Digital-only publications are still less trusted for news

Online and printed newspapers are equally trusted, but online-only sources are less so, according to a research study by Carat.

The media agency asked its Pulse research panel, itself an online survey, how much they trusted news from media channels in Ireland and found that radio was the most trusted, with a trust rating of 90 per cent, closely followed by both Irish and international television sources at 87 per cent.

Printed newspapers and online newspapers came in at 81 per cent, but there was “a big drop in trust levels” to online-only news sources at 68 per cent, with blog posts and forums propping up the rear at 40 per cent.

In light of the new metered digital subscription packages at The Irish Times, the Carat study also tested opinions of online newspaper paywalls and found that 13 per cent said they would pay a monthly fee of €10-€15, while 5 per cent said they would pay a monthly fee of €15-€30.

More people indicated a willingness to pay a once-off fee, but the majority of consumers – 66 per cent – agreed with the statement that they would “never pay” for online news content.

“This is not a surprising figure,” Carat comments, “given that the majority of newspaper content available online is free.”