The Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2022 on news consumption in international comparison was carried out simultaneously in 46 countries in order to identify general trends as well as national peculiarities. The HBI is responsible for the German part of the study; it is supported by the state media authorities and the ZDF.
- News usage frequency remains stable at a high level. 92 per cent of adult online users in Germany read, listen to or watch news at least several times a week in 2022 (2021: 92%).
- News interest tends to decline in the long term. In 2022, 57 per cent say they are very or extremely interested in news (2021: 67%).
- The news topic that appeals to most internet users is local news. Two-thirds of adult internet users are interested in the latest news from their own city or region (68%). International news (61%) and political news (58%) are also in the top three with the greatest interest in most age groups.
- The most important reasons for using news for most adult onliners (52%) include that it is personally important and useful to them.
- One in ten onliners aged 18 and over often consciously tries to avoid news; 65 per cent at least occasionally. These figures have increased significantly in all age groups within the past five years.
- Reporting on topics such as politics and corona, which is perceived as too much, is the most frequently cited cause of news avoidance (47%). Negative effects on mood, exhaustion due to the large amount of news as well as low confidence are other frequently mentioned reasons. The age groups hardly differ in this respect. What is striking are the comparatively high proportions among 18 to 24 year-olds who give as reasons that news content leads to arguments (21%) and the feeling that they cannot do anything with the information (16%) or do not understand it (10%).
- As a source for news, most adult onliners in Germany use the internet in 2022. With 68% reach, it has moved ahead of television with 65%. Last year in 2021, both genres were still tied with 69 per cent each.
- Overall, traditional news providers dominate news usage on the net. 47 per cent regularly read, watch or listen to the content of established news sites; among 18- to 24-year-olds, the figure is 49 per cent. However, in this age group, social media is the most widespread source of news content on the internet (55%). For 39 per cent among them, they are also the most important resource for news, an increase of 14 percentage points.
- Half of the adult onliners in Germany believe that the majority of news can generally be trusted. This is three percentage points lower than in the previous year 2021 (53%), but five percentage points higher than before the pandemic.
- The main news of the public broadcasters are also in 2022 the two offers with the highest trust values among the brands surveyed. The top 3 also include regional and local daily newspapers.
- 32 per cent of online adults are concerned that they will not be able to distinguish false reports from facts. The greatest concerns, 40 per cent, are found among young adults aged 18 to 24.
- The overwhelming majority orient themselves to certain news brands when selecting news sources on the internet; 45 per cent of those surveyed are most likely to pay attention to this. For twelve per cent, on the other hand, very specific journalists or commentators are decisive in the selection.
- 52 per cent think it would be better for journalists to stick to news reporting if they are active on social media, while 31 per cent think they should be able to express their personal opinions besides reporting news there.
- The smartphone is the most frequently used device, both to go online and to read, listen to or watch news on the internet. 57 per cent of adult onliners use it at least once a week to find out about news events.
- To find news on the internet, most adult internet users (36%) access a news website or app directly. Onliners aged between 18 and 24 are most likely to use a search engine to get to a specific news website (35%) or to find news content on social media (32%).
- About one in five respondents (19%) regularly find out about news events by email via newsletters. At 41 per cent among them, the largest share is accounted for by newsletters from established news providers.
- The first contact with news at a normal start of the day is made by most adult onliners in Germany via the internet (38%) using a smartphone (24%).
- The preferences for how to be informed about current news events are quite clearly in text form. 58 % prefer to read the online news, while every tenth person prefers to watch it as a video. The main argument for the text form is the faster way to absorb information; videos, on the other hand, are easier to receive.
- 29 per cent listen to a podcast at least once a month in 2022 (2021: 25%). Most listeners prefer offerings on specific topics.
- The most widespread social media are WhatsApp, YouTube and Facebook. These three platforms are also to be found in this category as the offerings most people regularly use to search for, read, view, share or discuss news (WhatsApp 15%, YouTube 14%, Facebook 17%). Compared to the previous year, news has lost reach on all three platforms (2021: WhatsApp 17%, YouTube 16%, Facebook 18%). On the other hand, Instagram (8%) and TikTok (2%) are showing signs of an upward trend.
- As before, only a comparatively small proportion actively participates in news reporting in social media. Twelve per cent of adult internet users regularly like news posts, nine per cent share them and seven per cent comment on them. In the young age group of 18- to 24-year-olds, the proportions are somewhat larger than in the average population. In addition, it can again be observed that online users who place themselves on the left or right of the political spectrum are proportionately more likely to share and comment on articles than users in the political centre.
- In 2022, there is a clear increase in the number of online users who have used a paid news service on the internet in the past year. 14 per cent of respondents say they have spent money on digital news; this is five percentage points more than in the previous year 2021. An increase can be seen in all age groups. Ongoing payment in the form of a subscription or membership is the most frequently chosen payment model.
- For climate change news, scientists are the most followed sources among adult online users in Germany, followed by TV or film documentaries and major news media. Overall, 45 per cent of respondents prefer neutral reporting on climate change. However, among young adults under 35, the majority call for the news media to take a clear position in favour of addressing the climate crisis. When asked about potential action on climate change, across all age groups, most people think news media should focus on what governments and big business could do. However, one in four people aged between 18 and 24 would also like to see more attention paid to individual opportunities for action.
