Television dominates as the primary source of news, particularly for citizens over the age of 55, garnering 75% of preferences overall.
The media play an important role in informing European citizens about the activities of the European Union and its institutions.
Special Eurobarometer research published today takes an in-depth look at citizens’ media habits, their trust in different news sources and their attitudes to the threat of disinformation.
Degree of awareness and retention of information
The issues that are on the national political agenda of the member states attract the most interest of the citizens (50%), according to the answers of the respondents. European and international affairs are closely followed (46%), about the same extent as local news (47%).
72% of respondents remember having recently read, seen or heard something about the European Union, in the press, on the internet, on TV or on the radio. 57% have recently read, seen or heard something about the European Parliament.
The percentage of respondents who remember some news about the EU ranges from 57% in France to 90% in Romania. The corresponding percentage for the European Parliament ranges from 39% in France to 85% in Malta.
Media habits
Television dominates as the primary source of news, particularly for citizens over the age of 55, garnering 75% of preferences overall.
This is closely followed by online news platforms (43%), radio (39%) and social media platforms and blogs (26%).
Print media is in fifth place, with one in five respondents (21%) citing newspapers and magazines as their main source of news.
On the other hand, younger respondents are much more likely to use social media platforms and blogs to stay informed (46% of 15-24 year olds, versus 15% of 55+).
Although traditional news sources (especially television) retain their importance, 88% of those surveyed use the internet at least partially for their information, via phone or computer.
43% use the website of a traditional news source (eg a newspaper’s website) to find news online, while 31% read articles or posts that appear on social media platforms. Young people are even more likely to use social networking platforms to find news posts: 43% of 15-24 year olds vs. 24% of 55+ year olds.
Paying for news content online is still an exception. 70% of people who use the internet for information resort exclusively to free news content and services.
The most reliable sources of information
Citizens trust traditional broadcast and print media, as well as their websites, more than online news platforms and social media.
49% of respondents believe that the news broadcast by public broadcasting stations represents the truth, whether it is the traditional way of broadcasting, or the stations’ websites on the Internet.
The press and the websites that represent it follow with 39%.
On the other hand, private broadcasters are considered a reliable source of information by 27% of respondents.
THE Poland is a special case, as it is the only country where private broadcasters are considered the most reliable source of news.
In Hungary, the shift away from traditional news sources in general is even more radical. Respondents there consider the people, groups and friends they follow on social media to be the most trusted source of news.
The importance of trust also plays a role in whether respondents would open up to read a news article online.
54% state that they would open an article if the headline was related to their interests, while for 37% it is a condition to trust the news outlet that published the article.
Exposure to misinformation and fake news
More than a quarter of respondents (28%) believe that in the past seven days they have been very often or often exposed to misinformation and fake news.
This answer is generally more likely to be given by respondents to Bulgariawho estimate at a rate of 55% that they are “very often” or “often” exposed to misinformation.
The lowest percentage is found in Netherlands (3% “very frequent” exposure and 9% “frequent” exposure).
The majority of respondents feel confident that they can identify disinformation and fake news: 12% feel “very confident” and 52% “fairly confident.” The level of certainty regarding the ability to distinguish between real and fake news decreases with age and increases with education level.
Citizens’ perceptions of the European Union and the European Parliament are influenced by what they see, hear and read in various media. This special Eurobarometer takes an in-depth look at citizens’ media habits and usage, looking at both traditional and online media. Ipsos European Public Affairs asked a representative sample of EU citizens, aged 15 and over, in the 27 countries of the European Union separately. From April 26 to May 11, 2022, 52,347 people were interviewed via computer-assisted online interviews. For this purpose, the online polling groups of Ipsos and its network of partners were used.
The “EU-wide rates” quoted have been weighted by each country’s population.
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