Photo-centric Instagram is set to overtake Twitter as a news source according to new research. A report by the 2020 Reuters Institute Digita News found that more users are using the platform as their source of news, doubling in numbers since 2018.
The report has listed young people as the most users, ranging from 18 to 24, who use Instagram as a source of news, particularly about the coronavirus. On the other hand, many youngsters believe that social media is also the least-trusted source.
Among the participants, only 26% said they trusted social media as a source of information about COVID-19, and another 26% compromise people that trusted news shared via chat apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. By contrast, approximately 59% said they trusted both news organizations and national governments.
"Instagram's become very popular with younger people", Nic Newman, lead author of the report, told BBC. "They really respond well to stories that are told simply and well with visual images."
Visual stories are a proven hit among people these days, particularly those topics relating to the coronavirus, the Black Lives Matter movement and climate change.
In the same manner, the pandemic has also caused people to place distrust on news organizations. In the UK, less than 50% said they trusted their favored news source, and an even lower percentage of 38% are people who said they trusted the news most of the time.
In the 40 countries included in the survey, only six of them said they fully trusted the news "most of the time." In the UK, where distrust on the news has been recorded, only 28% backed the statement, which is actually 12% lower than the country's response in a similar survey done last year.
In Hong Kong and Chile, there is a recorded lack of confidence in the news as well. Both countries have both seen protests in a violent manner, but the UK still managed to rank lower than them. When the virus hit, however, news organizations have suddenly gained the trust of the public, recording almost 60% trust rating. The same thing can be said with national governments.
Owned by Facebook, Instagram has the power to reach 85% of people on a weekly basis. Newman said that the platform's dominance in informing the public and telling stories "remains incredibly important.
Facebook also owns WhatsApp, which is also a platform for sharing news and info about current events. Experts warn, however, to be wary of misinformation, which is rampant today on social media.
