Instagram To Overtake Twitter As A Major Source Of News Among Youth: Report
As per a report by Reuters, Instagram may end up overtaking Twitter as news source in the coming future.
New Delhi: Facebook-owned Instagram will overtake Twitter as a source of news in the near future, a report predicted.
A research was conducted in several countries, wherein essentially the younger demographic (18 to 24-year-olds) revealed that they use Instagram as a source on news especially when it comes to updates about Covid-19.
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According to the 2020 Reuters Institute Digital News report, the usage of Instagram for receiving news has doubled since 2018.
However, social media apps are still not regarded as a trustable source of news by many, as only 24% of people trust social media when it comes to updates about coronavirus in the UK.
In the USA 26% of people, Germany 38%, Spain 26% , South Korea 10% and Argentina 49% trust Instagram as a source.
A similar percentage of respondents revealed that they believe the news they receive on messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messengers, etc.
On the contrary, considering the average of 6 countries, governments and official news organisations are believed by most people: 59% as per the survey.
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About one-third of the respondents use Instagram (two-third people who are under the age of 25). About 11% of people use it to receive news that is behind Twitter only by a point.
" Instagram reaches 11% across age groups, almost as many as use Twitter for news." - the report stated.
The video format of stories and IGTV content have brought more engagement and traction on Instagram. These include the #BlackLivesMatter movement, coronavirus, and climate change.
"It's not that one necessarily replaces the other," Mr. Newman said. "They might use Facebook and Instagram, or might use Twitter and Instagram."
Instagram has a significant influence as it reaches 85% of people every week, and it shapes the way stories are shared and communicated.
If indeed the app ends up being the most popular source of getting the news, it will have given its parent company Facebook the final edge in the space with its other platform WhatsApp being the most used messenger app on the other end.
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