The Reuters Institute recently published its 2023 Digital News Report, revealing significant changes in global news consumption patterns. The report highlighted shifts in user preferences for news consumption sources, the impacts of COVID-19 on readership, and trust levels in media among various demographics. It also highlighted how varying news consumption habits can present potential challenges such as the spread of misinformation and concerns about journalistic quality.
Key Highlights of the Report
According to the study, Indians are increasingly relying on search engines and mobile news aggregators (43%) as their primary sources of online news, veering away from traditional news websites. Only 12% prefer reading news from direct sources, while 28% turn to social media for news updates. It was also noted that a majority of Indian users prefer watching or listening to news content over reading it.
The report revealed regional contrasts in news engagement, indicating how Scandinavian countries maintain direct engagement with established news brands while regions like Asia, Latin America, and Africa heavily depend on social media for news. It further pointed out diverse preferences across countries: Reading predominates in Finland and the UK (80%) while India and Thailand favor watching news online (40%). The Philippines stands out with 52% of its population preferring video news.
Impact of Covid-19 on News Consumption
The pandemic has led to significant declines in both reading and sharing of news in India. Based on the data, access to online news plunged by 12 percentage points between 2022 and 2023. Television viewership, particularly among younger and urban individuals, also decreased by 10%. This decrease in news engagement, according to the report, can be partially attributed to the diminishing influence of the Covid-19 pandemic following the easing of lockdown measures.
Level of Trust in News
Trust in news in India has remained stagnant at 38% between 2021 and 2023, ranking among the lowest in the Asia-Pacific region. Higher trust levels are observed in countries such as Finland (69%) and Portugal (58%). Conversely, countries with high degrees of political polarization like the United States, Argentina, Hungary, and Greece have lower trust levels.
Challenges Associated with Changes in News Consumption Patterns
Shifts in news consumption habits pose potential challenges for India, including misinformation and fake news, declining journalistic quality, threats to democracy and potential polarization, persistently low trust in news, a disconnect among the youth from traditional news mediums, and dependence on algorithmic feeds.
Measures to Combat Fake News in India
In an effort to combat misinformation, several initiatives have been put in place in India. These include the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which requires social media platforms to remove content labeled false by the Press Information Bureau’s fact-check unit. Additionally, Section 66 A of the IT Act 2008 regulates offenses related to electronic communication, providing a legal basis to penalize those who spread fake news.
Role of Regulatory Bodies
Helping to combat misinformation and uphold media ethics in India are regulatory authorities such as the Press Council of India (PCI), the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA), Broadcasting Content Complaint Council (BCCC), and Indian Broadcast Foundation (IBF).
The report suggests promoting media literacy programs and encouraging partnerships between fact-checking organizations, government agencies, and social media platforms as potential solutions to address these challenges. There is also a need for legislation similar to Australia’s that would require digital platforms to pay local media outlets for their content.
