Radio is the number one choice for Irish people when it comes to sourcing news according to a new study.
The Reuters Institute Digital News Report has found that Facebook has fallen from 71% to 67% as a news source for people in Ireland.
However, the research shows that Instagram as a source of news has grown from 12% to 26%.
JUST OUT: Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2018 – download your copy nowhttps://t.co/ugeXo6KZcx #DNR18 pic.twitter.com/0672DjVc5f
— Reuters Institute (@risj_oxford) June 13, 2018
The annual international study aims to understand how news is consumed around the world - with a focus on digital a new devices.
John Purcell, Chairperson of the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland said around 84% of people in Ireland tune into the radio every day.
“It is the biggest and most trusted news medium in this country,” he said.
“Internationally, Irish radio has the highest rate of listenership for news of all the 37 countries included in the Reuters news report.”
Image: Reuters
The Reuters report found that Irish people are more trusting of "most news" than the EU average but they have low trust in social media.
It found that while 71% of Irish consumers trust "most news," only 28% trust social media.
Michael O'Keeffe, Chief Executive of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) said Ireland’s trust in news is above the EU average.
“It rises to 78% when you talk about the news that they specifically choose to consume,” he said.
“So if somebody is tuning into a radio station or tuning into a television service, they are generally likely to trust the news that they hear on that particular service.”
In the US 49% of respondents have seen politicians in the last week use the term ‘fake news’ in the discrediting of established news media they
don’t like - Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2018 #DNR â¦@HatchMacleayâ© pic.twitter.com/bD7tx0C9hv— Caroline Layt (@CarolineLayt) June 14, 2018
The report cautions that that 57% of Irish people are concerned about “fake news” - with 61% saying they are concerned or extremely concerned about stories made up for political or commercial reasons.
However, only 17% could remember actually seeing this kind of disinformation.
Some 63% said it was the Government’s responsibility to do more to tackle the issue - while 76% believe journalists and media companies should do more.
