The coronavirus crisis has substantially raised the level of news consumption in mainstream media in all of the countries where we conducted surveys prior to and after the outbreak began to take into effect. There's been a substantial increase in television news and news on the internet. A greater number of people are now identifying the television channel as their primary source for news. It is a brief relief from the pattern of declining news consumption. The decline in printed newspapers is almost certain to accelerate the shift to all-digital news. Although the number of people using social media and online platforms has significantly increased in most countries but lockdowns have had a negative impact on the use of these platforms. WhatsApp had the highest growth, with an increase of around ten percent in some nations. Over half (51 percent) of respondents used some type of open or closed group online to communicate, share information or join an in-person support system.
Media coverage of COVID-19 was high in all countries in April 2020. It was comparable to that of national governments, and significantly higher than the level of individual politicians. In the case of COVID-19 data, trust among media was two times as high on social networks, messaging services, and video platforms than the media. Global concerns over false information are high, according to our January-based dataset. Concerns about misinformation in the world remain in the high tens of thousands even before the coronavirus crisis. Over half of our worldwide sample said they are concerned about the information is being circulating online regarding news. Although politicians in the United States are the primary source of misinformation, those who identify themselves as right-wing in specific nations (including the United States) are more likely than others to blame the media. Although Facebook is widely considered to be the most reliable channel for spreading false news nearly everywhere, WhatsApp is more responsible in the Global South such as Brazil and Malaysia.
In our survey conducted in January across all countries less than four percent of 10 (38 percent) stated that they trust most news at least a majority of the time . This is down four percentage points over the year. Less than half (46%) said they are confident in the news they consume themselves. The rising 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. Our research found that 60% of respondents prefer news with no specific view, and only 28% prefer sharing news or strengthening their beliefs. Although partisan views may have risen slightly in the United States since 2013, but the survey still indicates that the majority of Americans would prefer information that is impartial.
In the midst of adjusting the media to new styles of political communications, the majority people (52 percent) would prefer that they be more prominently reporting false statements made by politicians, rather than not highlighting them (29%). People are less comfortable with advertisements for politics on social media or search engines than they are with political ads on television, and majority of them (58%) prefer that platforms remove ads that may contain inaccurate claims - even if it means that they ultimately have to decide on what's true. The United States has seen significant increases in online news payments in recent years, including a 42% increase in Norway (+8) and a 20% rise in the United States (+4). Other markets have seen lesser increases. It is crucial to remember that across all countries most people do not pay for online news even though certain publishers have reported a 'coronavirus bump'.
In the end, the most important factor for those who subscribe is the quality and uniqueness of the information. Subscribers think they get more information. However, a lot of people are content with the information they receive at no cost. We see a huge proportion of non-subscribers (40% USA, 50% UK) who believe no one can convince them to subscribe. The countries with more payment rates (e.g. Norway as well as the USA, where a greater proportion of subscriptions are paid to big national brands, it's about a third and half, respectively. In both countries, a large percentage of subscribers are adding more than one subscription to their existing subscriptions. For radio Sebes Romanian commercial radio station. Its format that is composed of 60% news from different areas and 40% music. The current range of programming, the main elements that draw the attention of the audience who are over 30 are covered: news programming from the county, special programs and talk shows. People who are interested in news, contests , and interviews However, they also are attracted to cultural shows as well as debates, entertainment and music.
In many countries local newspapers and websites remain the most reliable source of news on the region or town in question with a readership of four out of ten (44 percent) each week. However, we have found that Facebook and other social media groups are currently used by nearly one-third (31 percent) for local information and news, which puts additional pressure on businesses and their business models. The access to news is becoming more common. Just 28 percent of people in all countries prefer to begin their journeys to read news on a website or an app. Generation Z, those between 18 and 24, prefer to access news on Twitter and Facebook. Instagram has seen an increase in news-sharing across all age groups. It is expected that Instagram will surpass Twitter within the next 12 months.
To combat the growing trend of various platforms, publishers are trying to connect directly with users via mobile or email alerts. One-in-five Americans (21%) go through their news email weekly. About half of those who do so make use of it as their primary way to access information. Northern European countries were slower to adopt news email channels. Finland has only 10% who use email news. However, podcasts have seen a significant increase in popularity in the last year, coronavirus locks might have temporarily reversed the trend. All 50 countries, half the people who took part (50 percent) said that podcasts provide more depth and comprehension of information in comparison to other media. Spotify is now the leading podcast destination in many countries, outdoing Apple's podcast application.
A majority of people (69 percent) think that climate change is a significant problem. However, a tiny percentage of people in Australia, Sweden and the United States disagree with this view. The majority of this group is more conservative and older. The younger groups can access many climate change news through social media and by following activists like Greta Thunberg. Amazon Echo and Google Home are two examples of voice-activated smart devices that are continuing to gain popularity. In the UK, usage for all purposes has increased from 14%-19% to 19 percent, Germany from 7%-12% and South Korea from 9%-13%. However, news usage remains at a low level across all markets.