Reuters Institute Research Articles

Digital News Audiences in Mexico: Age Segment Analysis

This study aims to determine whether news consumption, media trust, interest in news, and political affinity are correlated with the generational segment of the market, measured by the age of the digital audience. Furthermore, this study seeks to verify whether age is associated with digital audiences’ paying attention to journalists or news brands. This research is based on a survey of 2,005 people in Mexico by YouGov in 2022, commissioned by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford as part of its annual Digital News Report. The statistical method used was the chi-square test of independence between qualitative variables. The results showed that age correlates with consumption habits, media trust, interest in news, and citizens’ political affinity for digital audiences in Mexico. Moreover, age relates to whether digital audiences focus on journalists or news brands in Latin America. This study delves into the characteristics of digital audiences in Mexico and contributes from a media economics, media management, and media marketing perspective. It also helps media organizations assess their market strategy, market segmentation, and target markets based on the characteristics of digital news audiences in Mexico.

REVIEW: A grim year ahead, but some cause for optimism

Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions 2024, by Nic Newman. Oxford: Reuters Institute. 2024. 46 pages. DOI: 10.60625/risj-0s9w-z770 EVERY day more and more online content is disappearing behind paywalls as publishers try to protect their dwindling revenues. Whether readers confronted by paywalls will bother to subscribe or simply seek the information elsewhere—or just give up and look at another Beyonce listicle—is one of the scenarios prompted by the appearance of the latest set of predictions about the future from the Reuters Institute.

Understanding of News Consumption Behavior among Millennials and Gen-X: A Comparative Study

In India, communication technology has brought huge changes in information consumption behaviour. In the country, people especially the young generation spend more time online for different purposes. According to 2021 data in India, around 840 million people use the internet, in which 448 million people use various social media and, according to the 10th edition of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism's Digital News Report 2021, 82 present of Indians read the news online. Though, traditional media such as Radio, Newspapers, and Television also maintain their consistency in reaching people and providing various information to society. This scenario is rising the question that “does generational cohort influence on informationconsuming behaviour?, and if so, what types of information Millennials and Gen-X (Generation-X) would like to access or consume? In this frame, the study has comparatively analyzed the behaviour of Millennials and Gen-X in consuming various developmentrelated content that has been disseminated by both traditional and new media. Also, the study examined the development-related information coverage satisfaction level by media. For the study, 200 Millennials and Gen-X respondents were selected from the rural and urban area. Various statistical technics have been used to analysis the data with help of SPSS software.

From Niche Narrative to Audio Blockbusters

From Niche Narrative to Audio Blockbusters

Classification of Mexican audiences by their interest in digital news content and socioeconomic characteristics

The news industry faces challenges due to the global macro and microeconomic environment. The current digital situation leads to the study of the characteristics of the audience interested in news content products. The central aim of this research is to classify the main attribute interest in digital news content in Mexico of the audience’s market by the attributes of age group, education level, and income level. This research is based on a survey of 2,005 digital news consumers in Mexico, directed in 2022 by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford for the annual Digital News Report Study. The statistical method used is data mining with decision trees that classify the audience by the attribute of interest in the news as the dependent variable and attributes of age groups, education level, and income level as independent variables. These findings confirm the segmentation of digital news consumers’ audiences. The classification in which the attributes of age groups, level of education, and income level are considered simultaneously concerning audiences’ interests indicates that some of the predictions made show that some attributes may not be significant in some subsets, except for age group. The lowest average interest in the news is between 18 and 24 years, and the highest average interest in the news, which is nearly very interested, has audiences over 35 years.

