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Facebook Tops SA’s News Platforms, Followed by TikTok and WhatsApp

The Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry (MDPMI) conducted a statewide survey to understand South Africans’ digital news consumption habits.

The findings demonstrated the dominance of social media as a news source, with 77% of respondents choosing it as their primary medium for getting news.

Facebook was the most popular social media platform for news consumption, with 84% of respondents, followed by TikTok (47%), WhatsApp (46%), YouTube (45%), and X, formerly known as Twitter (30%).

These findings highlight the increased effect of digital platforms on how South Africans receive news, with many respondents using them numerous times each day. Users spend more time on sites like Facebook and YouTube when news feeds and other content are tailored to their interests and interactions.

The MDPMI poll, which is part of a larger investigation of market behaviours that may harm competition in the media industry, discovered that breaking news leads to increased participation on these platforms.

Approximately 70% of respondents said they would spend less time on their favorite platform if news content was missing, demonstrating the importance of news in driving traffic.

Despite the convenience of social networking, many users questioned its reliability.

The research stated that “there is a strong preference for verifying news from trusted sources,” implying that respondents typically double-checked material found on social media with established sites.

The article also said that “reliable sources like Reuters, eNCA, and IOL are favoured for their perceived accuracy and credibility.”

According to the report, some people actively seek news by visiting specific news websites or apps, while others come across news when browsing social media.

According to the survey, “younger individuals (ages 18 to 34) exhibit a more passive approach to news consumption,” frequently consuming news inadvertently via sites such as TikTok and Instagram.

In terms of article engagement, many respondents said headlines and snippets provided enough information to avoid going through to entire articles. In the report, “roughly half of the respondents indicated that the reason they do not click through to the article is that the headline and snippet provided sufficient information.”

Community news also had a significant impact on audience retention, with 45% of respondents spending more time on platforms that provided local news, and around 20% staying longer when news was offered in local languages.

Interestingly, the poll discovered that “in rural communities, users preferred to access news on their phones because it is faster and cheaper than traditional methods, such as buying a newspaper.”

Furthermore, Facebook’s capacity to allow users to select certain news material, as well as its data-free mode, contribute to its popularity.

The report stated that “many respondents spend more time on the platform when community news is available.” In terms of future trends, the survey looked into the impact of generative AI on news consumption.

Researchers also discovered that “a quarter of respondents are already using chatbots frequently for news,” and 57% said they were likely to employ generative AI platforms to obtain news in the future.

Concerns about accuracy and credibility were prevalent in the survey results. According to the survey, “most respondents across all platforms indicated that they trust the platform more when there is credible news available,” emphasizing the importance of trustworthy information in the digital era.

The survey results can be found here. The MDPMI’s Provisional Report, which includes specific findings and recommendations, is expected in November 2024.

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