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News: the rebound

Highlight of this barometer carried out since 1987: the renewed interest in current affairs.

76% of respondents (1,500 adults questioned by internet or telephone according to the quota method) say they follow it "with great interest", compared to 62% last year.

"This is the fifth highest level in 35 years," said Jean-Christophe Ploquin, editor-in-chief of La Croix, during a press conference.

However, this proportion is lower among those under 35 (66%).

In addition, four out of ten respondents say they are more interested in news than a few years ago.

This coincides with “rich news in 2022” (Ukraine, presidential in France, etc.) after the Covid period, commented Guillaume Caline, of the Kantar Public institute, which produces this barometer.

However, this is to be qualified by the fact that one in five respondents (21%) is less interested in it than before, and even one in three (33%) among those under 35 years old.

And half of those surveyed (51%) often feel "weary" with the news, the famous "information fatigue" pointed out by several studies recently.

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Too much or not enough ?

The World Cup in Qatar (for 48% of respondents), the death of the Queen of England (43%) and the fuel shortage (40%): these are the three subjects that the media talked about too much in 2022.

Conversely, 51% believe that the media have not talked enough about the end-of-life debate.

According to Mr. Caline, this shows "the interest of the French for subjects likely to affect them directly".

The treatment of the war in Ukraine arouses mixed opinions: 41% think that the media spoke about it at the right level and 38% that they spoke about it too much.

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central tv

TV newspapers, radio, news channels, websites, paper dailies, social networks: every day, the French use on average nearly 4 channels to get information.

But, in this "multiplicity of sources of information", TV "keeps a central place", according to Mr. Caline.

Thus, the news is the channel that respondents prefer to get information on a daily basis, regardless of age (35% of the entire panel).

Among 18-24 year olds, social networks come second, while this place is occupied by news channels in all other age groups.

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Mistrust, always

Even if the judgment is less severe than last year, the loss of confidence remains an underlying trend.

More than half of respondents (54%) think that, "most of the time, you have to be wary of what the media says on major news topics".

However, "this reflex of distrust" exists especially when we consider the media "in a global way", as an "institution", weighted Mr. Caline: "Taken in isolation, it is much less negative".

Thus, among those polled who obtain information via the news, 73% trust them.

This proportion is also 73% for radio, 66% for national daily newspapers but only 46% for news and entertainment programs on TV and 40% for influencers.

In addition, the image of journalists remains degraded: 59% of those polled think that they do not resist political pressure and 56% financial pressure.

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Young people and networks

Social networks "have made their mark" as a source of information, "especially among the youngest", noted Mr. Ploquin.

All generations combined, 35% of respondents use them daily for this purpose.

Paradoxically, only 36% of those who get information about the networks trust them.

And the report to this source of information highlights "a strong generational divide", according to Mr. Caline.

Thus, after 35 years, 6 out of 10 respondents think that the distribution on the information networks by "people who are not media or journalists" is a bad thing.

A proportion that is reversed among the youngest: half of those under 35 consider that it is a good thing.

© 2023 AFP