A Synopsis Of Significant Digital Media Findings In 2020

A Synopsis Of Significant Digital Media Findings In 2020


The coronavirus crisis has substantially increased news consumption for the mainstream media in all the countries in which we conducted our surveys prior to and after the virus began to take effects. Both television news and online sources have experienced substantial increases. Television has emerged as the primary source of news for many, offering temporary relief from the ongoing decline. The declining print media is expected to accelerate the shift towards all-digital news. While the number of users using social media and online platforms has significantly increased in most countries but lockdowns have had a negative impact on their consumption. WhatsApp has seen the greatest expansion, with an increase of around ten percentage points in certain countries. Additionally that more than half (51 percent) of those polled used some form of an open or closed online group to communicate, share information and take part in local support communities.

Trust in media coverage of COVID-19 was very high across all countries in April of 2020. It was comparable to that of national governments, and significantly higher than the level of individuals politicians. The trust level in the media's coverage of COVID-19 was twice that of messaging services, social networks and video platforms. Our global concerns about the spread of false information remain very high, as we can see from our larger January dataset. Our global sample already expressed concerns about false or authentic information being available on the internet. It was prior to the coronavirus outbreak. The most prominent politicians in the United States are frequently cited as the source of misinformation , those who identify themselves as right-wing, like in the United States, are more likely to blame the media. Facebook is seen almost everywhere as the main channel to spread incorrect information. WhatsApp is however more accountable in places like Brazil as well as Malaysia.

We found that less then four-in-ten people believe that news is more reliable than they do in our survey of January around the globe. This represents an increase of four percentage points over the year before. More than half (46%) reported that they are confident in the news they use themselves. Political polarisation linked to rising uncertainties has eroded confidence in broadcasters that are public especially, which are losing supporters from political partisans on both sides of the left. Our study found that 60% of respondents are interested in news without a specific viewpoint, and that only 28% prefer sharing news or strengthening their beliefs. While partisanship preferences in the United States have slightly increased since 2013, our survey shows that a majority of Americans still prefer news that is neutral or that shares their opinions.

52 percent of respondents prefer news media to review false statements that politicians make (29 29.9%) than ignore these claims. People are more uncomfortable with ads on social media or search engines than they were with advertisements for politics. A majority (58 percent) would prefer that the platforms stop ads that make false claims. Online news has led to an increase in the amount of money paid in a number of countries, including the United States at 20% (+4) and Norway at 42 percent (+8). However, there have been minor increases in other markets. It is crucial to remember that across all nations, the majority of people aren't paying for news online, even if some publishers have since been able to report a "coronavirus spike".

Signing up to newsletters is an indication of trust. The most important thing is the authenticity and quality of the content. Subscribers feel they get higher quality information. But, many are content with the news that they can access at no cost. We also observe a high percentage of non-subscribers (45% in the USA and 50% here in the UK) who claim that they are not able to convince to pay. In countries with higher levels of payment (e.g. the USA and Norway) about a third and half of all subscriptions go to a handful of major national brands - suggesting that the winner-takes-all-the-time dynamic is still in place. In these two countries, a substantial percentage of subscribers now have multiple publications and typically add a specialist or local publication. For radio Alba Iulia a Romanian commercial radio station, they use an agenda that is centered around 60 percent news from all areas and 40% music. They offer a range of programmes that cater to their audience. These people are interested in news, contests , and interviews, but they are also attracted to cultural shows, debates, entertainment, music.

The primary source for news and information about a country is the local newspaper and its websites. This is about four-in-ten (44 percent). But we find that Facebook and other social media sites are being used by nearly 33% (31%) for local information and news, placing additional pressure on businesses and their business models. The access to news is becoming more popular. Over 25% of people prefer beginning their news journeys using apps or websites. People aged 18-24 (so-called Generation Z) have an even weaker connection with apps and websites, and are more than twice as likely to read news on social media. Instagram news usage has increased by more than 50% across all age groups, and is expected to outdo Twitter within the next few years.

Publishers have been working to establish direct connections through mobile alerts and emails in order to stop the trend of moving to other platforms. The United States sees nearly one fifth of all Americans reading news emails weekly (21 percent) and nearly 50% of people use it as their primary source of news. Northern European nations are slower to adopt email news channels. In Finland only 10% of those who subscribe to email news use it. While podcast use has increased in the past year, lockdowns due to coronavirus may have temporarily stopped this trend. Over 50 percent of the respondents in all countries believe podcasts are more instructive and understandable than other media. Spotify has taken over Apple Podcasts to become the most popular podcast application across a wide range of markets.

The majority (69 percent) of people surveyed believe that climate change is a serious problem. But there are significant variations in the opinions of Australia, Sweden, the United States, and Australia. They tend to be conservative and older. Younger groups can access much of their climate news via 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. The UK has witnessed an increase in the use of smart speakers for all purposes with 14% to 19 percent, 7%- 12% in Germany and 9 to 12 percent in South Korea. Despite this, we find that news consumption remains minimal in all markets.