A Summary Of Principal Digital Media Findings For 2020

Here's A Summary Of The Most Important Digital Media Findings For 2020


The coronavirus outbreak has significantly raised the level of news consumption in the mainstream media in all the countries where we conducted surveys prior to and after the pandemic was in into effect. Online and television news sources have seen substantial increases and more people are identifying television as their main source of news, providing some respite from the picture of declining growth. The consumption of printed newspapers has fallen as lockdowns undermine physical distribution, possibly increasing the transition towards an all-digital future. While the number of users using social media and other internet-based platforms has been increasing significantly across most countries, lockdowns have impacted the use of these platforms. WhatsApp had the highest overall growth, with increases of around ten percentage points in some countries, while more than half of the people surveyed (51%) used some kind of open or closed online group to communicate, share information or participate in a local support network.

The trust in media's coverage of COVID-19 as it pertains to particular politicians was quite high across all countries at the same level as the national governments. Concerning COVID-19 information, media trust was twice as high for social platforms, messaging services, and video platforms than the media. Concerns about misinformation in the world continue to rise due to the larger data set that we've collected since January. The global sample has expressed concerns about false or accurate information available on the internet. This was even prior to the outbreak of coronavirus. Although politicians in the United States are the main source of false information, those who consider themselves to be right-wing in some countries (including the United States) are more inclined than others to blame the media. Although Facebook is widely considered to be the most reliable channel for spreading false news virtually everywhere, WhatsApp is more responsible in the Global South such as Brazil and Malaysia.

Our January poll across countries revealed that less than four-in-10 (38%) of those polled said they believe in the most popular news the most often. This represents a decrease by four percentage points over the year before. Just 46 percent of the respondents believed they trusted the information they receive. In particular, political polarisation and increasing uncertainty affect trust in public broadcasters. They are losing support from both the right and the left. Our survey found that 60% of respondents still prefer information that is neutral to their opinions, and only 28 percent would prefer news that bolsters or supports their opinions. The United States has seen a small increase in the number of people who are partisan in the last year. However it is still the case that the majority of people appear to favor news that at least attempts to be objective.

Most people (52 percent) would prefer media to focus on false claims made by politicians (29 percent) in order to adapt to the changing ways of communicating. People are more hesitant to view political ads via social media and search engines as they are with television ads. A majority (58 percent) prefer to have platforms that do not block false claims, even though it means they have the power to make the final decision. We have seen significant rises in the amount of money paid for online journalism across many countries, such as the United States (+14) and Norway (42 percent +8). However there's been a smaller increase in various markets. It is important to remember that most countries aren't paying for information online, even though some publishers have reported a "coronavirus bump".

Subscribers appreciate the originality and quality of the content. Subscribers believe they receive more information. But, the majority of users are satisfied with the news they get for free. We see a huge portion of non-subscribers (40 percent USA, 50 percent UK) who think that they are not able to convince anyone to join. If you pay more (e.g. In countries that have greater levels of payment (e.g. Norway and the USA) there is 1/3 to 50% of subscriptions are paid directly to a handful of major national brands. This suggests that there is still a winner-takes–all dynamic. A large portion of these countries are currently adding their subscriptions, typically by buying a specialty or local newspaper. For Unirea FM Romanian radio station. Their structure is 60 percent news from all fields, and 40% music. With their current programming the principal elements that attract the audience of people who are over 30 are: news programmes from the county, specialized programs and talk shows. People who are over 30 are not only in contests, news, or even interviews, but they are equally drawn to programs that focus on culture and debates, entertainment and music.

In the majority of countries, local newspapers and their websites are the primary source of news about the region or town in question, reaching four in ten (44 percent) weekly. Facebook and other social media networks are being used on average 31% to get local news and updates. This is putting pressure on the business models of companies. Access to news continues its growth. The majority of all citizens prefer to begin their journeys to read news on websites or apps. Generation Z, a group of 18-24-year-olds, prefers to access news via social networks over apps and websites. Instagram news consumption has increased by a third across all age groups. This trend is likely to continue for the next year.

Publishers have been working to connect directly via mobile alerts as well as email to combat the move to different platforms. In the United States sees nearly one fifth of all Americans checking their news emails every week (21 percent) and more than half of those access it as their main source of news. Northern European countries have taken longer to embrace news channels via email. Just 10% of people use Finnish email news. The proportion using podcasts has grown significantly in the past year, even though coronavirus lockdowns could have temporarily changed this trend. More than 50 percent of respondents in all countries believe podcasts are more informative and understandable than other media. Spotify is currently the most popular podcast platform in several markets, topping Apple's Podcast app.

Seven out of ten (69 percent) consider climate change as a major issue. However, in the United States and Australia, large portions of the population disagree. They tend to be more right-leaning and are older. These groups that are younger can access more of their information on climate change through social media and by following activists such as Greta Thunberg. Amazon Echo and Google Home are two examples of smart devices that continue to gain popularity. In the UK, usage for any purpose has increased from 14%-19% to 19 percent, Germany from 7%-12% and South Korea from 9%-13%. Yet, we see that the use of news is at a low level in all markets.