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Audiences Trust Premium Publishers Over Social Networks For Online News Content, According to New SurveyNEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Amid growing stories about the proliferation of fake news and propaganda on social platforms, there is more attention than ever before on the veracity and accuracy of news and where it is sourced. A new survey released today by Sharethrough, the industry's leading native supply side platform, reveals that premium publishers have some of the strongest brands in the country, ranking far ahead of Facebook and Twitter in terms of trust, engagement, and transparency when it comes to news sourcing. According to the survey – completed in September 2017 using Qualtrics and sampling 1,052 U.S. residents between the ages of 18 and 50 – premium publishers are trusted far ahead of social networks to deliver news: 65% of respondents said they trusted Time, with CNN (60%), Wall Street Journal (59%) and the New York Times (59%) also scoring particularly high marks for trust. In comparison, less than half (41%) of U.S. respondents said they trust articles shared on Facebook, while 33% said they trusted Twitter. Social networks were less trusted by respondents and more openly distrusted, also. Twice as many respondents in the U.S. said that they didn't trust Facebook as said they didn't trust The New York Times (27% compared to 14%). Most legacy premium publishing brands surveyed by Sharethrough were viewed favorably by the public, including Time, which 62% of respondents viewed favorably, CNN (57%), The New York Times (55%), Fox News (55%), and People (51%). One key area that contributes to this favorability toward premium publishers is an understanding of where news content is sourced from, which 84% of respondents feel is very important to know. Premium publishers received far higher marks in this area than Facebook and Twitter. The New York Times led the way, with 75% of readers saying they knew where the information came from. The Wall Street Journal, Time, CNN, Washington Post, Fox and NPR al received high marks as well, easily eclipsing Facebook, where only 55% of readers said they understood where the article came from. Respondents were equally lukewarm on Twitter, with just 46% confident in the sourcing. "There's an increasing focus in the industry on the dominance of the duopoly in advertising and the increased pressure this places on news publishers who have to compete for ad spend," said Dan Greenberg, founder and CEO of Sharethrough. "These survey results show that content and context matter in advertising, as much or even more than pure audience reach. If brands want to reach active and engaged consumers, then independent, premium publishers offer a unique experience that social networks can't compete with. Advertisers need to take notice of this trend, and keep balancing their ad spend on social networks with their ad spend publishers on the open-web." This distrust comes even as social platforms exceed premium publishers in terms of time spent. More than two-thirds (69%) of people surveyed said they checked Facebook at least weekly, showing more active engagement than CNN and Fox News, the two premium publishers with the highest engagement rates. When users visit Facebook, they are spending substantial time there – 39% spend more than 30 minutes, compared to just 17% who spend that same amount on The New York Times. Additional findings
The study was conducted from August 25 to September 3, among a Qualtrics sample of 1,052 US residents ages 18-50, which was weighted evenly by gender and age. The study was also conducted in the UK from September 19 to 27, among 524 UK residents. View the full report here. About Sharethrough
View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/audiences-trust-premium-publishers-over-social-networks-for-online-news-content-according-to-new-survey-300546062.html SOURCE Sharethrough |