Distrust Profiles: Identifying the Factors That Shape Journalism’s Credibility Crisis

<span id="docs-internal-guid-c76c70fc-7fff-57e7-76ea-4562d4897bc3">Trust in news is declining globally and has been for some time a phenomenon that has been amplified in the context of a global pandemic, the rise in anti-media populism, and social and political unrest. Overall, public trust in journalism remains low (44% globally), according to the <em>Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2021</em>. Building on a growing body of research on predictors of (dis)trust among news audiences, this study examines survey data from the <em>Reuters Institute Digital News Report</em> <em>2021 </em>to explore distrust profiles—comparative profiles of users based on their relative distrust in news in general, news they consume, and news accessed through digital intermediaries like social and search—across distinct news environments: India, South Korea, and the US. We conclude that, across all three countries, there are large segments who either trust everything or distrust everything, suggesting a trust polarization phenomenon. Moreover, the results identify segments of swing trusters, users who trust some news and distrust other types but do not indicate a blanket tendency to trust or distrust everything. Normative expectations about the institution of journalism (i.e., folk theories) seem to be the most powerful factors in explaining the relative likelihood of membership in all profiles, where expectations regarding impartiality, concern about fake news, and fair coverage were important indicators of (dis)trust, with varying degrees depending on the media, political, and technological contexts in which they are situated. These findings suggest that to regain trust, journalists should consider how they can change people’s folk theories when it comes to news by comprehensively taking into account the unique trajectory of a given country’s media system.</span>

Traditional media versus new media: Between trust and use

The article explores if and to what extent traditional media, namely TV, radio and the printed press, are still more popular than new media when it comes to news consumption within the EU. It also looks at the level of trust in different news sources across EU member states. The article is based on the results of a pertinent Eurobarometer survey and a Reuters Institute study. According to these sources, television is one of the forms of media most used to access news, followed by online news platforms and radio. Trust in the mainstream broadcast and print media is also higher than in online news platforms and social media channels. The findings seek to feed both the public discussion and academic dialogue on media consumption and trust, and convey some compelling empirical data and analysis.

A STUDY OF NEWS CONSUMPTION PATTERNS AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS

India will have 1 billion smart phone users by 2026, according to a recent Deloitte report Big bets (2022). As for news consumption, a June 2022 article in Mint says that around 72% on Indians access news through smartphones, and only 35% via computers. News aggregator platforms and apps such as Google News (53%), Daily Hunt (25%), In Shorts (19%), and News Point (17%) are also gaining currency Jha (2022). Even though the use of mobile phones is increasing, a 2022 study conducted by the Reuters Institute in 46 markets says that the trust in news is falling, especially with the younger age group. Youth Avoiding News, Says Reuters Study. (2022). The report says, “These groups are critical audiences for publishers and journalists around the world, and for the sustainability of news, but are increasingly hard to reach and may require different strategies to engage them.” This study also marks the difference in the consumption pattern between social natives (18 to 24) and digital natives (25 to 34). While digital natives still stick on to Facebook, social natives have moved to other new networks. Many news organizations are struggling to remain relevant to this group of youth. Using the quantitative survey methodology, this study aims to track news consumption patterns among youth.

Examining Assumptions Around How News Avoidance Gets Defined: The Importance of Overall News Consumption, Intention, and Structural Inequalities

ABSTRACT News avoidance research has been hampered by confusion about how to define and operationalize the concept. Here we intervene in two ongoing debates: first, what is the relationship between selective news avoidance—that is, when people say they sometimes or often avoid news—and overall rates of news consumption? Second, how well do terms intended to distinguish between types of news avoidance based on underlying motivations, such as “intentional” vs. “unintentional” or “news non-use,” capture the lived experiences of people who consistently consume little news? We examine these questions using the Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report survey data from 46 media markets, as well as interviews with 108 people who consume little-to-no news in the UK, US, and Spain. Survey results show that most people who selectively avoid news consume almost as much news as those who do not, while interviews show that distinguishing types of news avoiders based solely on stated motivations poorly captures how media habits develop through a mix of deliberate choices and socially constructed preferences. We conclude that categorizing news avoiders based on motivations risks misunderstanding the kind of news avoidance that matters most from a normative standpoint: that which is linked with low news consumption.

