This is the second year the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has funded Ireland's inclusion in the report, which is in its fifth year of publication.
Findings published on Wednesday the 15th of June highlight the widespread use of smartphones, the growth of news on social media, and the rise of ad blockers.
More detailed findings on Ireland have also been produced by the Institute for Future Media and Journalism (FuJo) at Dublin City University and commissioned by the BAI. In particular it notes over half of Irish consumers now get their news from social media sites, with over one in ten people using them as their primary news source.
This research shows that while TV is Ireland’s most popular platform for accessing news at 73%, Facebook is our most popular social media site with 45% using the platform as a source for news. Its states, “The continuing rise in social media as a platform for accessing news and the decline in the more traditional platforms raises a number of issues in relation to access to, and funding for, quality news content into the future.”
Although all Irish demographics have a high rate of news consumption, and are influenced by social media and mobile devices, traditional media such as print and radio are still “deeply integrated” into Irish news consumption routines.
Other notable findings show that the widespread availability of free news means people are less willing to pay for online news sources and also include topics such as ad blockers and trust.
Commenting on the Irish results of the survey, Dr Jane Suiter, director of FuJo, said: “The Digital News Report puts Irish and international trends in perspective. Worldwide, the popularity of smartphones and ad blockers has created a powerful role for Facebook while presenting some significant difficulties for publishers.”
Michael O’Keeffe, BAI Chief Executive, noted: “From the BAI’s perspective, the provision of well-resourced news and current affairs and the facilitation of conversation and debate are important safeguards in a democratic society. Over the past number of years, the BAI has sought to lead and contribute to the debate on plurality in Irish broadcasting. Today’s research findings pose a number of challenges with regard to both the points of access to, and the sources of, news for citizens in Ireland. The BAI is currently in the process of developing its new strategy for 2017-2019 and research reports such as the one launched here today will play an important role in informing our thinking in this area.”
