Europeans trust traditional media more than new platforms, according to the results of a survey published on Tuesday by the European Parliament.
Public television and radio services are perceived as the most reliable sources of information in the European Union (49%), followed by the written press (39%) and private television and radio channels (27% ), indicates the study of opinion on the habits linked to the various sources of media and the trust they inspire, as well as the behavior in the face of the threat posed by misinformation.
Television remains the main source of information (75%), especially among citizens over 55 years of age. We then find, in lower proportions, online information platforms (43%), radio (39%) and social media platforms and blogs (26%). One in five (21%) cites newspapers as well as magazines as their main source of information, placing the written press in fifth place.
In addition, young people surveyed are more likely to access information through social media platforms and blogs (46% among 15-24 year olds compared to 15% among those over 55).
Despite the importance of traditional media such as television, 88% of respondents discover at least some information through their smartphone or computer. 43% of respondents consult the website of an information source to access the news online (a newspaper’s website, for example).
31% of people read articles or posts that appear on their social networks. This proportion is particularly high among young people (43% of 15-24 year olds compared to 24% of those over 55).
Another result of this survey: very few people pay to access the news online. In fact, 70% of respondents who access information online consult only free content or services.
Citizens are mainly interested in topics related to national politics (50% of respondents), but also European and international affairs (46%) and local media (47%).
When it comes to exposure to misinformation, more than a quarter of respondents (28%) felt that they had frequently or very frequently come across misinformation as well as fake news in the past seven last days. This is mainly the case in Bulgaria, where 55% of people consider that they have been “very often” or “often” exposed to it, while in the Netherlands, this proportion is much lower (3% answered ” very often” and 9% “often”).
A majority of participants believe they are able to identify misinformation and false information: 12% say they are “very confident” and 52% “rather confident”. The degree of confidence in the ability to distinguish reliable information from false information decreases with age and increases with the level of education.
With MAP