Shifting digital media ecologies and how copyright law should adjust and adapt to journalism

Digital Age misappropriation and plagiarism of published online news content by some South African media proprietors are negatively affecting professionalism and integrity in journalism. Such infringements invariably lead to great tension, harmful competition patterns and dwindling revenues. Frequently, digital news misappropriation creates factual distortions, impairing the democratic functions of journalism and healthy national discourse motivated by legitimate public interest considerations. A 2019 Reuters Institute Digital News Report revealed that, globally, South Africans spend the greatest number of hours browsing online, with 36% of the population enjoying sharing news content, while 40% enjoy commenting on news via social media or news websites. While the Digital Age has generated many forms of active players in journalism, this paper is limited to digital infringement conflicts and contestations between accountable and established media proprietors or competitors. This qualitative contribution proposes that media proprietors collectively seek an alternative dispute resolution approach to copyright infringements through a comprehensive ‘Media Arbitration Copyright Infringements Code’ with incorporated ‘Hot News Misappropriation Doctrine’ provisions to regulate the conduct of the media and to address proliferating digital infringements. The Media Code should also guide the proposed ‘Media Copyright Tribunal’ operating within a commercial arbitration framework in dispute adjudication and resolution. This paper argues that the Media Code with the Misappropriation Doctrine is a more viable approach for addressing media copyright disputes because it largely protects facts contained in published news content. Furthermore, a Media Code that is drafted addressing media copyright digital infractions using the ethical benchmarks set by the ‘Press Code of Ethics and Conduct for South African Print and Online Media’ editorial guidelines interpreted through a flexible informal commercial arbitration framework that expedites dispute resolution is desirable. This paper is largely concerned with the court’s findings in Moneyweb (Pty) Limited v Media 4 Limited and Another, and the fact that it took about three years for the dispute to be resolved. Moreover, this paper argues that the current Copyright Act 98 of 1978 is less effective in dealing with the ethical quandary faced by journalism in the Digital Age.

Another Violent Protest? New Perspectives to Understand Protest Coverage

This study assesses the relationship between two well-established sets of frames to better understand the news coverage of massive political protests. By relying on Semetko and Valkenburg’s generic frames and McLeod and Hertog’s protest frames, this study aims to identify whether certain generic frames emphasized in news stories increase the tendency to delegitimize protest movements. To this end, we analyzed the news coverage of Chile’s Estallido Social, a series of massive political demonstrations that developed across the country from October to December 2019. Data for this study come from stories published by Radio Bío Bío, the most trusted news outlet in the country, according to Reuters Institute. By analyzing a sample of 417 stories, we found the coverage replicated patterns that usually delegitimize protest movements, as many of the stories focused on violent acts and depicted demonstrators as deviant from the status quo. We also found a direct relationship between generic frames and protest frames, in which the presence of the former determines that of the latter. Generic frames provide information about how the news media interpret and package the news, which in turn affects demonstration-related features that the news media pay attention to. As such, we argue that combining both generic and issue-specific frames is a helpful approach to understanding the complexities of protest news coverage.

Journalist-Twitterers as Political Influencers in Brazil: Narratives and Disputes Towards a New Intermediary Model

The ascendency of Jair Bolsonaro to the presidency of Brazil in 2018 put the role of traditional media companies and journalists under the spotlight. Bad news or opinions against his government have been officially treated as fake, inaccurate, or false information. In this context, data show a decrease in news trust and growing news consumption through platforms. According to the 2021 Reuters Institute report on news trust, only 21% of Brazilians trust the press as an institution, with 71% using social media platforms to be informed. As part of a broad and complex crisis of the traditional intermediary model, several journalists appeared in the Brazilian public sphere as influencers on social media platforms such as Twitter. Based on a qualitative perspective, this article aims to research the role of journalists as political influencers and their use of Twitter to express their voices. A sample of 10 journalists with more than 10,000 followers on Twitter, five working for traditional media and five from native digital media, were interviewed in depth. We realized that they use their digital capital in two political directions. On the one hand, as part of a digital strategy promoted by media outlets to gain attention and call the audience, journalists share their spots and comments on daily issues. On the other hand, in a polarized political context, journalists have found Twitter a means to express their voices in a context of increasing violence and restrictions on free expression among this collective.

