According to a report by the Iberian Observatory of Digital Media (Iberifier) published this Wednesday, young Portuguese aged 25 to 34 trust the news least, while in Spain the age ranges from 18 to 24.
“In both countries, trust in the media and the idea of journalism and news as a solution to the problem of disinformation are significantly less common among younger generations, especially those aged 18 to 24,” says the report, Patterns of Disinformation Consumption in Portugal. and Spain”, prepared by Iberifier.
“Negative news behaviour, such as active news avoidance and loss of interest, is more common not only among young people, but in particular among the poorest and least educated, and this aspect we believe has a particular impact on potential increase in polarization in both countries,” the document says.
According to data on trust in news, in 2015, 60% of young Portuguese aged 18 to 24 trusted the media, a figure that rose to 65% in the 25-34 age group.
In 2023, these percentages fell to 52% in the 18-24 age group and 48% in the 25-34 age group, which recorded the lowest rate.
In Spain, according to 2022 data, 24% of 18-24 year olds and 20% of 25-34 year olds trust the media.
According to the researchers, it is “younger groups who exhibit greater distance from news and, in particular, those who are less educated, and these conditions may contribute to the polarization of society.”
“From a holistic perspective, disinformation is considered to be a multi-dimensional phenomenon and therefore requires multidisciplinary intervention,” and “its mitigation involves bringing together actions and agents, from civil society actors to legislators, political parties, governments and security services.” ” strength,” he concludes.
The study is the result of a “systematic analysis of a range of studies on the production, creation, dissemination and impact of disinformation, including reports developed over the past four years by the Iberian Digital Media Observatory, Iberifier, as well as analyzes provided by reference publications.” such as the Digital News Report (2023) and the European Commission’s Eurobarometer.”
Iberifier brings together 23 Iberian research centers and universities, Portuguese, Lusian and Spanish news agencies, EFE and fact-checkers such as Polígrafo e Prova dos Factos – Público from Portugal, and Maldita.es and Efe Verifica from Spain.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Tifany Hawkins, a professional journalist with years of experience in news reporting. I currently work for a prominent news website and write articles for 24NewsReporters as an author. My primary focus is on economy-related stories, though I am also experienced in several other areas of journalism.