For the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2023 on news consumption in international comparison, surveys were carried out simultaneously in 46 countries in order to identify general trends but also 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 interest is declining in the long-term analysis. 52 per cent of adult internet users in Germany say in 2023 that they are extremely or very interested in news (2022: 57%).
- The reach of news overall is also slightly declining in the long-term view. 89 per cent of adult internet users in Germany read, listen to, or watch news more than once a week (2022: 92%).
- 36 per cent of German internet users aged 18 and older are extremely or very interested in politics. While more than half (52%) of those aged 55 and older have a strong interest in politics, this is true of only 19 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds. Instead, 41 per cent in the youngest age group surveyed say they are not very or not at all interested in politics.
- One in ten adult internet users in Germany often actively tries to avoid news; 65 per cent try to do so at least occasionally. These figures are stable compared to the previous year, following significant increases in previous years. 29 per cent of respondents who avoid news at least occasionally specifically avoid certain topics. News about the Ukraine war is avoided most often, followed by news about entertainment or celebrities, health, and sport.
- More than half (58%) of adult internet users in Germany are extremely or very interested in positive news. Interest is also high in news that suggests solutions rather than just pointing out problems (53%) and news that helps people understand complex issues (50%).
- As in the previous year, most adult internet users in Germany use the internet as a source of news in 2023. 63% use online news at least once a week on the websites or apps of news providers or in social media (2022: 68%). News programmes on linear television are watched by 59 % in a normal week (2022: 65 %). Compared to the previous year, the weekly use of news offerings on television, radio and print as well as on the internet has declined slightly.
- Overall, traditional news providers from TV, radio and print dominate news usage on the internet. 43 per cent regularly read, watch, or listen to the content of established news; among 18 to 24-year-olds, the figure is 46 per cent. For 44 per cent in this age group, social media is a regular source of news; this is eleven percentage points less than in 2022.
- For 43 per cent of adult internet users, linear television continues to be the most important source of news and for 39 per cent it is news offerings on the internet. 14 per cent find news mainly in social media; this proportion has risen steadily over the long term and, at 35 per cent, is highest among 18 to 24-year-olds. For 15 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds, social media are the only source of news.
- 43 per cent of adult internet users in Germany believe that the majority of news can usually be trusted. This is seven percentage points lower than in 2022 (50%) and the lowest number of respondents since the question was first included in the Reuters Institute Digital News Survey in 2015.
- The trust placed in well-known news brands is also slightly lower than in the previous year. The main news of the public broadcasters will remain the two offerings with the highest trust values among the brands surveyed that are known to the respondents in 2023. Once again, regional, and local daily newspapers are among the top three.
- A good third (34%) of internet users aged 18 and older frequently see or hear about journalists or the news media being criticised in Germany. Respondents who place themselves more on the right or left fringe of the political spectrum encounter such media criticism proportionately more often (47 % and 48 % respectively) than those in the political centre (34 %).
- 47% of adult internet users in Germany say that publicly funded news media such as ARD and ZDF are important to them personally and 52% consider them important to society. Overall, respondents aged 55 and older attribute significantly higher personal and societal relevance to public news media than younger respondents.
- To find reports or articles on the internet, most adult internet users (29 per cent) go directly to a website or app of a news service. Internet users between the ages of 18 and 24 are most likely to find news content on social media or enter a specific news website into a search engine (31% each).
- Regarding online news, the majority of adult internet users in Germany still prefer the text form. 53 per cent prefer to read online news, while 18 per cent prefer to watch it as a video and eight per cent prefer to listen to it in audio form.
- The most used platforms to watch online news videos are a news website or app with 19 per cent and YouTube with 17 per cent. In the youngest age group of 18–24-year-olds, 21 per cent each regularly watch news videos on YouTube and Instagram, and 14 per cent watch a news video on TikTok at least once a week.
- 28 per cent listen to a podcast at least once a month in 2023 (2022: 29%). While podcast listenership has stagnated across most age groups, it has again increased slightly to 61 per cent within the age group of 18 to 24 (2022: 56%).
- The most widespread social media also in 2023 are WhatsApp, YouTube, and Facebook. These three platforms are also the offerings in this category that are regularly used by most adult internet users to search for, read, view, share or discuss news (WhatsApp 14%, YouTube 16%, Facebook 14%). News content on Instagram reaches 22 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds in a normal week, followed by YouTube with 15 per cent and TikTok with nine per cent.
- A total of 29% of adult internet users in Germany consider the classic selection of news by journalists to be a good way to get news. The automatic selection of reports on the basis of the information retrieved earlier by the respondents. On the other hand, slightly fewer internet users proportionately rate this as a good option (27 %). The automatic selection of news based on the information retrieved from friends tends to be rejected by 40 % of the respondents. However, most respondents do not show a clear preference for one of the variants mentioned.
- 37 per cent and 36 per cent of adult internet users in Germany are concerned that they could miss other important information or possibly opposing opinions due to more personalised news. At the same time, almost half (49%) of the respondents at least occasionally try to change what news and information they see on online platforms. The most cited reason for this is the desire for more reliable content and for more diverse perspectives and views.
- As before, only a small proportion actively participate in news reporting on social media. 14 per cent of adult internet users regularly like news posts and eight per cent share and comment on them. Another 18 per cent regularly read user comments in social media. There is a tendency for the young age group of 18 to 24-year-olds to be somewhat more active participants than the average population. In addition, it can again be observed that internet users who place themselves on the left or right of the political spectrum interact proportionately more frequently with news content than users in the political centre.
- Twelve per cent of adult internet users in Germany have had mostly negative experiences with interactions related to online news or in social media, but the majority (42%) would describe their experience of this as neither positive nor negative. Forty-six per cent are of the opinion that they need to be careful about what they say about politics online and around a third (34%) think they need to be careful about this outside the internet as well.
- Eleven per cent of respondents say they have spent money on digital news (2022: 14%). Ongoing payment in the form of a subscription or membership is the most frequently chosen payment model. Respondents who pay for online news in this way are most likely to say that they want to use the money to support good journalism or to refer to a good offer or trial subscription. The most frequently cited reasons for possibly paying for online news in the future are lower prices and less or no advertising.
- To get information about personal finances and the economy in general, 41 per cent of respondents pay most attention to general news on TV, radio, or the internet, followed by personal contacts (24%) and specialised websites or magazines (21%). Overall, 30 per cent of respondents have difficulty understanding news about finance and the economy, and 28 per cent consider it difficult to apply such information in their personal daily lives. This is especially true for respondents who have only a low annual gross income.
