[통계자료] 「디지털 뉴스 보고서 2024」를 통해 살펴보는 한국과 독일의 미디어 환경 변화
[Date] November 22, 2024 [Views] 2,403
According to the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford, public trust in the media in Korea is relatively low at 31% (compared to Japan 43%, Hong Kong 55%). The platforms through which people consume news are online including social media (79%), TV (62%), social media (44%), and print (16%), in that order. In addition, 22% of respondents said they share news via social media, messaging apps, or email. The most used social media platforms for news consumption were YouTube (51%), KakaoTalk (19%), Instagram (12%), Facebook (9%), TikTok (5%), and X (formerly Twitter) (4%). The report noted, “News consumption in Korea has been steadily declining in recent years, particularly among younger generations.”
<‘Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2024’ – Source: Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of Oxford>
What about Germany? Public trust in news fell by 7 percentage points last year and currently stands at 43%, lower than pre-COVID-19 levels. German media consumers use online sources including social media (67%), TV (60%), social media (34%), and print (20%) as their main news sources. In both Korea and Germany, online news consumption occupies the largest share.
Meanwhile, 13% of respondents in Germany said they pay for online news services. The most used social media platforms for news were YouTube (21%), Facebook (16%), WhatsApp (15%), Instagram (11%), TikTok (5%), and X (5%). The report stated, “Although only 14% of German consumers have a favorable view of AI-generated news, the approval rate increases to 36% when journalists lead production and AI is used as an auxiliary tool.” It also noted that “German media outlets are introducing AI to assist in news production, while hostile actions against journalists by far-right groups remain an issue.” The most trusted media outlet in Germany was the public broadcaster ARD Tagesschau (64%).
A key feature of the German media landscape is its management structure built on strong public service principles. In March 2023, the German federal state broadcasting commission established a “Future Commission” to reform public broadcasting. Composed of eight experts from various fields, the commission released recommendations in January of this year focusing on the digital transformation and efficiency of public broadcasters to safeguard public service values. Trust in German public broadcasting remains high, and it is noteworthy that even among youth—who are frequent users of social media—public broadcasters enjoy strong credibility.
<The level of trust among German youth in traditional media remains high – Source: Statista>
According to the 2024 Shell Jugendstudie conducted in Germany, young people continue to show high levels of trust in traditional media. In particular, public broadcasters ARD and ZDF scored 83% in trust levels, and nationwide daily newspapers 80%. Although trust in online sources remained below 60%, it has increased compared to 2019: trust in YouTube rose from 43% to 53%, in social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram from 25% to 36%, and in X from 23% to 29%. The study surveyed about 2,500 young people aged 12 to 25 across Germany.
The report warned of the harms caused by yellow journalism in Korea. Regarding German journalism, it pointed out that hostile acts toward journalists—such as physically blocking newspaper deliveries—have become problematic. Amid rapid changes in the media landscape, questions remain as to how traditional German media can sustain public trust and how the value of future journalism should be defined and protected—issues requiring ongoing societal discussion.
Photo Credits and References