Data | TV channels dominate as news source, despite poor trust levels: CSDS survey

Only 13% “strongly trusted” private TV news channels compared to 31% who said so about newspapers

Indian news consumers’ trust in private TV news channels is relatively much lower than their belief in newspapers and yet television continues to be the dominant news source. Notably, their trust in online news websites is lower than even the private channels, while the former is the third preferred source for accessing news after news channels and newspapers despite a surge in smartphone usage.

The conclusions are based on a survey conducted in 2022 by the Lokniti programme of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, in partnership with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS). The study was conducted in 19 States among 7,463 citizens aged 15 years and above. The survey covers all segments of the society – the rural as well as the urban citizens, the rich and the poor, the young and the old, men and women, and the non-literate as well as the educated.

Table 1 shows the proportion of people who are “accessing news” through various sources. Over 70% of Indian consumers said they watch news channels, while 48% read newspapers. About 37% also said that they visit websites to consume news.

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Table 2 shows the dominant news source among participants. Over 40% said TV and about 22% said new media (internet/social media/mobile phone) as their dominant sources for news.

Only 6% and 1% said newspaper and radio are the dominant sources of news respectively.

Table 3 shows the presence of media and communication sources in Indian homes. Three out of every four homes have a television set, close to one in four gets a newspaper daily or often and 13% of homes get magazines periodically or often. There is a music system or a transistor in 22% of homes, whereas 76% have at least one smartphone owning member.