The Media Barometers are annual surveys tracking daily media consumption. In Sweden, the survey has been conducted by Nordicom since 1979, with support from the Swedish Ministry of Culture. In Norway, Statistics Norway has carried out a corresponding survey since 1991. In Denmark, the study of news media usage is carried out by researchers at the Center for News Research at Roskilde University.
Insights from Sweden
General Media Use
- 96% of Swedes watched some form of moving image daily – the most consumed media category.
- 84% used social networking services, surpassing both radio (78%) and newspapers (66%) in daily reach.
Radio Listening
- 54% listened to car radio, the most common radio platform.
- 33% used a traditional radio set.
- 29% listened to podcasts or on-demand radio, and 23% to live web radio.
Video Viewing
- 90% watched TV (scheduled and streamed).
- Scheduled TV reached 51%, while streamed TV reached 67%.
- YouTube was watched by 47%, with 16% watching over an hour daily.
Newspaper Reading
- 66% read a daily newspaper; 58% digitally, 20% in print.
- 53% read a morning paper; 42% digitally, 18% in print.
- 43% read an evening paper; mostly digital.
Magazine Reading
- 35% read a magazine daily.
- 22% read in print.
- 18% read digitally.
- Weekly and monthly magazines were equally popular (18% each daily).
Book Reading
- 51% read books daily.
- 38% read print.
- 15% listened to audiobooks.
- 7% read e-books.
- Fiction was the most read genre.
Social Media
- Facebook was most used overall, except among youth (15–24), who favored Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok.
- 16% spent over 2 hours daily on social media; another 16% spent 1–2 hours.
News Consumption
- SVT (51%) was the most used news source, followed by Sveriges Radio (41%) and morning newspapers (33%).
- 22% accessed news via Facebook; TikTok was most used for news by youth.
Technology Access
- 98% had access to a smartphone – the most widespread media technology.
- Tablet and media player use was high among children; traditional radio among older adults.
Media Subscriptions and Services
- 50% of households had a daily newspaper subscription; 42% digital morning papers, 20% print.
- 75% had a TV streaming service.
- 70% used a music/podcast streaming service.
- 52% had a TV channel package.
Download and read the report (in Swedish)
Insights from Norway
Media Habits are More Digital than Ever
Mobile phones and the Internet dominate daily media use, while traditional media (TV, radio, newspapers) continues to decline.
Time Spent Online is Growing
On average, Norwegians spend 4 hours and 35 minutes online daily; teenagers (16–19 years) spend over 7.5 hours.
Social Media is Central
- 80% use social media daily.
- People spend nearly 2 hours per day on social media.
- Women, especially young women, are the most active.
- 57% get their news from social media (mainly Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and increasingly TikTok for the young).
Traditional News Media is Fading
- Only 15% read a print newspaper daily.
- 58% read online news, though this number is slightly declining.
TV and Radio are Aging Mediums
- 46% watch linear TV daily.
- 43% listen to radio daily.
- Use is strongest among older age groups, but declining overall.
Overall Media Consumption is Increasing, but Formats are Shifting
- Growth in podcast, music, and audiobook consumption.
- Huge surge in video streaming – 90% have access to at least one subscription service.
Paper Books Resist Digitalisation
Reading physical books daily remains one of the most stable media habits, significantly more popular than reading digital books.
Download and read the report (in Norwegian)
Insights from Denmark
Part I: Themes of the Year
Artificial Intelligence and Journalism
- 66% of Danes say they have heard little or nothing about AI and journalism; 32% have heard a lot or something about it.
- Younger people (under 35) are more familiar with AI in journalism (53%), compared with 26% among those over 35.
- 48% feel uneasy about journalism predominantly produced by AI; only 14% feel comfortable with it.
- 48% of 18–24-year-olds feel most comfortable with journalism where a journalist has used some AI assistance.
- Political journalism produced by AI is where trust is the lowest – 47% feel uneasy, only 12% feel comfortable.
Trust and Factors Affecting Trust
- 57% trust news media in general (same as in 2023); 63% trust the media they personally use.
- Trust is relatively stable across political groups (56–62%).
- High journalistic standards (80%) and transparency (76%) are key factors strengthening trust.
Social Media Use and Concerns About Fake News
- 32% read news on Facebook, 10% on YouTube, 9% on Instagram. 45% don’t use social media for news.
- Distinguishing real from fake news is hardest on TikTok (33%), X/Twitter (26%), and Facebook (22%).
- Concern about fake news has risen to 45% – the highest since 2018.
- Main concerns: misinformation about politics, coronavirus, economy, Israel-Gaza conflict, and Ukraine war.
User Needs and Media Performance
- Top reasons for using news media: staying updated (80%), learning (74%), getting diverse perspectives (68%), and civic engagement (57%).
- Users feel media fall short, especially in offering different perspectives (only 45% feel this need is met).
Part II: Key News Usage Figures 2024
Weekly News Media Usage
- General decline from 2016–2023 has halted; slight increases in 2024.
- TV news use has risen to 62% (+3 points); TV channel online news to 44% (+5 points).
- 46% use social media for news (+6 points), 42% use newspapers’ online sites (-2 points).
- Print newspaper reading continues to fall (14%, -2 points).
- Young people (18–24) increased TV news (+12 points) and social media news use (+12 points).
Preferred News Media Types
- TV news (38%), online TV sites (16%), online newspapers (18%), social media news (13%), printed newspapers (4%).
- By age group:
- 18–24: Social media (36%), online TV news (21%)
- 25–34: Online TV news (24%), social media news (20%)
- 35–54: TV news and online newspapers dominant
- 65+: Strong preference for TV news (55%)
High Brand Loyalty
- 57% go directly to a specific news site or app (+4 points).
- 38% access news via social media (+6 points); 29% via search engines (+5 points).
- Young Danes’ brand loyalty is high (41%) but they increasingly access news through social media (50%).
Top Online News Brands
- Dr.dk/nyheder and Nyhederne.tv2.dk both at 44% reach (each up about 4–5 points).
- Ekstra Bladet (32%) and BT (25%) unchanged.
- National morning newspapers reach about 9%.
News Avoidance and Feeling Overwhelmed
- 23% often or sometimes avoid news (+5 points); 44% never avoid news.
- 35% feel overwhelmed by news – a sharp increase since 2019 (up 15 points).
Decreasing Willingness to Pay for News
- Only 17% are willing to pay for online news – a decline from previous years.
- Younger (18–34) and older (55+) users are more willing to pay than middle-aged groups (35–54).
Download and read the report (in Danish).
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