Every now and then I get a chance to speak to university students about communications and my work at an international NGO.
I like to use those occasions to learn more about their
information-gathering habits. Where do they get their news?
This fall I spoke to a group of students taking an International Development
Studies (IDS) course at the University of Winnipeg.
Before speaking, I had them fill out a short (and very unscientific)
survey.
Demographically, they were between the ages of 18-25. 21 were female, 4
were male.
Here's what I asked.
What do they think are
the most trustworthy sources of information?
90%: NGOs
63%: Activist organizations
47%: Mainstream media
5%: Social media
0%: Political parties or religious groups
I was surprised to find NGOs and activist organizations higher than the
mainstream media. But maybe that's because they are IDS students.
I wasn't surprised to see that politicians and religious groups were poorly regarded—but zero percent?
What news do they
want the most?
60%: National
56%: Foreign
37%: Local
30% Sports
16% Health
13% Arts
0% Business
Again, given they are taking an IDS course, it follows that foreign news
would rank high.
The poor showing for business surprises me, since business
impacts international development in many ways.
What is your main
source of news?
69%: Social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube)
66%: Mainstream media (79% online)
32%: Radio
32%: TV
In this, they are like other Canadian young adults; social media is the primary source of information.
At the same time, when you consider how little trust they put in social media, it’s surprising
to see that as #1.
I’m guessing they see it as a way find and access information from other news
sources—that's how many people use Facebook and Twitter today to learn what’s happening in
the world.
As for how they access news, it's mostly online. 96% said
they get it through their phone. Laptops trail far behind at 18%, with desktop computers at 3%.
As for what media they get like to get news from, they listed the New York
Times, Globe and Mail, Winnipeg Free Press, Al Jazeera, CNN, the BBC and the
Guardian.
What to make of this?
Not too much, except to confirm what we already
know: Younger people get their information online, and via social media.
As for politicians, these young adults are not alone; a
recent survey found that politicians are the least respected profession in Canada
for all ages.
In retrospect, I should have asked if they would pay to get news. With media trying to find a new business model, that would be interesting information.
What other questions would you ask?
1 comment:
Thanks for this. Two 'surprises' prompted some thoughts. NGOs and activist organizations Vs mainstream media. IDS students at UW do get an NGO emphasis consistent with the Anabaptist-Mennonite faith foundations of the programs at Menno Simons College (Canadian Mennonite University affiliated with UW). A poor showing for business reflects the historic divisions within IDS in general. Different 'schools' of development thought and practice emphasize different approaches led by actors in private, public, and voluntary/NGO sectors. Taken together, perhaps your data reflect students' suspicion of 'big' organizations (government, business) as capable and trustworthy actors for sustainable and inclusive development that reaches the most marginalized persons and communities.
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