Radio is the number one choice for Irish consumers when it comes to sourcing news. This was one of the main findings from the Reuters Institute Digital News Report, released today.
More Irish people listen to radio – than those in the UK or EU. A new report shows there’s been a fall in the number of people using Facebook to get their news.
It also found that 7 out of 10 have no idea how some stories appear on their social media feeds.
The report, which is funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, highlights a fall in the use of social media for accessing news, not only in Ireland but across the world.
John Purcell, Chairman of the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI) gave his view:
“Despite the onslaught of social media, today’s report on the consumption of news shows that radio is the news medium of choice for a large number of Irish people. Not only is radio top of the pile for news, Irish radio has the highest rate of listenership for news of all the 37 countries included in the survey”
“The phenomenon of fake news has caused people to question where and how they get their news. The lack of understanding of how news is created on social media platforms has resulted in a strong endorsement for so called traditional media. Irish audiences know that news on radio is balanced, fair, impartial and verified, all of which contribute to the high levels of trust in radio news. There is no algorithm or curation in radio news, we report the truth and audiences are flocking to our radio stations as a result. This is a strong endorsement of the valuable public service broadcasting contribution of local, regional and national radio stations to communities throughout Ireland”.
