In the current issue of Media Perspektiven, Dr. Sascha Hölig and Julia Behre present current developments in news consumption in Germany. The article is based on data from the Reuters Institute Digital News Survey 2021.
You can download the article here (PDF, in German)
Hölig, S.; Behre, J. (2021): Aktuelle Entwicklungen bei der Nachrichtennutzung in Deutschland. Befunde aus dem Reuters Institute Digital News Survey 2021 [Current Developments in News Usage in Germany. Findings from the Reuters Institute Digital News Survey 2021]. Media Perspektiven, 11, pp. 575–587.
Abstract
In the context of the Corona pandemic, it shows once again that news mediated by the media is a central source of information. There has never been more content, providers, carrier media and devices available. The types of news that are currently of interest and the ways people use to find them have been studied annually since 2012 as part of the Reuters Institute Digital News Survey. The study, which was conducted in spring 2021 in 46 countries with over 92 000 respondents, also takes a look at the trust in media. This article addresses the results of the German part of the study.
Overall, news consumption by the adult population in Germany in 2021 is comparatively stable in terms of news interest and frequency of use. Television and radio news reach a similar number of people as in previous years. However, clear trends are emerging in the long-term observation: While classic television is losing ground, the internet is gaining as a source of news, so that both genres have converged to the same level in terms of weekly use in 2021. Although the group of 18- to 24-year-olds considers the internet as their preferred news source, the role of linear television in this age group should not be underestimated. Just under half of the young internet users who were interviewed watch television news at least once a week. However, broadcasting services on the internet are also steadily gaining ground across all age groups.
There is no doubt that large proportions of the population also use social media, but they are rarely the only source of news. The number of internet users who actively participate in the news via social media (e.g. via comments) has also remained unchanged at less than 20 percent since the beginning of the survey. Another indication of the ambivalent role of social media is provided by the survey of trust ratings: Year after year, news in social media is trusted significantly less than news in general or from certain quality news brands.
