Consumers are increasingly turning to traditional media platforms for news and information, rather than social media news sources. TV and print media are predicted to see increased usage in 2020 and onwards, and social media will be used less.
According to the Media Experience Survey 2020, conducted by Kantar on behalf of the Dutch media industry, there has been a significant shift in media use in the recent years. Traditional media such as TV and print are being consumed less on a day-to-day basis, while use of social media has been increasingly used as a pastime since 2015.
Newspapers continue to lead in terms of reliability and general information factors among media consumers, despite the emergence of news sites and apps. Similarly, local newspaper advertisements are seen as useful and informative, generating positive perceptions among survey respondents. After newspapers, online platforms were shown to be the most trusted media type. Social media, while shown to provide interaction and empowerment to its users, did not generate the same levels of confidence.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Kantar’s 2020 DIMENSION Study also found there to be shifts in consumer attitudes towards news sources. Print and broadcast media are more trusted than digital platforms, the reason being that there is a wider opportunity for incorrect information to be shared on social media sites, wherein consumers are unaware of whether what they are reading is factual. This has resulted in a ‘trust deficit’.
Read more from the International News Media Association and Kantar’s 2020 Media Experience Survey and DIMENSION Study.
