News sources in Australia 2023
Australians use a variety of media sources, both online and off, to access news. In 2023, around 58 percent of Australians accessed news via TV, while 51 percent of respondents caught up on news online. By comparison, just 19 percent used print-based media to access news.
Trust in digital news sources versus printed sources
In 2020, the level of trust Australians place in their main news source was around 47 percent; notably, newspaper readers had a higher level of trust with 39 percent, than those who obtained news online, with 35 percent. Whilst most newspaper consumers trust them as a source of news, around one-fifth said they distrusted the publications. The level of trust that social media companies will ensure that content on their respective platforms is factual is also low, particularly during times of crisis. Just nine percent of Australians strongly agree that social media companies will ensure content is genuine.
The rise of fake news
As of September 2018, 59 percent of Australians said they had experienced news stories that were made up for political or commercial reasons. Elsewhere, 57 percent said they had seen articles that had been made to look like news but were actually advertisements. Just 20 percent said they hadn’t seen anything that could be described as fake news.
Trust in digital news sources versus printed sources
In 2020, the level of trust Australians place in their main news source was around 47 percent; notably, newspaper readers had a higher level of trust with 39 percent, than those who obtained news online, with 35 percent. Whilst most newspaper consumers trust them as a source of news, around one-fifth said they distrusted the publications. The level of trust that social media companies will ensure that content on their respective platforms is factual is also low, particularly during times of crisis. Just nine percent of Australians strongly agree that social media companies will ensure content is genuine.
The rise of fake news
As of September 2018, 59 percent of Australians said they had experienced news stories that were made up for political or commercial reasons. Elsewhere, 57 percent said they had seen articles that had been made to look like news but were actually advertisements. Just 20 percent said they hadn’t seen anything that could be described as fake news.
