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Smartphone is our most important source of news

Social Apps on a smartphone. Photo: Pexels.com

Norwegians’ news habits are stable compared to last year, and today the mobile phone is our most important source of news according to Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report.

The report helps us to better understand how people see news across platforms and formats in a number of different countries around the
world. Several international sources participate, with the University of Bergen as a Norwegian partner in collaboration with Fritt Ord.

84% see news at least once a day, most from two to five times a day. Most people use both digital and traditional news channels, and we usually get news by reading rather than watching videos.

Only 8% reported being not interested in news. Those with little news enthusiasm are often young, have lower political interest, rely less
on news and more often have social media as a news source.

Mobile phones are most important

Today, the smartphone is Norwegians’ most important source of news, and most of us also get today’s first news via our mobile.

We choose established news sources such as newspapers and broadcasters digitally.

Almost no-one has the paper newspaper as their main source of news anymore. 61% read news digitally by going directly to the website or using an app of an established news source.

Norwegians read widely. Most of us use five or more news sources within a week.

Alternative media are used by very few, and their use follows political preferences.

Podcasts are listened to by far more under the age of 35 (52%) than those over (22%).

Facebook remains the most important source of news among the social media, and that applies to everyone. At the same time, the age differences have become clearer. Those under 35 use the large social media for news to a greater extent than those who are older. Almost half are active in news coverage, usually by sharing news.

High trust

We have high confidence in the news media, and NRK is considered the most reliable provider. According to the report, there are some differences, among other things, that those under 35 and those with a political standpoint on the right are more critical.

Resett and Document.no mark themselves with significantly lower trust assessments.

Most also believe that the news media fulfill their social mission. False news is still a topic, and 39% are concerned about what’s real and fake news on the web.

Norway is still the country with the highest willingness to pay for online news. 34% have paid during the past year. This also means that most people do not pay to read news.

70% encounter payment walls on a weekly basis. If we only paid for one service, most would opt for a video streaming service like Netflix, rather than subscribing to news channels.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today

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