路透社-2019年数字新闻报告（英文）-2019.7-156页_22mb

Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2019 Summary

Core Content

The Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2019 is an annual study analyzing global news consumption patterns. Conducted by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, the report includes survey data from over 75,000 people across 38 countries, alongside qualitative research and expert insights. It explores key themes such as the financial sustainability of news, the impact of digital platforms, the rise of populism, and the changing habits of younger audiences.

Main Findings

News Payment Trends

• Limited Growth in News Payments: Only a small increase in the number of people paying for news was observed globally, with growth mainly in the Nordic countries (Norway 34%, Sweden 27%) and the US (16%).
• Stable Numbers in the US: After a significant jump in 2017, the US remains at 16%, while most other countries show little change over the past six years.
• Subscription Fatigue: In many countries, people are increasingly turning to entertainment services (e.g., Netflix, Spotify) rather than news, suggesting a lack of interest in high-priced subscriptions.
• Barriers to Access: Over two-thirds of users in Norway and half in the US face weekly barriers when trying to access online news.

Platform and Audience Behavior

• Shift from Facebook to Messaging Apps: Users are spending more time on WhatsApp and Instagram than Facebook, though Facebook remains the dominant news source.
• Private Communication on Social Media: In non-Western countries like Brazil, Malaysia, and South Africa, private messaging apps are becoming key platforms for news discussion and sharing.
• Populist Trends and Trust Issues: Populist attitudes correlate with lower trust in news media and a preference for television and Facebook as news sources. Trust in news media is generally low, with only 42% of people globally trusting news in general, and less than half (49%) trusting the news media they use.
• News Avoidance: 32% of people actively avoid news, up 6 percentage points since the last survey. This is driven by emotional responses to events like Brexit.

Younger Generations

• Different Consumption Habits: Younger generations (under 35) are more likely to consume news through on-demand formats like podcasts, with 50% of them having listened to at least one podcast in the last month.
• Mobile Dominance: Smartphones are increasingly the primary device for accessing news, with 66% of users accessing news weekly via mobile. Voice-activated smart speakers are also gaining traction, though their use for news remains low.

Podcast and Audio Consumption

• Podcast Growth: Over a third (36%) of the combined sample consumed at least one podcast in the last month, rising to 50% for those under 35.
• Mobile as the Preferred Device: The mobile phone is the most used device for podcast listening (55%), and voice-activated smart speakers are growing rapidly in popularity, though their use for news is still limited.

Key Themes and International Comparison

• Nordic Success in News Subscription: Norway and Sweden show significant success in digital subscriptions, with 15% and 14% of users paying for online news, respectively. In contrast, the UK and Spain/Italy show much lower engagement (4% and 3%, respectively).
• Platform Responsibility: Platforms like Facebook are rethinking their role in the face of misinformation and regulatory pressure, shifting towards messaging apps and groups.
• Educational Influence: Higher levels of formal education correlate with more positive evaluations of news media, indicating a bias in the news agenda towards more educated audiences.

Methodology and Limitations

• Representative Sampling: The survey uses nationally representative quotas for age, gender, region, and education, and data are weighted to match census/industry benchmarks.
• Online Bias: The study primarily focuses on online populations, which may underrepresent non-online users (typically older, less affluent, and with limited education).
• Comparative Caution: Due to differences in internet penetration and sample representativeness, direct comparisons between certain countries (marked with *) are not always valid.
• Recall and Bias: Online surveys rely on recall, which can be imperfect. The report also includes qualitative research and industry data to cross-check findings.

Acknowledgements

• Research Team: The report was authored by Nic Newman, Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, Richard Fletcher, and Antonis Kalogeropoulos.
• Supporting Partners: The study was supported by various academic institutions and media organizations, including the Hans Bredow Institute, the University of Navarra, and YouGov.
• Sponsors: Key sponsors include Google, BBC News, Ofcom, and the Open Society Foundations, which helped expand the report to include South Africa.

Conclusion

The report highlights the ongoing challenges facing the news industry, including financial sustainability, trust in media, and the impact of digital platforms. It underscores the importance of understanding audience behavior, especially among younger generations, and the need for media to adapt to new consumption trends and technological changes.