Latest news with #RónánÓDomhnaill
RTÉ News
5 hours ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Interest in news among Irish adults remains high
The annual Digital News Report for Ireland 2025 shows that at 56%, more than half the adult population in Ireland is 'extremely' or 'very interested' in news. The figure for Irish people is higher than for the UK (39%), the US (51%) and above the European average (45%). The figure is included in the 11th edition of the annual report published today in Galway by Coimisiún na Meán. Up 3 points from last year, the figure represents the highest level of interest in news since 2022, but down from a peak of 70% in 2021, during the Covid pandemic. When asked about trusted sources of news, RTÉ News (72%), local radio news (72%) and local newspapers (71%) emerge as the most trusted brands. Meanwhile 70% of Irish respondents described the Irish Times as trustworthy, with the same percentage for BBC News; 68% for the Irish Independent and 66% for Newstalk, Today FM and Sky News. When asked for their thoughts about online news, 68% of Irish respondents said they are concerned about what is real and what is fake online. All age groups showed concern about fake information online, with the highest rate (72%) among those aged 65+ and the lowest rate (62%) among those aged 18-24. The report also reveals that one in five Irish people are now paying for their news. Digital news subscription figures in Ireland now stand at 20%, which is a three-point increase from this time last year. When asked which digital news service they subscribed to, 36% of people said they paid for the Irish independent and 33% paid for the Irish Times' service. Rónán Ó Domhnaill, Media Development Commissioner at Coimisiún na Meán, said that they recognise that An Coimisiún's ambition for developing the media landscape requires "ongoing and sustainable levels of funding for media outlets to support high-quality journalism, and news that people can trust". When asked if Irish audiences trust the news "most of the time", 50% of respondents in Ireland 'agreed' or 'strongly agreed', compared to 35% in the UK, 30% in the US, and 39% for merged data from Europe. In response to the questions "which platforms you have used in the last week as a source of news", the results reveal that 58% of Irish respondents said television, with the same percentage (58%) citing online media (excluding social media and blogs). Meanwhile, 47% said they have used social media as a source of news in the last week, with 36% saying radio, 22% saying printed newspapers, 12% saying podcasts, and 5% citing AI chatbots. In 2025, 11% of Irish respondents said they use radio as their primary source of news, which is significantly higher compared to the UK (8%), and when asked about the use of radio as a source of any news consumed, this figure increases to 36%. Figures for podcast listenership are growing as 12% listened to podcasts as a source of news in the last week, higher than in the UK (7%) and the European average (9%) but lower than the US (15%). Audiences' attitudes to the use of AI for news are changing. Last year, those 'very' and 'somewhat' comfortable with news mainly produced by AI with some human oversight were 15%. This has increased to 19% this year, with under-35s almost twice as comfortable as over-35s when considering the same measure. Commenting on the report, Dr Eileen Culloty, Deputy Director of the DCU Institute for Future Media, Democracy and Society (FuJo) who worked on the survey, said: ''Local media enjoy strong public trust, But trust alone doesn't pay salaries or sustain newsrooms. "The big challenge is to convert trust into viable careers in local journalism so that local media can continue informing communities." Earlier this year, Coimisiún na Meán awarded €5.7m through new journalism schemes, funded by the Department of Arts, Culture, Communications, Media and Sport and which covered local democracy and courts reporting. These schemes have facilitated over 100 new or enhanced journalism roles in Ireland to date.
