The refrain of “fake news” might not be having as much impact on print and broadcast news sources as it is on social media platforms and online-only publications.
Kantar interviewed 8,000 people in the United States, Brazil, France and the United Kingdom to get their opinions on news outlets’ coverage of politics and elections. Respondents said that “fake news” claims did less to damage the reputations of print and broadcast due to the perceived “depth of coverage being delivered.”
About 72% of respondents said print magazines are the most trusted news source, with print newspapers and TV and radio news following closely. But only 1 in 3 recognize social media sites and messaging apps as a trusted news source, and only half of the respondents said online only publications were trusted news sources.
RELATED: Trump continues fight with NBC News, threatens to revoke license
About 46% of news audiences in all four countries surveyed thought that ‘fake news’ influenced on the outcome of their most recent election; in the U.S. that number reached 47%.
"Traditional news media have largely defended itself against the ‘fake news’ accusations and continue to enjoy high levels of trust among news audiences. The challenge now is for those companies to monetize that loyalty and we've identified some routes for them to explore," said Kantar CEO Eric Salama. "Traditional news media need to have the confidence to invest in their brands, while devising flexible subscription models for younger generations of consumers who have grown comfortable with subscription models."