If you’re curious to know how people will consume news 2022, you should read this YouGov survey. You’ll discover trends in news consumption in 2022, and the impact of social media. It is important to understand the changing media landscape, as it can have a big impact on how people consume news.
YouGov survey
A new YouGov survey reveals the importance of news to UK consumers. The polling firm surveyed 93,000 online news consumers from 46 markets. This represents approximately half of the global population. In recent years, the accuracy of polls has come under fire, especially during times when one party is in the minority.
The survey asks for information on your age, marital status, education level, number of people living in the home, employment status, and rough income. In exchange for completing the survey, YouGov rewards its members with points.
Participants are notified of new surveys by email and their main dashboard, and they can track their progress toward a 5,000 point milestone. Once a user reaches this mark, they receive payment via bank transfer.
Trends in news consumption in 2022
The shift to audio is fueled by new voice interfaces, in-car entertainment systems, and smart speakers. Market leaders in this space include Google and Amazon, with South Korea bringing its own set of device manufacturers to the table.
Smart speakers reach almost a quarter of the US and UK adult population. But news consumption remains surprisingly low, with only a fraction of users using them to get their news.
Nevertheless, some countries are bucking the trend. Finland is still the most trusted news source in the world, with an overall trust level of 69 percent, a few points higher than it was in 2020. However, news trust has sunk in the US, where it remains at its lowest level.
In addition, news trust has decreased in Romania, Croatia, and Poland. It has also fallen in Italy and Spain. In contrast, South Africa’s news trust rose by nine points.
Interestingly, while more Americans are now paying for news online than ever before, only a quarter of Americans prefer to access news on websites and apps. In addition, millennials have a weaker connection with websites, preferring to get news via side-door routes such as social media and search.
However, Facebook remains the leading social network for news consumption. While younger users of Facebook are more likely to say that they’d rather have more visual content in their news feeds, older groups are still more loyal to Facebook.
Mobile devices are also a major factor in news consumption. For example, in Finland, Norway, and Spain, the smartphone is the primary means of accessing news. Even in those countries, however, television is still dominant.
Impact of rising energy prices
Rising energy prices are a major headwind for the U.S. economy, but their effects are even greater in Europe. According to a Penn-Wharton budget model, the average U.S. household will spend about $1,200 more on energy costs in 2022 than in 2020.
Energy costs are particularly burdensome for lower-income households, who spend a larger proportion of their income on essential goods and services.
For example, last year, the bottom-80 percent of American households spent over 9% of their income on energy costs. This means that by 2022, their energy costs will represent 11 percent of their total spending.
In addition to disruptions in energy supply, these prices are impacting food prices, electricity prices, and consumer sentiment.
As a result of these price increases, the global economy will experience slower growth and higher inflation. Furthermore, if the energy shortages persist, social unrest could rise. As a result, many countries have started tapping strategic petroleum reserves.
High energy prices are likely to remain high for at least two years. This will hit businesses that produce or process goods that are highly energy intensive.
Since these companies will have to pass on the higher costs to consumers, they may become unprofitable. The high prices may even lead to temporary shortages in certain products and services.
Energy prices are rising for all fuels. Natural gas and coal prices have hit record highs. Food prices are also increasing due to higher input costs. The 18% increase in the price of agriculture commodities in 2022 is the result of higher costs for farming and fertilizer.
Impact of social media on news consumption
A new study shows that a majority of working-age internet users will use social media to discover news in 2022. The study analyzed the usage of social media among working-age internet users in 12 countries.
The results revealed that nearly two-thirds of respondents aged 18-24 will use social media as a source of news, compared to less than half of those aged 55 or older. The researchers found that the primary reason for using social media to discover news is to read news stories.
Social media have become a key news source, influencing public debate and driving conversation. The report found that Facebook is the most common news source, with nearly half of respondents citing it as a source of news.
YouTube is the next most popular news source, with three in 10 respondents using it to get news. Men were more likely than women to use YouTube to consume news content.
Despite its growth, some media outlets are still hesitant to embrace social media. The study, published by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Digital Journalism, found that journalists are less apt to trust news published on social media.
Some media organizations are tightening guidelines for social media use, but younger journalists are pushing back against the tightening rules. In any case, social media is a serious challenge to traditional journalistic norms.
The study also found that social media users were more likely to believe and share COVID-19 misinformation compared to those who did not use social media.
This may be due to the perceived accuracy of the misinformation. Specifically, those with extraversion, neuroticism, and openness were more likely to believe and share it, which influenced their sharing intent.
Impact of paywalls
In the last year, only around a quarter of users registered with news websites. Those who had given their details the most were from Portugal, Germany, and Japan, while the lowest rates were found in the US and UK.
This low registration rate reflects the fact that many consumers do not want to share their personal information online, and the fact that most news websites do not offer a compelling enough value proposition to make users willing to pay.
The study also looked at the impact of digital paywall adoption on total revenue. To account for the various factors that affect a publication’s revenue, researchers used firm size as a proxy for reputation and uniqueness.
They also accounted for the company’s political slant, but did not include costs and discounts or marketing efforts that target new subscribers.
In addition to limiting the amount of free content available to readers, paywalls can limit the range of opinions expressed.
Because they prevent access to news sources that differ in their content, readers may choose publications that confirm their existing opinions, rather than expand their ideological horizons.
While publishers will always have the option to change their policies and create new content, paywalls may not be the best option for every publication.
Some publishers are experimenting with paywall strategies in order to monetize content. For example, dagens Nyheter, a Swedish newspaper owned by the Bonnier group, uses a hybrid paywall strategy.
It employs three different types of paywalls, including metering for content and a more dynamic dashboard model. This strategy has led to a 10% conversion rate for subscribers.
