A Summary Of The Principal Digital Media Findings For 2020

The coronavirus outbreak has led to a significant increase in news consumption in mainstream media across all the countries where we've conducted surveys in. News on television and online sources have seen substantial increases, and more people identify the television channel as their primary source of news, offering some respite from the picture of declining growth. The declining print media is almost certain to speed up the transition towards all-digital news. However, the majority of countries have seen a significant increase in the use of social media as well as the internet. WhatsApp was the most popular, with increases around ten percent in some countries. Furthermore, over half of those who were interviewed (51 percent) utilized some kind of closed and open online group to share information, connect to local support groups.

In all countries, the trust level in the media's coverage on COVID-19 was fairly high at the time of April 2020. This is in line with the level of national governments but is much higher than individual politicians. The trust in media was more than twice the level of trust for social media and video platforms as well as messaging services in relation to information on COVID-19. From our larger data set taken in January, Global concerns about misinformation remain high. Global concerns about misinformation remain significant even prior to the coronavirus epidemic. More than half our worldwide sample said they are worried about the information is being circulating online about news. The US political system is the most frequently named source of misinformation, though in some countries - including the United States - people who self-identify as right-wing tend to blame the media - part of a pick-your-side

Facebook is seen as the main source of false information almost everywhere but WhatsApp is believed to be more accountable in certain regions of the Global South such as Brazil as well as Malaysia.

In our January poll across all countries less than four out of 10 (38%) stated that they trust most news the majority of the time . This is a fall of four percentage points over the year. Only 46 percent of people polled reported that they trust the news they consume. The rising political polarisation and uncertainty has resulted in a decrease of trust in the public broadcasters and are being targeted from both sides. Our survey indicates that 60 percent of people prefer news that doesn't have a particular viewpoint and only 28% are interested in news that reinforces or supports their views. Although partisan preferences in the United States have slightly increased since 2013, our survey indicates that the majority of Americans still prefer news that is impartial or that shares their opinions.

In the midst of adjusting the media to new styles of political communications, the majority people (52 percent) would prefer that they prominently report false statements from politicians rather than not emphasise them (29 29.9%). People are less comfortable with advertisements for politics on search engines and social media as they are with political adverts on TV, and the majority of people (58 percent) would prefer platforms to stop adverts that might include inaccurate statements, even if it means they ultimately get to determine what is truthful. The news on the internet has seen an increase in payments in a number of countries which include the United States at 20% (+4) and Norway with 42% (+8). However, there are minor rises in the other markets. It is crucial to remember that across all nations, the majority of people aren't paying for online news, even if certain publishers have discovered a coronavirus increase.

In the end, the most important element for subscribers is the quality and uniqueness of the information. Subscribers believe that they are receiving better information. However, many people are content with the information they receive at no cost. We see a huge proportion of non-subscribers (40 percent in the USA, 50% in the UK) USA, 50% UK) who think that they are not able to convince anyone to sign up. Countries with higher rates of payment (e.g. About a third to half of subscriptions are given to national brands in countries such as Norway, the USA and Norway. This suggests that there are still winners and losers. In both countries, a substantial percentage of subscribers have added more than one subscription to their current subscriptions. For radio Unirea FM Romanian radio station. Their format is composed of 60 percent news from all fields, and 40 percent music. They offer a range of programmes that cater to their listeners. They are drawn to news, contests, interviews, as well as cultural events music, debates, and entertainment.

The top news source for information about a country is the local newspaper as well as its websites. The number is four out of ten (44 percent). We found however that Facebook and other social media sites are now being used by around three-quarters (31%) of local information and news users. This puts more pressure on companies and their business models. The distribution of news is increasing. Across all countries only a quarter (28 percent) prefer starting their news experiences via apps or websites. Generation Z, a group of people aged 18-24, prefers to access news via social networks rather than apps or websites. Instagram news use has grown by over 50% across all age groups and is expected to outdo Twitter in the next year.

Publishers have been trying to connect directly via mobile alerts and emails to combat the move to different platforms. The United States has 21 percent of the population who access news email every week. This is nearly half of the country's primary method of accessing news. Northern European countries tend to be slow in embracing news channels for email. Finland only has 10 percent. The number of people using podcasts has increased significantly over the past year, even though coronavirus lockdowns might have temporarily changed this trend. Across countries fifty percent of those who surveyed (50 percent) say that podcasts provide more understanding and depth than other forms of media. Spotify has taken over Apple Podcasts to become the most popular podcast application in many markets.

Overall, almost seven in ten (69 percent) consider climate change an urgent issue, but in the United States, Sweden, and Australia a significant minority dispute this. These older people tend to be more right-leaning. Younger groups can access much of their climate information via social media, as well as by following activists such as Greta Thunberg. The use of voice-activated speakers like the Amazon Echo or Google Home continues to grow. The use of these devices for any purpose has increased from 14% - 19 percent in the UK to 7 - 12 percent in Germany and 9% - 13 percent in South Korea. However, we observe that usage for news remains at a low level in all markets.