Australians trust newspapers more than they do in Facebook, survey finds
AUSTRALIA’S distrust of social media has increased in the wake of concerns about data privacy and the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Instead there has been a “flight to quality”, with more Australians putting their trust in newspapers.
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AUSTRALIA’S distrust of social media has increased in the wake of concerns about data privacy and the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
Instead there has been a “flight to quality”, with more Australians putting their trust in newspapers.
“Consumers are now well aware their personal data is being commercialised and, in some instances, their privacy traded for profit and, as a result, have honed their media choices,” NewsMediaWorks chief executive Peter Miller said.
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The second Galaxy Research AdTrust survey of 4200 Australians found the majority trust Facebook less than they did six months ago and two-thirds said they did not trust advertising on the social-media site. By contrast, trust in newspapers and the advertising in newspapers has gone up.
“The further erosion of trust consumers have in social media demonstrates they are tuned into the real news, nearly all of which has been revealed by quality newspapers and news websites. That’s where advertisers should be headed too,” Mr Miller said.
Newspapers were the most trusted media with the survey’s measure increasing by 13 points to 48 while trust in social media dropped to -20.
Confidence in social media has been severely undermined by the harvesting of personal data from Facebook by UK company Cambridge Analytica for use in political campaigns.
In his testimony before US Congress, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg apologised and admitted he had not done enough to stop Facebook being misused.
“That goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections and hate speech,” he said.
The survey found people under the age of 35 had more trust in all media and used more digital media but still ranked ads in newspapers as the most trustworthy.
“The facts are irrefutable — trust in content and trust in ads go hand-in-hand,” Mr Miller said. “Where do brands go when they are seeking to rebuild lost trust in their organisations? They run ads in newspapers — as National Australia Bank, KFC and, ironically, Facebook have done in recent months.”
The survey also provided guidance for advertisers, with almost six out of 10 people saying that the more they trusted an ad, the more likely they are to buy what it is selling.
“We are seeing a flight to quality, with consumers relying more on established news brands they trust and proactively dismissing messages — either content or ads — they see in media they distrust,” Mr Miller said.