Long-term media trends remain stable, but trust and a willingness to pay for content is slightly up in Switzerland this year, according to the Reuters Digital News Report.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/dos
Published on Thursday, the annual overviewExternal link of online news across almost 40 countries wrote that, in general, “signs of hope” for the news industry are emerging after a turbulent period.
Across many of the countries surveyed, Reuters reported, the march of social media stalled somewhat, while ‘traditional’ publications staged a resurgence with models moving “towards higher quality content and more emphasis on reader payment”.
In Switzerland, where the media landscape was dominated in the past year by debates around the ‘No Billag’ initiative – as well as intensified (if less noticed) “concentration in the private media sector” – the trends were similar.
Trust in news in general is up 6 percentage points in the Alpine nation, where it now sits at 52%, similar to the level in neighbours France and Germany. Most trusted in Switzerland are public broadcaster RTS and SRF, as well as traditional newspapers Le Temps and NZZ.
Facebook dropped slightly as a source of news – one-third of Swiss cited it – while trust in news content on social media also remained low, at 22%. And after a year in which privacy concerns were high on the news agenda, a noticeable shift was in the numbers using ad-blocking software: up 10 percentage points to 29%.
The stalling of Facebook’s progress, in particular, reflects a wider international trend, the report noted: in the US those using the social network as a news source dropped 9 percentage points in the past year.
Nevertheless, the Swiss remain reluctant to reach into their wallets to pay for online news: just 12% do so, up a point from the previous year. In frontrunner France, just under half of those surveyed said they paid an online subscription.
That said, Switzerland does retain relatively high levels of print readership – still over a half of those surveyed – but the trend is clear, with the numbers falling by 8 percentage points over the past three years.
Popular Stories
More
Banking & Fintech
Luxury heir claims his CHF11 billion Hermès fortune has vanished
What can be done to protect biodiversity in your country?
Swiss voters are set to decide on a people’s initiative calling for better protection of ecosystems in the country. Have your say on the September 22 vote.
Swiss investigate four people linked to Russian oligarch
This content was published on
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland is investigating four individuals linked to Russian oligarch Suleyman Kerimov.
Swiss government scrambles to deal with egg shortage
This content was published on
From September 1, more eggs intended for consumption may be imported into Switzerland. In allowing this, the government wants to secure the supply of eggs for consumers.
This content was published on
Agricultural research sees new development opportunities for Swiss sparkling wines in the face of declining wine consumption. In a survey, half of consumers expressed a willingness to pay more for local products than for foreign ones.
Locarno spotlights filmmakers from South America and Caribbean
This content was published on
The Open Doors section of the Locarno Film Festival has named the winners for 2024. The spotlight is on the South American and Caribbean regions.
Storm paralyses trains to popular Swiss tourist resort
This content was published on
The railway line between Zweilütschinen and Grindelwald in central Switzerland is expected to remain closed until Friday following heavy rains.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Most young Swiss keep informed online
This content was published on
They are strong, they are dominant, they have money – and they are located outside the Swiss sphere of influence: the internet giants or “tech intermediaries”. They are social media platforms, especially Facebook and Google, that no longer merely serve as a means of keeping in touch with family and friends. In Switzerland, the generation…
This content was published on
As media habits shift in Switzerland, new projects are emerging to complement traditional publications. One of them launched last week.
Government minister calls for media quality and diversity
This content was published on
In a wide-ranging interviewExternal link on Monday with the Watson news platform and several regional newspapers, Leuthard said a dominant role for a single player in the media sector was not desirable. “It must be the goal to secure diversity and quality in the media for democratic reasons,” she said. Leuthard also expressed concern about…
Switzerland’s largest media group strengthens dominant position
This content was published on
Switzerland’s largest media group, Zurich-based Tamedia, has struck a deal with one of the country’s most controversial politicians, Christoph Blocher.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.