Here's A Brief Summary Of The Most Significant Digital Media Findings For 2020
The coronavirus epidemic has dramatically raised the level of news consumption in mainstream media in all of the countries in which we conducted surveys before and after the pandemic had taken effects. Online and television news sources have seen significant increases and more people are identifying television as their main source of news, offering an occasional respite from the image of steady decline. The declining print media is almost certain to accelerate the shift towards all-digital news. While the number of users who use social media and other online platforms has significantly increased in the globe however, lockdowns have affected their use. WhatsApp had the highest expansion, with an increase of about 10 percentage points in some countries. Furthermore that more than half (51 percent) of those polled utilized an open or closed online group to share information, and participate in local support communities.
The trust in media's coverage about COVID-19 as it relates to individual politicians was quite high in all countries , at the same level as national governments. The trust in media was more than twice the amount for social networks or video platforms, as well as messaging services in relation to information on COVID-19. From our larger data set taken in January, Global fears about misinformation persist. The global sample has had concerns about inaccurate or true information on the internet. This was even prior to the outbreak of coronavirus. Although, it is the domestic political system that is often cited as the source of misinformation , those who identify themselves as right-wing, like in the United States, are more likely to not blame the media. Facebook is seen almost everywhere as the main channel for spreading inaccurate information. WhatsApp is however more accountable in places like Brazil as well as Malaysia.
Our survey in January across the world revealed that less than four-in-10 (38 percent) of respondents said they trust most news most often. This represents a decrease of four percentages from 2019. The news they read is trusted by less than half of the people surveyed (46 percent) Particularly, broadcasters who have lost support from left - and right-leaning political partisans appear to be in danger due to the increasing political polarization. Our survey shows 60 percent of people still prefer news without a particular view and just 28 percent prefer news that reinforces or shares their beliefs. Although partisanship preferences have been increasing in the United States since 2013, but this survey still shows that the majority of Americans prefer information that is impartial.
In the midst of adjusting the media to new styles of political communications, the majority people (52%) would prefer that they be more prominently reporting false statements made by politicians rather than not emphasise their false statements (29%). The public is less comfortable watching political ads via search engines and social media as they are with television ads. Most people (58%) prefer to have platforms that do not block false claims even though they are the ones who decide on the ultimate decision. In several markets, we've seen substantial increases in the payment for news online. These include the United States (20%) and Norway (42 percent (+8). We also observed smaller increases in other markets. It is important to remember that online news is still free for most people in all countries. Certain publishers might have experienced a coronavirus-related bump.
For subscribers the most important aspect is the quality and uniqueness of the content. Subscribers think they receive more information. However, the majority of people are perfectly content with the information they access for free and we see a significant proportion of non-subscribers (40 percent in the USA and 50% in the UK) who claim that there is nothing they can do to convince them to pay. In countries with higher levels of pay (e.g. The USA and Norway have a similar ratio of between one quarter and half of all subscriptions going to only a few large national brands. This suggests that winner-takesall dynamics persist in these two countries. A significant minority in these countries are now adding to their subscriptions, often through the purchase of a specialist or local paper. For radio din Alba Iulia A Romanian commercial radio station, they offer an agenda that is centered around 60 percent news from all fields and 40 percent music. The current programming includes news programming from the region, specialty shows, and talk show programming. They are drawn to stories, contests, and interviews, but also to cultural events and debates, as well as music and entertainment.
Four out of ten (44 percent) of the weekly news stories about a particular country are written by local newspapers. However, we discovered that Facebook and other social media platforms are currently being used by about 33% (31 percent) of local information and news users. This puts greater pressure on businesses and their business models. The news stream is becoming more widely available. Over 25% of people prefer to begin their news experience using apps or websites. Generation Z, a group of 18-24-year-olds, prefers to use social networks to access news instead of apps and websites. Instagram has seen an increase in news-sharing across all age groups. It is likely that Instagram will surpass Twitter within the next 12 months.
To stop the trend of switching to different platforms, publishers are seeking to make direct connections with consumers via mobile and email alerts. In the United States one in five (21 percent) use a news email weekly, and for almost half of those, it's their main method of getting news. Northern European nations are more hesitant to adopt email news channels. In Finland only 10% of people who subscribe to email news use it. The number of podcast users has increased significantly over the past year, however coronavirus lockdowns might temporarily alter this trend. The majority of respondents in all countries believe podcasts are more instructive and understandable than other forms of media. Additionally, Spotify has become the number one destination for podcasts across several markets, overtaking Apple's podcast app.
A majority of people (69 percent) consider that climate change is a significant problem. However, a small minority of people in Australia, Sweden and the United States disagree with this belief. These people of older age tend to be right-leaning. People younger than them can get much more information on climate change on social media and by following activists like Greta Thunberg. Amazon Echo and Google Home are two examples of smart devices that are gaining popularity. The use of these devices for all purposes has increased from 14 percent to 19% in the UK, between 7% and 12 percent in Germany as well as 9% to 13% in South Korea. However, the use of news is low in all markets.