The coronavirus epidemic has seen a significant increase in the consumption of news in mainstream media across all countries we have conducted surveys. Both online and television news sources have seen significant growth. Television has become the primary source of news for many people, providing temporary relief from the current decline. Printing of newspapers has fallen as lockdowns undermine physical distribution, and is almost certainly leading to an all-digital future. In the majority of countries, however, social and online media use has increased significantly. WhatsApp saw the most growth and a rise of approximately ten percent in some nations. More than half (51%) of the people surveyed utilized an open or closed group online to communicate, share information or join an online support system for local residents.
At April 2020, trust was fairly high across all countries regarding media coverage of COVID-19. It was similar to the national government and significantly higher than that of individual politicians. When it came to COVID-19-related information, trust in the media was twice as high for social platforms, messaging services, and video platforms than it was for media. Our global concerns about misinformation are still significant, according to our January-based dataset. More than half of the worldwide sample expressed concerns about the authenticity or accuracy of news on the internet even prior to the coronavirus epidemic. While domestic politicians are the primary source of misinformation most often, in some countries (including the United States), people who identify themselves as right-wing tend to blame media outlets more. Facebook is the main channel for spreading false info almost everywhere. However, WhatsApp is seen as being more accountable in regions of the Global South like Brazil and Malaysia.
We found that less than four-in-ten people believe that news is more reliable than they trust in our survey in January all over the world. This represents an increase of four percentage points from the previous year. 46 percent of respondents said they trust the news they read. Particularly, political polarisation and increasing uncertainty have undermined trust among public broadcasters. They have lost support from both the right as well as the left. Our research shows that 60 percent of respondents still prefer information that is neutral to their views, whereas only 28 percent are influenced by news that reinforces or reflects their beliefs. While partisanship preferences in the United States have slightly increased since 2013, our survey indicates that the majority of Americans still favor news that is impartial or shares their views.
The majority of people would prefer news media to publish false claims from politicians as they adapt to the new ways of communicating (52%) People are less comfortable viewing political ads on social media or search engines as they are with television ads. The majority of people (58%) prefer having platforms that do not block false claims, even though it means they are the ones who decide on the ultimate decision. The United States has seen significant rises in the online news payment as evidenced by an increase of 42% in Norway (+8) and an increase of 20% in the United States (+4). Other markets have seen less rises. Important to note is that most countries are not paying for information online however some publishers have complained of a "coronavirus rise".
The uniqueness and quality of the content is what the subscribers consider the most crucial. Subscribers feel they get better information. The majority of subscribers are satisfied with the content they get for free. However, we also have a substantial number of non-subscribers (40 percent in the USA and 50% in the UK) USA and 50 percent UK) who believe that paying would be impossible. Higher levels of payment are seen in countries such as Norway and the United States with a higher percentage of subscribers. the USA and Norway) approximately 1/3 and 50% of subscriptions are given to a handful of major national brands, suggesting that the winning-takes-all dynamic continues. But in both these countries an increasing number of customers are buying multiple subscriptions, and often adding a local or specialist publication. For radio Unirea FM Romanian commercial radio station. The format is 60 percent news and 40% music. The most popular features that attract viewers are news programming from the county , as well as specialized shows, as well as talk programs. These people are interested both in news, contests , and interviews. However, they also like discussions music, entertainment, and debate shows.
Newspapers and websites remain the most reliable source of information about the specific region or town across the world. They are accessed by 4 out of 10 (44%) each week. Facebook and other social media sites are used in an average of 31% of the cases to access local news and other information. This has a negative impact on companies' business models. The news is continuing to increase in distribution. Over half (28 percent) of all nations prefer to read news via apps or websites. Those aged 18-24 (so-called Generation Z) have an even weaker connection with apps and websites. They are nearly twice as likely to prefer to access news via social media. News consumption on Instagram has nearly doubled across all age groups in the past year and is set to surpass Twitter in the coming year.
Publishers have been working to connect directly via mobile alerts and emails to combat the move to different platforms. One in five Americans (21 percent) check their news emails each week. About half of those who do this utilize it as their primary means of getting news. Northern European countries have been slower to adopt email news channels with just 10% of the population using news via email in Finland. While podcasts have experienced an impressive increase in their popularity over the past year - coronavirus locks may have temporarily reversed the trend. Across countries fifty percent of those who surveyed (50%) say that podcasts provide more understanding and depth than other types of media. Additionally, Spotify has become the number one destination for podcasts in many markets, outdoing Apple's Podcast app.
Seven out of ten (69%) think that climate change is as a major issue. But, in both the United States and Australia, a substantial minority do not agree. This group tends be right-winger as well as older. These groups are more youthful and have access to a lot of climate change news through social media and by following activists, like Greta Thunberg. Amazon Echo and Google Home are two examples of smart devices that continue to gain popularity. The UK has seen an increase in use of smart speakers that can be used for any purpose, with 14% to 19 percent, 7% to 12% in Germany and 9% to 12% in South Korea. Despite these increases however, the use of news is lower in all markets.