Television and Online are Key Sources in Most Markets
Television and online remain the most popular ways of accessing news on a weekly basis. Amongst our sample, television is ahead in Germany (78%) and France (74%), with online winning in many other countries. Radio is popular in the Netherlands (57%), Ireland (48%), and Germany (46%), while print is still accessed to a high degree in Austria (67%) and Switzerland (63%).
Given that this is an online survey and thus will under-represent traditional users who are not online, TV news is probably still ahead in a number of countries and print remains stronger than these figures suggest, but every year our survey shows the balance shifting slowly but inexorably towards online.
PLATFORMS FOR ACCESSING NEWS BY COUNTRY
| USA | UK | GER | FRA | SPA | POR | ITA | IRE | FIN | NOR | SWE | DEN | BEL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TV | 66% | 70% | 78% | 74% | 79% | 82% | 83% | 73% | 75% | 72% | 72% | 73% | 75% |
| Radio | 23% | 33% | 46% | 28% | 34% | 37% | 30% | 48% | 47% | 47% | 47% | 47% | 46% |
| 26% | 35% | 38% | 27% | 56% | 47% | 43% | 47% | 53% | 41% | 43% | 29% | 45% | |
| Online* | 73% | 72% | 59% | 71% | 86% | 88% | 83% | 84% | 89% | 86% | 89% | 84% | 82% |
| NLD | SUI | AUT | HUN | CZE | POL | GRE | TUR | KOR | JPN | AUS | CAN | BRA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TV | 76% | 69% | 76% | 72% | 81% | 80% | 66% | 80% | 71% | 69% | 65% | 71% | 79% |
| Radio | 57% | 43% | 46% | 25% | 35% | 42% | 34% | 41% | 12% | 17% | 40% | 27% | 35% |
| 43% | 63% | 67% | 27% | 34% | 32% | 31% | 54% | 28% | 44% | 38% | 36% | 40% | |
| Online* | 81% | 82% | 73% | 88% | 91% | 82% | 96% | 90% | 86% | 72% | 78% | 75% | 91% |
Base: Total sample in each country
*(incl. Social media)
Traditional offline platforms remain critically important even for online users. On average, three-quarters of online users (74%) access TV news every week and over a third read a printed newspaper (36%). This remains a multiplatform world where audiences pick and mix from a range of platforms at their own convenience and at different times of day.
Demographic differences
As in previous years, we also find strong generational differences in the sources and platforms being used for news. Traditional platforms like TV, radio, and print remain preferred sources for older generations while younger groups prefer online and social media.
In terms of gender, some traditional news platforms like print and radio appeal more to men, while only social media appeal more to women.
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SOURCES OF NEWS BY GENDER AND AGE – ALL COUNTRIES
| MALE | FEMALE | 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55+ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TV | 75% | 73% | 58% | 63% | 71% | 78% | 85% |
| Radio | 41% | 33% | 24% | 30% | 35% | 40% | 44% |
| 44% | 38% | 31% | 33% | 37% | 41% | 50% | |
| Online* | 83% | 82% | 88% | 87% | 84% | 80% | 77% |
| Social_media | 48% | 55% | 68% | 59% | 53% | 46% | 43% |
Male/Female/18-24s/25-34s/35-44s/45-54s/55+: All countries = 26098/27232/5790/9456/9941/9561/18582
*(incl. Social media)