For these consumers, digital news introduces several powerful advantages that are traditionally absent in the printed environment \u2014 namely interactivity, non-linearity, immediacy to accessing information, and the convergence of text, images, and video. However, information disorder finds, in this new environment, a way to spread faster than ever and the current pandemic context emphasized it in an impressive way:<\/p>\n
- \n
- A\u00a0report<\/a>\u00a0published on April 17th by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found that about one-third of social media users across the United States (US), as well as Argentina, Germany, South Korea, Spain and the United Kingdom (UK), reported seeing false or misleading information about the coronavirus;<\/li>\n
- More than\u00a03.4 million<\/a>\u00a0suspicious accounts targeting coronavirus discussions were challenged on Twitter since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, thanks to the work of European Union institutions with online platforms;<\/li>\n
- Facebook reported, in just two months,\u00a0around 90 million pieces<\/a>\u00a0of content related to COVID-19 and is seen as the main channel for spreading false information almost everywhere;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
A new day for journalism<\/strong><\/p>\n
The Global Web Index found that\u00a0over 80% of consumers<\/a>\u00a0in the US and the UK say they consume more content since the COVID-19 outbreak, with broadcast TV and online videos being the primary mediums across all generations and genders. The BBC reported its biggest week ever for UK visitors, with more than 70M unique browsers as the lockdown came into effect and, in Portugal, we found almost the same scenario: between the first week of March \u2014 when the first positive cases for COVID-19 emerged \u2014 and the third week of March, the\u00a0weekly views of information sites skyrocketed 78%.<\/a><\/p>\n
\u201cThe seriousness of this crisis has reinforced the need for reliable, accurate journalism that can inform and educate populations, but it has also reminded us how open we have become to conspiracies and misinformation\u201d \u2014 starts to explain Nic Newman, in the\u00a0Digital News Report<\/a>\u00a02020 \u2014 and, in fact, the document shows that media trust was more than twice the level for social networks, video platforms, or messaging services when it came to information about COVID-19.<\/p>\n
Simultaneously, the study found the news media were considered to have done a good job in helping ordinary people understand the extent of the crisis (60%), and also in making clear what people can do personally to mitigate the impact (65%). Though some media have in the past been accused of sensationalizing stories, on this occasion, only a third (32%) think that the media have exaggerated the severity of the situation, though concern was higher in the US (38%).<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>Digital News Report 2020: ATTITUDES TOWARDS NEWS MEDIA COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS (APRIL 2020)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Although, there are considerable country differences even inside Europe, ranging from Finland and Portugal where over half (56%) say they trust news most of the time to less than a quarter in France (23%). In 38 countries examined, just six countries now have trust levels of over 50%.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>Digital News Report 2020: PROPORTION THAT AGREE THEY CAN TRUST MOST NEWS MOST OF THE TIME<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n What factors drive people to trust news reporting sources?<\/strong><\/p>\n
A comprehensive\u00a0study<\/a>, conducted by The Media Insight Project \u2014 an initiative of the American Press Institute and the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research \u2014 in 2016, showed that trust and reliability in news can be broken down into specific factors that publishers can put into action and consumers can recognize.<\/p>\n
1.<\/strong>\u00a0Accuracy<\/strong><\/p>\n
85% of Americans rate it as extremely or very important that news organizations get the facts right, higher than any other general principle;<\/p>\n
2.<\/strong>\u00a0Up to date information<\/strong><\/p>\n
76% of respondents say it is critical to them that a news report is up to date with the latest news and information. This is something all media can compete on in the digital age on fairly equal footing;<\/p>\n
3.<\/strong>\u00a0Clarity<\/strong><\/p>\n
72% of the survey respondents say it is extremely or very important to them that a news report be concise and gets to the point efficiently.<\/p>\n
The study also states that in the digital age, several new factors, largely unexamined before \u2014 such as the intrusiveness of ads, navigability, load times, and having the latest details \u2014 are also critical in determining whether consumers consider a publisher competent and worthy of trust.<\/p>\n
Related to trust in news, Digital Media Report 2020 also found some interesting facts:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Divided societies seem to trust the media less, not necessarily because the journalism is worse but because people are generally dissatisfied with institutions in their countries and perhaps because news outlets carry more views that people disagree with;<\/li>\n
- The majority (60%) of respondents still prefer news that has no particular point of view and that only a minority (28%) prefer news that shares or reinforces their views;<\/li>\n
- Public service media remain by and large the most trusted brands, especially in Northern European countries where they have a strong tradition of independence;<\/li>\n
- Partisan preferences have slightly increased in the US since 2013 but even here a silent majority seems to be looking for news that at least tries to be objective. 52% would prefer them to prominently report false statements from politicians rather than not emphasize them (29%);<\/li>\n
- The most important factor for those who subscribe to a media outlet is the distinctiveness and quality of the content;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Back to misinformation and disinformation<\/strong><\/p>\n
Mobilizing and manipulating information was a feature of history long before journalism established standards that define news as a genre based on particular rules of integrity. But the 21st century has seen the weaponization of information on an unprecedented scale: powerful new technology makes manipulation and fabrication of content simple, and social networks dramatically amplify falsehoods.<\/p>\n
In fact, more than half (56%) of Digital News Report respondents remain concerned about what is real and fake on the internet when it comes to news. Domestic politicians are seen as most responsible (40%) for false and misleading information online, followed by political activists (14%), journalists (13%), ordinary people (13%), and foreign governments (10%).<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>Digital News Report 2020: PROPORTION THAT SAY THEY ARE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT FALSE OR MISLEADING INFORMATION FROM EACH OF THE FOLLOWING<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
- More than\u00a03.4 million<\/a>\u00a0suspicious accounts targeting coronavirus discussions were challenged on Twitter since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, thanks to the work of European Union institutions with online platforms;<\/li>\n