In all countries where surveys were conducted, the coronavirus outbreak has drastically increased the number of people who read news in major media. Online and television news sources have both experienced significant growth. People now consider television as their primary source of information and this is a temporary relief from a trend of declining news consumption. The consumption of printed newspapers is down as lockdowns weaken physical distribution, almost certainly increasing the transition to an all-digital future. In many countries, however, online and social media use has increased significantly. WhatsApp experienced the greatest growth in the last year, with an increase of around ten percent in certain nations. Over half (51 percent) of the people surveyed utilized any type of open or closed group online to connect, share information or take part in an in-person support system.
In all nations, trust in the media's coverage on COVID-19 was fairly high at the time of April 2020. This is in line with the levels of national governments but significantly more than the individual politicians. Concerning COVID-19 data and trust, the trust of the media was more than double that of video and social media platforms and messaging services. Concerns about misinformation in the world remain high , according to our data from January. Our global sample already had concerns about inaccurate or authentic information being available online. Even prior to the coronavirus outbreak. The most prominent politicians in the United States are often cited as the source of misinformation , those who consider themselves right-wing, like in the United States, are more likely to blame the media. Facebook is seen almost everywhere as the primary source to spread incorrect information. WhatsApp is however more responsible in countries like Brazil and Malaysia.
We discovered that less than four in ten people believe that news is more reliable than they do in our January survey across the globe. This is an increase of 4 percentage points from the previous year. Less than half (46%) said they trust the news they use for themselves. Political polarisation linked to rising uncertainty has undermined trust in public broadcasters in particular, which have lost the support of political partisans from both sides of the left. Our survey shows that 60 percent of people still prefer news that is neutral in their opinions, and only 28 percent prefer news that bolsters or supports their views. Although partisan preferences have slightly increased in the United States since 2013 however, the majority of Americans still prefer news that is neutral or objective.
News media are more likely to publish false claims from politicians as they adjust to new communication styles (52 percent) People are less comfortable viewing political advertisements on social media or search engines as they are with television ads. Most people (58%) prefer to have platforms that do not block false claims, even though it means they have the power to decide on the ultimate decision. We have seen significant rises in online journalism's payment rates in many countries, including the United States (+14) and Norway (42 percent + 8). However there has seen a less significant increase in various markets. It's crucial to remember that most people do not pay for online news across all countries even though some publishers have reported an increase in their payments.
Overall, the most important element for subscribers is the quality and uniqueness of the content. Subscribers feel they get superior information. The majority of subscribers are pleased with the content they receive for no cost. But, we do have a substantial amount of non-subscribers (40 percent USA and 50 percent UK) who believe that the cost of paying for subscriptions is prohibitive. The countries with greater rates of paying (e.g. Norway and the USA where a larger portion of subscriptions are with large national brands, between a third and a half. However, in these two countries, a substantial minority now subscribe to more than one publication , and often include a specialist or local publication. For radio Unirea FM 107,2 MHz Romanian commercial radio station. The format is 60 percent news and 40% music. The current program lineup is focused on news from the county, special shows, and talk shows. They are attracted by news, contests and interviews However, they also are drawn to shows that focus on culture as well as debates, entertainment and music.
Many countries are the most reliable source of information about a specific area or city. In actual fact 4 out of 10 (44 percent) of all weekly visits are made by local newspapers. Facebook as well as other social media networks are being used in an average of 31% of the cases to access local news and information. This puts pressure on businesses' business models. The access to news continues its expansion. Nearly half (28%) of the world's population prefer to read news via an app or site. Generation Z, a group of young adults aged 18-24, prefers access news via social networks over apps and websites. Over all age groups, the users of Instagram for news has doubled since the beginning of 2018 and is likely to surpass Twitter within the next year.
To stop the proliferation of various platforms, publishers have attempted to communicate directly with their customers via email alerts and mobile devices. An astounding 21 percent of American adults access a news-email weekly. For almost half of them it's the main way to access information. Northern European countries have been slower to embrace news channels via email and only 10% of people using news via email in Finland. The number of users of podcasts has risen significantly in the past year, however coronavirus lockdowns might temporarily alter this trend. A majority of those polled across all countries (50 percent) think that podcasts provide greater depth and comprehension than other forms of media. Additionally, Spotify has become the number one source for podcasts in a number of countries, surpassing Apple's podcast app.
Overall, almost seven in 10 (69%) believe that climate change is a serious problem, but in the United States, Sweden, and Australia an overwhelming majority of people do not agree with this. The majority of this group is right-wingers and older. The younger groups can get a lot of their climate news via social media and also by following activists like Greta Thunberg. Amazon Echo, Google Home and voice-activated smart devices continue to gain popularity. The use of these devices for all purposes has been increasing by 14 percent to 19% (UK), 7% to 12 percent in Germany as well as 9 to 13% in South Korea. Despite all this, we still find that news is utilized in very low numbers in all markets.