most countries. They are accessed by the majority of people (44%) weekly. We found however that Facebook and the other social media platforms are currently utilized by a third (31%) of people who use local news and information. This is putting more pressure on businesses and their business models. News access continues to expand. More than 25% of users prefer to start their journey to read news via apps or websites. Those aged 18-24 (so-called Generation Z) have an even lower connection to apps and websites. They are more than twice as likely to read news on social media. Over all age groups, the usage of Instagram for news has doubled since the beginning of 2018 and is likely to overtake Twitter over the next year.

To counter the move to various platforms, publishers are looking to build direct connections with consumers via mobile and email alerts. In the United States sees nearly one fifth of Americans receiving news emails on a weekly basis (21%) and more than half of those access it as their main source of information. Northern European nations have taken longer to get on board with email news channels. Only 10% of Finnish users use Finnish email news. The percentage of people who use podcasts has risen significantly in the past year, although coronavirus lockdowns might have temporarily stopped this trend. All countries surveyed (50 percent) acknowledged that podcasts can provide greater depth and understanding than other media. Spotify has surpassed the Apple podcast app to become the most popular platform for podcasts across many countries.

The majority of people (69 percent) believe that climate change is a major problem. However, a small percentage of people in Australia, Sweden and the United States disagree with this opinion. The majority of this group is right-wingers and more senior. The younger groups get most of their climate change news via social media and by following activists like Greta Thunberg. Amazon Echo and Google Home as well as Google Home, both voice-activated smart speaker devices, continue to grow quickly. Use for any purpose is increasing from 14 19% to 14% in the UK, from 7% to 12% in Germany and from between 9% and 13% in South Korea. The use of news is low across all countries, despite this.