Image

The survey's first wave was produced at the end of 2013. French people appear to still be "fans" of news and loyal to conventional media (radio, TV, press). But social networks are a growing entry point to news.

*Study performed in the context of post-attack news coverage.

Image

Living cut off from the noise of the world? This is not something that is widely done. On the contrary: 98% of those 18 and over state they read the news, with 90% daily, and even several times per day for nearly 2/3 of them (63%). Only 2% never do this, half of whom because "it doesn't interest them".

Carried out from 27 January to 16 February 2016, in a representative sample of 3,105 individuals over 18 years old, the multimedia 24/7 News study confirms a still-lively appetite for news. 
 

Between 2013 and 2016, habits remained rather stable, both in preferred times for getting news (morning between 6 and 9am, evening between 6 and 9pm, and during the week more than the weekend), as well as the use of conventional media as news sources. A new fact: the 2016 study highlights a significant growth in the use of digital news resources. 

As a result, 38% of the population (compared to 34% in 2013) state they access news from the web, either through: 
-    News pages on the web (from web portals); 
-    Pure players in online news (Slate, Rue89, Mediapart, Huffington Post, etc.)
-    Social networks (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google, Instagram, etc.)

These news channels are used mostly by those 18-24 years old (77%), and increasingly so by those in higher income groups (49%). 
"With 17% of individuals declaring they get news this way, compared to 12% in 2013, the channel of social networks is becoming more important. Among 18-24-year-olds, it is even 1 of the 3 most-used resources, cited by 63% of respondents, almost tying with continuous news channels (64%), although still far from TV news (84%)", noted Jamila Yahia Messaoud, Director of the Ad Hoc and Media Behaviour department at Médiamétrie. 
The top network cited by 83% of social media users is Facebook, ahead of Twitter (35%) and YouTube (32%). Fifty-one percent of those eighteen and over who check social networks to get news view at least two.

 

Image

A customised newsfeed 

Social networks meet two essential expectations: immediacy and selection of news relevant to the user. For half, the "rapid updating of news" is mentioned as a reason to check social networks to get news. But the primary lever, cited by 51% of those 18 and over who visit social networks, is their capacity to offer personalised content, centralise it and let them choose the news that interests them. 

Social networks deliver a "customised newsfeed", news adapted to the user's preferences, whether "driven by friends, social circle, or by the network itself", through the algorithms that have learned about the user, explained Yahia Messaoud.

This phenomenon echoes the growing share of individuals who say they are selective, only interested in certain subjects: this group represented 22% of individuals in 2016, or 4 points higher than in 2013. 
Further, while interest in news is widely shared across the population, and certain subjects attract more interest than others (especially health/science subjects, international news and culture), preferences are more or less marked according to individuals' profiles: Seniors like local news; younger audiences enjoy subjects related to new technologies

Complementary to traditional media

Even so, this way of accessing news is seen as complementing conventional media, without replacing it. The primary activity of individuals who get their news on social networks is "reading articles shared by friends" (84%), articles that often come from conventional media. Moreover, 51% get their news on social networks by following the page of a conventional media source

Consulting social networks does not mean starting and ending there. While the highest satisfaction rating for news goes to general-interest radio stations (graded 7.4/10), followed by the national daily press, continuous news stations, etc., social networks lag behind, with a satisfaction grade of 6.6. They have not increased since 2013, unlike general-interest radio stations, the daily press or TV news. Even among 18-24 year-olds, who are the biggest users, these networks receive a satisfaction grade lower than those for radio, the national daily press and continuous news stations. 

Perceived as real-time newsfeeds from innovative media, social networks do not offer any distance from events, nor the capacity to analyse them, according to those interviewed. 
Two of the most important satisfaction criteria on news resources are providing information that is detailed and analysed, and that allows for taking a step back. As in 2013, people expect news resources to investigate and give expert analysis first and foremost. As a result, TV news remains a sure value, used by 80% of the population to stay informed. 64% of 18-24 year-olds say they stay informed via TV news, which does not mean regular viewing, but it does demonstrate this remains an essential resource for them. Continuous news channels are gaining ground. 

The limit of social networks to inform is particularly noticeable with notable events, defined as unexpected or important. 
These circumstances modify habits of consulting the news, with the use of continuous news channels intensifying (growing from 52% of the population viewing them in a normal period to 59% during a notable event). This rise comes at the expense of other media, in particular social networks (17% viewing in a normal period, 16% with notable events). A sign that even while a social network like Facebook cuts to the heart of the matter with its news, in particular by launching "Safety Check" during the Paris attacks, social networks remain far behind news stations when a big story happens (although they are more widely used than in 2013 – 16% in 2016 vs. 12% in 2013), events which cause an expectation for in-depth facts and live follow-up. 

Isabelle Repiton