Over 70% Indians rely on online media for news; majority on social media: Report

NEW DELHI: Nearly 71% people in Indians prefer online medium for news with 49% relying on social media, digital news report 2024 by Reuters Institute said. It further stated that 54% Indians consume news from YouTube, 48% from WhatsApp and 35% from Facebook.
The report is based on YouGov survey covering over 95,000 individuals in 47 countries, representing approximately half of the global population.
When it comes to the device used for news, majority, i.e. 79% of responders use mobile phones for news consumption.

The report states that people's reliance on television for news is declining with 46% this year. However, print media remained at the lowest at 40%. Nearly 49% people use social media for news.
Overall, 71% people depend on online media for news.

With 54%, YouTube tops in terms of online platforms used for news consumption. Whereas, X (formerly known as Twitter) is least used online platforms by Indians (13%) for news.
YouTube is followed by WhatsApp at 48%, Facebook at 35%, Instagram at 33% and Telegram at 20%.
The report, however, makes it clear that data stems from a survey of primarily English-speaking online news consumers in India, which represents only a fraction of the broader and more diverse media landscape.
As an online poll, these findings may not accurately reflect the overall media consumption patterns, potentially underestimating the significance of traditional media like television and print, the report said.