Facebook, Google+, online news, Social Media
Q. How frequently do you use technology platforms like Google and Facebook to search for, and read news articles?
| Total | Age Group | |||
| 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||
| At least daily | 52% | 46% | 64% | 46% |
| At least once a week | 22% | 26% | 20% | 21% |
| At least once a month | 8% | 16% | 5% | 4% |
| Less frequently than one a month | 6% | 5% | 4% | 9% |
| Never | 11% | 6% | 7% | 19% |
| Base (n) | 1,076 | 326 | 365 | 385 |
ACCC, Facebook, Google+, online news
Q. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is drafting code of conduct legislation to force technology platforms, like Google and Facebook, to pay media organisations for the news content they distribute.
In response Facebook has threatened to stop its users sharing news and Google has warned its free web search is at risk.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
| TOTAL: Agree | TOTAL: Disagree | Strongly agree | Somewhat agree | Neither agree, nor disagree | Somewhat disagree | Strongly disagree | |
| A strong media is essential to Australian democracy and the government is right to ask Google and Facebook to pay for news | 49% | 22% | 23% | 26% | 29% | 13% | 9% |
| It is not up to Facebook and Google to support media companies | 38% | 26% | 15% | 23% | 36% | 15% | 12% |
| Big tech companies like Google and Facebook should support Australian media rather than bullying the government | 54% | 17% | 26% | 28% | 29% | 11% | 6% |
| Big technology companies like Google and Facebook have too much power and its time they were pulled into line | 51% | 19% | 23% | 27% | 30% | 12% | 7% |
| If Facebook stopped offering news on its platform, I would use it less often | 29% | 35% | 12% | 18% | 35% | 19% | 16% |
| Total | Age Group | Frequency of news consumption on social media | ||||||
| TOTAL: AGREEMENT | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | At least daily | At least once a week | Less than once a week | Never | |
| A strong media is essential to Australian democracy and the government is right to ask Google and Facebook to pay for news | 49% | 36% | 49% | 60% | 51% | 48% | 42% | 49% |
| It is not up to Facebook and Google to support media companies | 38% | 45% | 39% | 32% | 42% | 38% | 31% | 27% |
| Big tech companies like Google and Facebook should support Australian media rather than bullying the government | 54% | 38% | 54% | 66% | 55% | 55% | 43% | 60% |
| Big technology companies like Google and Facebook have too much power and its time they were pulled into line | 51% | 36% | 53% | 61% | 51% | 49% | 43% | 61% |
| If Facebook stopped offering news on its platform, I would use it less often | 29% | 35% | 33% | 21% | 34% | 30% | 22% | 16% |
| Base (n) | 1,076 | 326 | 365 | 385 | 570 | 239 | 149 | 118 |
| Total | Age Group | Frequency of news consumption on social media | ||||||
| TOTAL: DISAGREEMENT | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | At least daily | At least once a week | Less than once a week | Never | |
| A strong media is essential to Australian democracy and the government is right to ask Google and Facebook to pay for news | 22% | 30% | 20% | 17% | 23% | 21% | 28% | 15% |
| It is not up to Facebook and Google to support media companies | 26% | 22% | 24% | 33% | 27% | 23% | 26% | 30% |
| Big tech companies like Google and Facebook should support Australian media rather than bullying the government | 17% | 25% | 16% | 12% | 20% | 17% | 17% | 10% |
| Big technology companies like Google and Facebook have too much power and its time they were pulled into line | 19% | 27% | 18% | 14% | 22% | 16% | 19% | 11% |
| If Facebook stopped offering news on its platform, I would use it less often | 35% | 31% | 34% | 40% | 35% | 36% | 31% | 42% |
| Base (n) | 1,076 | 326 | 365 | 385 | 570 | 239 | 149 | 118 |
future usage, future usage of online news, online news
Q. If the legislation is introduced and news content was removed from Facebook and Google, how likely would you do the following to search and read news articles?