The Watchdog Press in the Doghouse: A Comparative Study of Attitudes about Accountability Journalism, Trust in News, and News Avoidance

The watchdog role has been one of the most widely discussed normative functions of the press. In this study, we examine the public’s attitudes toward the news media’s watchdog performance and how they correlate with trust in news and news avoidance, two important phenomena for democracy and the health of the public sphere. We further examine how individual predispositions (e.g. political interest, ideology) and contextual variables (e.g. press freedom) moderate these relationships. Based on data from the 2019 Reuters Institute Digital News Report, and controlling for a range of factors, we find that across 38 countries, watchdog performance evaluations are positively associated with trust in news but that they are also positively associated with higher levels of news avoidance. Last, we find that evaluations of media in other functions like helping citizens understand the most important topics of the day and choosing relevant topics were more strongly associated to trust in news and lower news avoidance levels than watchdog performance evaluations.

Metrics of News Audience Polarization: Same or Different?

ABSTRACT Although media and communication scholars have suggested various analytical methods for measuring and comparing news audience polarization across countries, we lack a systematic assessment of the metrics produced by these techniques. Using survey data from the 2016 Reuters Institute Digital News Report on news use in 26 countries, we address this gap through a resampling simulation experiment. Our simulation revealed a strong impact of analytical choices, which invited disparate interpretations in terms of how polarized news audiences are, how strongly audience polarization structurally varies between news environments, and how news audience polarization is distributed cross-nationally. Alternative choices led to profound differences in the compatibility, consistency, and validity of the empirical news audience polarization estimates. We conclude from these results that a more precise methodological understanding of news audience polarization metrics informs our capability to draw meaningful inferences from empirical work.

No News is Not Good News: The Implications of News Fatigue and News Avoidance in a Pandemic World

In an era dominated by a constant flow of grim news, news fatigue is becoming more recognized as a serious concern, even a health risk. Around-the-clock reports on the pandemic can seem unavoidable, along with ongoing coverage of political upheaval, climate change, and other major global issues. For some, the weight of the world’s news becomes too much. A 2019 pre-pandemic survey of 12,000 American adults by the Pew Research Center found 66% admitting they were “worn out” by the sheer amount of news available to them. News fatigue can translate into a desire to consume less news in an effort to preserve and protect one’s mental health. A Pew Research Center survey in April 2020 determined 71% of adult Americans say they need to “take breaks from COVID-19 news” while 43% said the news “leaves them feeling worse emotionally”. The World Health Organization addressed the concerns about the impact of the news onslaught in the “Mental Health Tips” section of its website. The WHO offers this advice to the public: “Try to reduce how much you watch, read or listen to news that makes you feel anxious or distressed”. Growing numbers are heeding this advice and reducing their news consumption. Some are opting for no news whatsoever as a means of coping. In May 2020, the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University examined the “infodemically vulnerable” in Britain, those who chose to reduce consumption of COVID-19 related news. More than one-fifth of those surveyed said: “they often or always actively try to avoid the news,” with the majority citing the impact on their mood. While mental health concerns appear to be the primary reason behind the increase in avoidance, growing distrust in mainstream media is also cited. While not a new phenomenon, the skepticism surrounding journalism was exacerbated during the pandemic as anti-vaccination advocates and conspiracy theorists questioned the validity and accuracy of the COVID-19 facts shared by news organizations, even governments. In this analysis of research, interviews, news articles, and social media content, I will advance recommendations for journalism researchers seeking to understand these issues. I will also propose strategies for journalists and news organizations seeking to navigate the issues and find solutions to help their embattled profession survive and recover. Keywords: journalism, news avoidance, news fatigue, misinformation, trust

Соціально-медійна активність президента України у висвітленні російсько-української війни

