A Synopsis Of Significant Digital Media Findings In 2020
The coronavirus outbreak has dramatically increased news consumption of major media outlets in all countries in which we conducted studies prior to and following the outbreak. Online and television news sources have also witnessed significant increases. The majority of people now consider television as their primary source of information, which is temporarily a relief from a trend of decreasing news consumption. Since physical distribution is hindered by lockdowns and restrictions, the usage of printed newspapers has decreased. This is bound to accelerate the transition to a digital future. In many countries, however, online and social media use has significantly increased. WhatsApp had the highest growth in all areas, with an increase by 10% in certain countries. Over half of those polled (51%) utilized an open or close online group to connect and share information or take part in local support groups.
In all countries, the trust level in the media's coverage on COVID-19 was generally high as of April of 2020. This is comparable to the trust levels of national government officials however, it is significantly more than individual politicians. The amount of trust that was placed on the media's coverage of COVID-19 was twice that of messaging services as well as social media and video platforms. The global concern about misinformation remains high as per the vaster dataset we gathered in January. Over half of the global sample was concerned about the online news prior to the coronavirus epidemics. The US political system is the most frequently cited source for inaccurate information, although in certain nations - like the United States - people who identify as right-wing tend to blame the media - part of a pick-your-side
Facebook is seen as the main platform for disseminating false information everywhere, however WhatsApp is believed to be more responsible in parts of the Global South such as Brazil as well as Malaysia.
In our poll conducted in January across the globe less than four out of ten (38%) stated that they trust most news at least a majority of the time . This is an increase of four percentage points from the previous year. Only 46 percent of those polled believed they trusted the information they receive. The growing tensions and political divisions have led to a decline in trust in broadcasters that are public and are being targeted from the right and left. Despite this, our survey finds that the majority (60%) are still averse to information that is not influenced by a specific viewpoint and that only a small minority (28 percent) would prefer news that reflects or reinforces their views. Although partisan preferences have slightly grown in America since 2013 however, the majority of Americans still prefer news that is objective or neutral.
Most people (52%) would prefer the news media to highlight false statements made by politicians (29 29.9%), as they adjust to the changing ways of communicating. People are less comfortable with advertisements on social media and search engines as they were with TV advertisements for politics. A majority (58 percent) prefer that social media platforms stop ads that make false claims. Online news has seen an increase in payments in a number of countries such as the United States at 20% (+4) and Norway at 42% (+8). There are minor increase in the other markets. It is important to remember that online news is available for free to most people in all countries. Certain publishers might have been notified of a 'coronavirus' bump.
The quality and uniqueness of the content is what subscribers consider the most important. Subscribers believe that they receive better quality information. However, most are happy with the information they have access to obtain for free. Also, we observe an extremely high percentage of non-subscribers (40 percent in the US and 50 percent in the UK) and claim that they cannot convince their to pay. The countries that have more payment rates (e.g. the USA and Norway) approximately a third and half of all subscriptions go to a handful of major national brands, suggesting that winner-takes-most dynamics are persisting. A significant portion of those countries are currently adding their subscriptions, often by buying a specialty or local paper. For Unirea FM Romanian radio station. Their structure is 60 percent news from various fields, and 40% music. The current program range includes news programs from the region, specialty programs, as well as talk show programming. They enjoy news, contests, interviews, but also cultural programs, debates, music, and entertainment.
Four in 10 (44 percent) of the weekly news reports on a specific country are published by local newspapers. Our study shows that Facebook, and other social media platforms, are now used on an average of about 25% (31%) in order to deliver local news and other information. This puts additional pressure on businesses and their business model. Access to news is getting more widespread. Over half (28%) of the world's population prefer news through apps or websites. Generation Z (those between 18-24) prefer social media over websites and apps. They have a lower relationship to websites and apps and are two times more likely to prefer accessing news through these platforms. Over all age groups, the usage of Instagram for news has increased by a third since 2018 and looks likely to take over Twitter over the next year.
To counter the trend to multi-platform publishing, publishers are seeking for direct connections with users via mobile or email alerts. The staggering figure of 21 percent Americans use news-related email every week. For more than half of them, it is the primary method of accessing information. Northern European countries were slower to adopt news-related email services. Finland has only 10 percent who utilize news via email. The number of people using podcasts has risen significantly in the past year, even though coronavirus lockdowns may have temporarily reversed this trend. A majority of those polled across all countries (50%) believe that podcasts offer greater depth and comprehension than other media. Spotify is now the top podcast platform in several markets, surpassing Apple's podcast app.
The majority (69%) of respondents consider climate change to be significant issue. However, there are significant variations in the opinions of Australia, Sweden, the United States, and Australia. This group is typically more conservative and older. These groups that are younger can access more of their climate-related information through social media, and also by following activists such as Greta Thunberg. Voice-activated smart speakers like the Amazon Echo and Google Home continue to grow rapidly. Use for any purpose has increased from 14% - 19% in the UK to 7% - 12% in Germany and 9% to 13% in South Korea. However, the use of news is low across all markets.