Number of people paying for their news rises ‘after stagnating for years', report finds
Of those with a paid subscription to a digital news service, the highest percentage sign up for the Irish Independent, at 36pc, followed by The Irish Times at 33pc, and The New York Times at 22pc.
In terms of people paying for news subscriptions, the most significant gains over the last two years have been in the 35 to 44 years age group.
Dr Dawn Wheatley, of Dublin City University (DCU), one of the authors of the report, said: 'The slight bump over the past year provides some optimism for news producers as the figure had stagnated since 2021.
'The current rate of payment in Ireland is double that of the UK and above the European average, so Irish news producers have reason for some optimism, even if perhaps the pace and rate of growth has not been as hoped for.'
The survey finds most people in Ireland (56pc) say they are interested in news. This is the highest level since 2022, but down from a peak of 70pc during the Covid pandemic.
Asked if they trust the news most of the time, 50pc of Irish people agreed
The enthusiasm for news puts Irish audiences ahead of their counterparts in the UK (39pc), US (51pc) and Europe (45pc).
Only 3pc say they are 'not at all interested' in news. The number of 'news avoiders' is reducing, with 41pc of those surveyed saying they 'often' or 'sometimes' avoid news, down three percentage points in the last year.
Asked if they trust the news most of the time, 50pc of people agreed, compared with 35pc in the UK, and 30pc in the US.
Traditional news outlets still perform well in this category. Among the most trusted brands are RTÉ News (72pc), BBC News and The Irish Times (both 70pc) and the Irish Independent (68pc).
Smartphones continue to be the devices people most often use to get their news, at 77pc. Over the last decade, the number of people using tablets to get their news has remained the same.
Research for the Digital News Report is done by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, at Oxford University, with analysis of the Irish data by DCU.
The 'Indo Daily', the 'Irish Independent' daily podcast, was the most familiar
A total of 2,000 people were surveyed in Ireland between the middle of January and the end of February, with the sample balanced by age, gender, region and education level.
Eleven per cent of Irish respondents say they use radio as their primary source of news, more than in Britain (8pc) or the US (3pc). Irish audiences are also tuning into podcasts, with 12pc using them as a source of news in the last week.
Podcast listeners were asked to name news podcasts they were familiar with. The Indo Daily, the Irish Independent's daily podcast, was the most cited.
Social media platform X is seen as the greatest threat when it comes to false and misleading information, cited by 54pc of those surveyed, followed by TikTok and Facebook, both on 53pc.
The Guardian and Le Monde.
Last January, Le Monde
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