Trust in news sources in Europe 2018, by media type

News heard via the radio is the most trusted source of news in Europe. In a 2018 survey across 28 European countries, it was revealed that 70 percent of respondents trusted news accessed through the radio. Television was trusted by two-thirds of respondents. Online social networks, video hosting sites, and podcasts were considered the most untrustworthy sources for news and information.

Fake news in Europe

In 2018, encountering fake news was a weekly or daily occurrence in Europe. Figures show that 37 percent of individuals came across false news every day, or almost every day. Greece had the highest share of individuals encountering fake news almost daily, at 55 percent. This was followed by Spain and Hungary with respective shares of 53 percent and 52 percent. In contrast, only 18 percent of individuals in Finland said they came across fake news as frequently. That year, most of the respondents to a survey across the 28 European member states claimed that fake news represented a problem for their country.

Trust in online social network news

The level of trust in news coming from online social networks and messaging apps varied from country to country in the EU, according to a survey conducted in 2018. In Portugal, a combined 41 percent of respondents said they trusted social media as a news source. This was closely followed by Croatia, at 40 percent. At 17 percent, Austria and Germany had both the lowest level of trust in news from social media. In 2019, a survey conducted by Ipsos looked at opinions in Europe on temporary social media bans to prevent fake news in times of crisis. This survey revealed that 84 percent of respondents in Russia trusted social media companies to ensure the factuality of shared content in times of crisis, compared to 28 percent of individuals in Great Britain.