Irish Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- General
- Irish Daily Mirror
One in six Irish very interested in news, significantly higher than UK and US
Irish people are more interested in the news and have better trust in mainstream media compared to the UK and US, a new study has revealed. Some 56 per cent say they are extremely or very interested in the news, according to the Irish Digital News Report 2025 published on Tuesday. This is higher than the UK (39 per cent), the US (51 per cent) and ahead of the European average at 45 per cent. While Irish people have a high interest in news, up 3 per cent on last year, it has fallen significantly from a peak of 70 per cent in 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic. Just 3 per cent of those surveyed in this country said they are "not at all interested" in the news. Irish audiences also trust mainstream news outlets more compared with other countries, with 50 per cent saying they trust the news "most of the time". This compares to 35 per cent in the UK, 30 per cent in the US and 39 per cent for all of Europe. Traditional news outlets continue to hold the most trust from the Irish audience. RTÉ News (72 per cent), local or regional radio (72 per cent), and local or regional newspapers (71 per cent) are the most trusted brands. Some 70 per cent described the Irish Times and BBC News as trustworthy, followed by 66 per cent for the Irish Independent, Sky News, Newstalk and Today FM. However, Irish people remain concerned about misinformation with 68 per cent saying they worry about what is real and fake online. Television and news websites are the most popular way that Irish people are consuming news. Some 58 per cent of respondents said they have watched TV or consumed online media in the past week to stay up to date on news, while 47 per cent said they used social media as a source of news. A further 36 per cent said they listened to the radio, 22 per cent read a printed newspaper, 12 per cent listened to a podcast to get the latest headlines and 5 per cent used AI chatbots. Radio listenership remains high in Ireland, with 11 per cent of respondents saying they use radio as their primary source of news. This is 3 per cent higher than the UK, 8 per cent more than the US and 4 per cent above the European average. Podcasts are also very popular in this country, with 12 per cent saying they used them as a source of news in the last week. The number of Irish people willing to pay for digital news has significantly increased over the past decade. Some 20 per cent of the population are now paying for news, which is up from 7 per cent in 2015 and 3 per cent on last year. Of those that pay for a digital subscription, 36 per cent are subscribed to the Irish Independent and 33 per cent to The Irish Times. Rónán Ó Domhnaill of Coimisiún na Meán said the Digital News Report shows that most Irish people "can't get enough of news". He added: "It is encouraging to see that interest in news remains high in Ireland when compared internationally, even as the formats used to consume news continue to change. "We are heartened to see the continuing trend of the Irish public's unique and longstanding relationship with radio, which remains a cornerstone of Ireland's media landscape. It is also important to see the trust Irish people place in local news sources, with local radio and local newspapers among the most trusted brands for Irish audiences."
Irish Examiner
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Over half of Irish people interested in news, two-thirds worried about online disinformation
More than half (56%) of Irish people are extremely or very interested in the news, higher than the European average, with local news brands the most trusted for Irish audiences, a new report has found. According to the Digital News Report Ireland 2025, published by media regulator Coimisiún na Meán, enthusiasm for news among people in Ireland is "robust" and higher than audiences in the UK (39%), the European average (45%), and the US (51%). The majority of Irish people view traditional news outlets as their most trusted sources for news. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of those who participated in the research, carried out by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford, with analysis of Irish data provided by DCU's Institute for Future Media, Democracy and Society (FuJo), listed local or regional radio as their most trusted news source, on par with RTÉ on 72%, and followed closely by local or regional newspapers on 71%. The report also noted that 20% of people in Ireland are now paying for news, up three percentage points on the figure recorded in the Digital News Report Ireland Report from last year. As for the way in which people here get their news, 58% said they had viewed the news on television during the week before the study was conducted. The same percentage said they had got their news from online media, excluding social media and blogs. Nearly half of people (47%) said they had used social media to consume their news, followed by radio (36%), printed newspapers (22%), podcasts (12%), and AI chatbots (5%). The percentage of Irish audiences getting their news from podcasts (12%) was also higher than in the UK (7%) and the European average (9%), but lower than the US (15%). Disinformation On the topic of disinformation and misinformation online, more than two-thirds of Irish people (68%) said they were concerned about what is real and what is fake on on the internet, with this concern expressed across all age cohorts. Commenting on the report, media development commissioner at Coimisiún na Meán, Rónán Ó Domhnaill, said it was "encouraging to see that interest in news remains high in Ireland when compared internationally, even as the formats used to consume news continue to change. "We are heartened to see the continuing trend of the Irish public's unique and longstanding relationship with radio, which remains a cornerstone of Ireland's media landscape. "It is also important to see the trust Irish people place in local news sources, with local radio and local newspapers among the most trusted brands for Irish audiences," he added.