The article presents the results of a study of the activity of the President of Ukraine V. Zelenskyy in social media and its effectiveness and significance for superiority over the enemy in the information and communication space. Various definitions of the concept of "social media" are analyzed, which allows us to highlight the quintessence of most of them: social media is a synergy of Internet tools and mass media. The opinion is substantiated that the latest digital information and communication tools (social networks, blogs, microblogs, digital platforms, etc.) have carried out a media revolution, changing the model of public communication from vertical to horizontal and turning the average citizen from a passive consumer of information into an active communicator and creator of information content. The communication practice of the President of Ukraine is studied, first of all, in such social media as TikTok and Twitter. There are three leading elements that contribute to the effectiveness of V. Zelenskyy’s communication style in social media, namely, truthfulness, connection with the audience, and immediacy. In addition, the key narratives of the President of Ukraine are revealed, aimed at the domestic audience of the country and the international community. The opinion is argued that the active position of the leader of Ukraine in social media is an example that encourages coverage of the Russian-Ukrainian war in social media by other politicians, public figures, influencers, etc. The data of the report on digital news of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism are also partially cited, which prove that in Western countries (Brazil, Great Britain, Germany, Poland, the United States) social media ranks second after television (with a slight gap) in obtaining information for their citizens regarding the course of the Russian-Ukrainian war, which indicates trust in this information and communication channel.

Avoid or Authenticate? A Multilevel Cross-Country Analysis of the Roles of Fake News Concern and News Fatigue on News Avoidance and Authentication

Citizens these days feel inundated with news online and are worried about its veracity. This study examines if these concerns in the digital news environment led to greater news avoidance and news authentication behaviors. The relationships were tested across 16 countries by combining individual-level survey data from the Reuters Institute Digital News Report (N = 34,201) with country-level data based on comparative media systems research. Analysis from multilevel modeling showed that concern with fake news was related to news authentication and news fatigue was related to news avoidance. High news fatigue also accentuated the influence of concern with fake news on news avoidance while low fatigue attenuated the relationship. Additional cross-level interactions further contextualized the findings according to media system, showing how the relationships can vary under different conditions of press market, political parallelism, journalistic professionalism, and public service broadcasting. This study demonstrates the utility and importance of considering the contextual role of media system to understand individuals’ perceptions of news they receive online and subsequent news engagement, especially in the context of fake news research because its prevalence and deleterious impact varies across countries.

Trust in Danish journalists and news media: in decay or not?

In this article, we examine 1) how trust in Danish journalists and news media has developed over time, 2) whether trust in different types of news media differs, and 3) how people’s party preference affect their trust in journalists and news media. Our analyses are based on comprehensive data from the European Commission, the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Radius Kommunikation, and DR Media Research, and show 1) that trust in journalists and news media is stable over time, 2) that people have higher trust in public service news and quality newspapers and lower trust in tabloid news media, and 3) that party preference explains some variations in trust.

‘I stopped reading newspapers because of the internet!’: News consumption behaviour of youth in Greece and Turkey

Digitalization of news organizations and other traditional media presents an ongoing struggle. Although there is a general decline in news consumption in all ages, youth in particular seems to be ‘tuning out’ of news globally. The Reuters Institute Digital News Report published in 2016 by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, announced that news accessed via social media sites increased in Europe (average 46 per cent) where Greece and Turkey were high adoption countries with 74 and 73 per cent usage rates, respectively. These numbers dropped in the 2018 report to 66 per cent in Turkey and 71 per cent in Greece. This research explores the factors that influence college students’ news consumption behaviour in Greece and Turkey through an interpretative approach. Data collection was done in 2017 in Athens and Istanbul with voluntary participation of 40 college students who study in public and private universities.

As novas territorialidades da informação e o não-lugar da notícia

Este artigo busca relacionar o novo campo de fruição dos conteúdos noticiosos, aqui definidos como “novas territorialidades da informação”, com o crescente avanço das mídias sociais. Para tanto, apresenta os conceitos de territorialidade e não-lugar e os articula com os resultados da pesquisa de consumo de mídia Digital News Report, do Reuters Institute, divulgada em junho de 2019. Partindo da hipótese de que esses ambientes se efetivam como um espaço fluido e disperso de veiculação de conteúdos noticiosos e não-noticiosos, o artigo busca contribuir com uma reflexão a respeito dos impactos dos novos espaços de fruição da informação, que, dadas suas características peculiares, tendem a estimular a disseminação não apenas de relatos factuais apurados, mas também de conteúdos enganosos ou materializados de maneira não profissional.