Russians losing interest in TV news, study shows

According to a survey carried out by the Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VTsIOM), Russians have begun to lose interest in TV news shows, with internet news platforms gaining ground.

VTsIOM noted that while TV news broadcasts remain the most popular source of information about current events, their popularity is gradually declining. In 2015, 62 per cent of those surveyed said that they got their news from the television, a figure that fell by five percentage points in 2016.

However, the study reveals that TV news shows are the undisputed leader when it comes to trust ratings, with 75 per cent of respondents stating that they trust information from TV news sources.

The internet has grown as a source of news over the past year, with 27 per cent of respondents using the internet to find news, a five per cent increase from last year. VTsIOM highlighted that, for the most part, this growth comes because the internet has become the main source of information used by young people. 62 per cent of those aged 18 – 24 said that they used the internet to learn about current events.

Source: Lenta (in Russian)