The blocking of journalistic content on Facebook and Instagram for almost a year has pushed Canadians to change their habits to follow the news. Nearly 30% of Internet users in the country now visit major media apps and websites more often, according to a study released this week. Just under 20% say they watch television and listen to the radio more often. The use of traditional media is particularly marked among French speakers.
“Meta’s decision was initially very difficult for the mainstream media. But we see that consumers have adopted new reflexes, in particular by going directly to the source. The media are weaning themselves off their dependence on Meta platforms,” notes Jean-Hugues Roy, professor at the UQAM Media School, in view of this new probe.
The study was carried out on behalf of the Media Technologies Observatory, a division of CBC / Radio-Canada, between October and December, a few months after Meta removed journalistic content from its platforms to protest against the adoption by the federal government of the Online News Act. Remember that this law, commonly called C-18, requires digital giants to negotiate agreements with traditional media for the sharing of revenues from journalistic content. The parent company of Facebook and Instagram instead responded by completely blocking news from its platforms.
Since then, 33% of French-speaking Internet users in Canada say they visit the country’s media sites and applications more often. 26% say they follow the news on television more to get information since Meta’s decision; 23% for radio.
Other social networks, YouTube in the first place, have also become in recent months a more popular source of information for Internet users in the country in the absence of journalistic content on Facebook and Instagram.
“At the same time, we have to be careful in polls, since people are inclined to give an answer that will make them look good,” specifies Jean-Hugues Roy, who believes that the blocking of news has certainly led to a part of the population less follow the news.
Less informed young people
Mr. Roy has younger Canadians in mind, among others. And for good reason, when Meta blocked news from its platforms, 44% of 18 to 34 year olds immediately recognized that this measure would lead them to consume less news. Young adults are also the age group that is least aware of the fact that Meta has been preventing the dissemination of journalistic content on its platforms since last August. Around 85% of Canadian Internet users aged 35 and 64 surveyed in the fall were aware of this reality; Conversely, only 63% of 18 to 34 year olds knew that the major media were blocked by Meta.
Note that 16% of Internet users in the country still cite Facebook as a source of information, even if practically all press organizations are blocked, including small regional media.
“Sports sites and gossip sites, which often carry news from traditional media, are not blocked, however. For some, the content of these sites is a source of information,” remarks Jean-Hugues Roy.