People in their 30s are not just commenting but are also more likely to share news articles on social media and messaging apps. (Image courtesy of Pixabay)
SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Korea Bizwire) –A recent survey conducted by the Korea Press Foundation has shed light on the digital news consumption habits of South Koreans, revealing that individuals in their 30s are the most active in commenting on internet news articles.
The 2023 Media Audience Survey, which polled 5,000 adults nationwide aged 19 and above, found that 8.6% of respondents in their 30s reported having commented on online news in the previous week, the highest percentage among all age groups.
This was followed by those in their 40s at 5.9% and the 19-29 age group at 5.6%. The participation dropped significantly in older demographics, with only 3.4% of those in their 50s and 1.7% of individuals aged 60 and above engaging in online discussions.
Notably, the survey also highlighted that people in their 30s are not just commenting but are also more likely to share news articles on social media and messaging apps. Around 8.4% of respondents in this age group shared news this way in the week prior to the survey, compared to 7% of the 19-29 age group.
The figures continued to decrease with age, with only 3.8% of those in their 40s, 2.3% in their 50s, and a mere 1% of those over 60 sharing news on these platforms.
When it comes to trust in news sources, the survey revealed a preference for news recommended by friends or acquaintances over content produced by individual creators or influencers.
About 28.4% of respondents trust news shared or recommended by people they know through social media or messaging services.
Portal sites and search engines’ recommendations were trusted by 27.2%, while only 18.4% placed their trust in content produced by non-media professionals like solo creators.
Interestingly, trust levels in news and current affairs content varied significantly by age, with those over 60 showing the highest level of trust at 43.7%. In contrast, younger age groups exhibited more skepticism, with their trust levels hovering in the mid-30% range.
When asked about their most trusted news outlets, respondents overall favored KBS (the Korean Broadcasting System) with a 24.8% trust rating, followed by MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation) at 22%, YTN at 10.4%, and Naver at 8%.
The preferences varied slightly by age, with those over 60 showing a particular preference for KBS, while other age groups leaned towards MBC.
The 2023 Media Audience Survey was conducted face-to-face using tablet PCs from September 5 to October 22 last year, with a margin of error of ±1.4 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
