Reuters: 80 Per Cent of Executives See Newsbrands As A Mark Of Quality
Newsbrands are held as a mark of quality and are trusted nearly seven times more than social media for verifying news stories, according to a Reuters report.
The Tomorrow’s News survey, based on a survey of 1,587 global executives also shows that the vast majority of people (81 per cent) believe Facebook and Google should be held accountable for the content distributed on their platforms.
The survey also found that executives are doubtful of social media as a news source, as 85 per cent said the rise of “fake news” has made them sceptical of news stories shared on Facebook and Twitter.
The survey also finds that three out of four executives claim to have seen brands advertising alongside unsavoury or objectionable stories or videos, and 77 per cent agree that advertising next to inappropriate content can damage the perception of a brand.
Furthermore, brands are held responsible for where adverts are placed: 62 per cent agree that “brands have full control over where their advertising appears”.
Facebook has started to rank newsbrands by trust, with users deciding which publisher were “broadly trusted” and in turn appear more regularly on the platform’s News Feed.
Last week in a separate Digital News Report, Reuters showed that only 12 per cent of people in the UK trust news on social media, with the use of social media for news in the UK falling by two per cent.
Speaking at the Digital News Report launch, David Dinsmore, NMA chairman and News UK COO siad: “The good thing is our content has never been more popular than it is now and that’s what gets us out of bed in the morning. Particularly for newspapers and newsbrands, we still set the agenda every day. It is the first thing that is reviewed on the TV, the first thing that is talked about on the radio, it’s what social media is based upon.”
Other key stats from the Tomorrow News survey:
- 88 per cent turn to online news brands to obtain in depth analysis of a news story, compared to 12 per cent to social media;
- 80 per cent turn to online news brands to obtain opinions from respected anchors, reporters, journalists, compared to 17 per cent to social media;
- 85 per cent agree that fake news has made them doubt the reliability of news stories shared on social media;
- 90 per cent agree people can only have an informed opinion if they are exposed to content they both agree and disagree with;
- 88 per cent agree they prefer to see balanced content they like and dislike, rather than targeted content solely based on their preferences;
- 66 per cent agree they are more likely to notice an advertiser if it appears on a trusted news site;
- 64 per cent agree they are more likely to respond to an advertisement if it appears on a trusted news site;
- 80 per cent agree a news brand is a mark of quality on a story;
- 83 per cent turn to online news brands to verify the source of a news story, compared to 12 per cent to social media;
- 81 per cent agree Facebook and Google should be held accountable for the content they carry on their platform.
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