| TOTAL: Likely | TOTAL: Unlikely | Very likely | Quite likely | Not that likely | Not at all likely | |
| Go directly to news websites to read content | 75% | 25% | 37% | 38% | 15% | 10% |
| Continue to use Google and Facebook and read less news | 69% | 31% | 26% | 43% | 19% | 12% |
| Use alternative platforms to Facebook and Google to find and read news articles (such as Twitter, LinkedIn or Reddit) | 53% | 47% | 22% | 31% | 24% | 22% |
| Use the Apple News aggregator | 37% | 63% | 14% | 22% | 27% | 36% |
| Total | Age Group | Frequency of news consumption on social media | ||||||
| TOTAL: LIKELY | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | At least daily | At least once a week | Less than once a week | Never | |
| Go directly to news websites to read content | 75% | 70% | 81% | 73% | 84% | 77% | 62% | 46% |
| Continue to use Google and Facebook and read less news | 69% | 67% | 76% | 63% | 77% | 72% | 60% | 39% |
| Use alternative platforms to Facebook and Google to find and read news articles (such as Twitter, LinkedIn or Reddit) | 53% | 61% | 64% | 37% | 64% | 50% | 42% | 25% |
| Use the Apple News aggregator | 37% | 42% | 49% | 20% | 42% | 42% | 29% | 11% |
| Base (n) | 1,076 | 326 | 365 | 385 | 570 | 239 | 149 | 118 |
02 July 2012, 020712, journalists, news websites, Newspapers, online news, print news, traditional media
Q. How often do you read newspapers (in print, not online)?
|
Total |
Aged 18-34 |
Aged 35-54 |
Aged 55+ |
Visit news websites daily |
Visit news websites a few times a week |
Visit news websites about once a week |
Visit news websites less often |
Never visit news websites |
|
| Daily |
24% |
15% |
25% |
34% |
34% |
20% |
19% |
14% |
19% |
| A few times a week |
23% |
24% |
25% |
18% |
22% |
31% |
14% |
24% |
14% |
| About once a week |
22% |
20% |
22% |
24% |
19% |
28% |
37% |
15% |
14% |
| Less often |
22% |
30% |
19% |
16% |
19% |
15% |
24% |
39% |
17% |
| Never |
9% |
11% |
9% |
8% |
6% |
6% |
6% |
7% |
35% |
24% said they read newspapers daily and 69% read at least once a week.
Older respondents read newspapers more frequently – 34% of those aged 55+ read daily. 28% of those on higher incomes ($1,600+ pw) read daily compared to 18% of those earning under $600 pw.
Those who visit news websites frequently also read newspapers more frequently – 34% of those visiting news websites daily also read newspapers daily.
25 June 2012, 250612, australian media, Daily Telegraph, HeraldSun, media, news subscription, news websites, newscorp, online content, online news, Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian
Q. Some newspapers in Australia now require readers to take out a subscription to view all their articles online. This means, while some news and opinion articles are free, readers will have to pay to access all content. How likely would you be to pay a subscription to access news websites?
|
Total 7 Nov 11 |
Total |
Aged 18-34 |
Aged 35-54 |
Aged 55+ |
Read The Aust |
Read SMH |
Read Tele |
Read The Age |
Read Herald Sun |
Read Courier mail |
|
| Total likely |
9% |
13% |
22% |
11% |
6% |
25% |
28% |
18% |
22% |
10% |
18% |
| Total not likely |
88% |
82% |
71% |
85% |
93% |
72% |
69% |
79% |
76% |
88% |
81% |
| Very likely |
2% |
3% |
5% |
3% |
1% |
12% |
7% |
6% |
5% |
4% |
5% |
| Somewhat likely |
7% |
10% |
17% |
8% |
5% |
13% |
21% |
12% |
17% |
6% |
13% |
| Not very likely |
18% |
17% |
16% |
18% |
17% |
19% |
18% |
19% |
21% |
19% |
13% |
| Not at all likely |
70% |
65% |
55% |
67% |
76% |
53% |
51% |
60% |
55% |
69% |
68% |
| Don’t know |
4% |
5% |
7% |
5% |
* |
3% |
3% |
4% |
2% |
2% |
2% |
13% of respondents said they would be very or somewhat likely to pay to access news websites – up from 9% recorded in November last year.
Younger respondents were more likely to be willing to pay for access to news websites – 22% of those aged under 35.
Current readers most likely to pay for access were readers of the SMH (28%), The Australian (25%) and The Age (22%).
Only 10% of HeraldSun readers said they would be likely to pay for access.