Younger readers are turning to online news sources as trust is eroded in traditional media, according to a study commissioned by Reuters and the BBC.
Websites are now the first destination for 19 per cent of readers aged 18 to 24 but just three per cent of those in the 55-to-64 age bracket, according to the study, published to coincide with the We Media conference in London on Tuesday and Wednesday.
But while a little more than half of those polled valued the opportunity to read news online, only one in 10 consider the net the most trustworthy news medium, while newspapers are best regarded by three quarters of participants.
Those most likely to use the web are young urban men, who are increasingly turning away from television news, which is still the most important news source for over half of the total audience. The most trusted British news source remains the BBC, while Google equals The Guardian as the most trusted destination for one per cent of consumers and blogs are the least trusted of all media.
“National TV is still the most trusted news source by a wide margin, although the internet is gaining ground among the young,” said Doug Miller of GlobeScan, which carried out the research. “The jury is still out on blogs – just as many people distrust them as trust them.”
The report polled 10,230 people in 10 countries and opened the We Media Global Forum, at which industry personnel from around the world were debating how online social media technologies are reshaping the news.
Tag: wemedia