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The Digital News Report by RISJ (Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism) is the most comprehensive annual report on news consumption worldwide. This year’s report reveals new insights based on a YouGov survey of over 93,000 online news consumers in 46 markets, covering half of the world’s population.
The report provides evidence that news audiences are becoming more dependent on digital and social platforms, putting further pressure on both ad-based and subscription business models of news organisations at a time when both household and company spending is being squeezed.
Both interest and trust in news continue to fall in many countries as the connection between journalism and much of the public continues to fray. There is evidence that audiences continue to selectively avoid important stories such as the war in Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis as they cut back on depressing news and look to protect their mental health.
Here are 7 global insights for publishers:
1. On trust in news
Trust in the news has fallen across markets by a further 2 percentage points in the last year, reversing in many countries the gains made at the height of the Coronavirus pandemic.
On average, four in ten of the total sample (40%) say they trust most news most of the time. Finland remains the country with the highest levels of overall trust (69%), while Greece (19%) has the lowest. The United States (32%) has seen a 6-point increase in trust in news as politics has become a bit less divisive under the current presidency, but trust remains amongst the lowest in the survey.
Public media brands remain among those with the highest levels of trust in many Northern European countries, but reach has been declining with younger audiences.
2. On algorithms for news
Much of the public is sceptical of the algorithms used to select what they see via search engines, social media, and other platforms. Less than a third (30%) say that having stories selected for them on the basis of previous consumption is a good way to get news, 6 points lower than when last asked the same question in 2016.
Despite this, on average, users still slightly prefer news selected this way to that chosen by editors or journalists (27%), suggesting that worries about algorithms are part of a wider concern about news and how it is selected.
3. On misinformation and disinformation
Well over half (56%) say they worry about identifying the difference between what is real and fake on the internet when it comes to news – up 2 percentage points on last year.
Those who say they mainly use social media as a source of news are much more worried (64%) than people who don’t use it at all (50%) while many countries with the highest levels of concern also tend to have high levels of social media news use.
4. On participation in news
Despite hopes that the internet could widen democratic debate, fewer people are participating in online news than in the recent past. Across markets, only around a fifth (22%) post and comment on the news online, with around half (47%) not participating in news at all.
In the UK, Spain and the United States, the proportion of active participants has fallen by more than 10 points since 2016. Across countries, this group tends to be male, better educated, and more partisan in their political views.
5. On news avoidance
The report finds declining interest in news in a large number of countries – particularly with younger and hard-to-reach groups – and high levels of selective news avoidance, with the headline rate at 36%, seven percentage points above the figure in 2017 but two points lower than last year.
Many say that news stories are too repetitive or too ‘emotionally draining’.
6. On news podcasts
News podcasting continues to resonate with educated and younger audiences, but remains a minority activity overall. Around a third (34%) access a podcast monthly, based on a group of 20 countries, but only 12% access a show on news and current affairs.
The research finds that deep-dive podcasts inspired by the New York Times’ The Daily and extended chat shows are the most widely consumed across markets. Video-led or hybrid news podcasts are also growing in popularity.
7. On news business
The economic downturn is putting pressure on news business models. The growth in payment for online news has stalled in many markets, with more than a third of subscribers (39%) saying they have cancelled or renegotiated their news subscriptions.
The average proportion making any online news payment across more than 20 countries has remained at 17% for the second year in a row.
The war in Ukraine and the consequent economic shocks have encouraged publishers to further accelerate their transition to digital, embracing new business models, different types of storytelling, and new forms of distribution too.
There will be many different paths but innovation, flexibility, and a relentless audience focus will be some of the key ingredients for success.
Nic Newman, Senior Research Associate, Reuters Institute
For more details, here's the launch of the Digital News Report, with a summary of key findings and discussion with a panel of news leaders:
- Short intros by Alessandra Galloni, Editor-in-Chief of Reuters, and Nick Glicher, COO of the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
- Introduction by Rasmus Nielsen, Director, Reuters Institute
- Summary of key findings by Nic Newman, Digital News Report Lead Author and Senior Research Associate, Reuters Institute
The full report is available here:
Reuters Institute Digital News Report
