FROM “FAKE NEWS” TO “NEWS YOU CAN USE”
Here at EvolveMKD, we know media’s impact is constantly changing. Truly understand that evolution helps us do our best work. To that end, in our second year of conducting proprietary research, we explored the thoughts, behaviors, and habits of two important players in this landscape: Media professionals and media consumers.
THE EVOLUTION OF COMMUNICATION
We sought to understand how media consumers and media professionals view themselves and each other. Much of what we learned was illuminating. One highlight we dive into is the skepticism consumers have toward the media has actually led to more media consumption—not less. More stories, more sources, and more channels. Most audiences are no longer constrained by outlet loyalty. They’re consuming media in new ways and place heavy value on the “trusted” aspects of a story, asking media and brands to work harder for their devotion.
45%
of consumers view media as biased.
This jumps to a staggering 88% among media skeptics (51% of Americans)
55%
of consumers want unbiased news
69%
of consumers say data from a trusted source is the most important part of a story
KEY INSIGHTS
LEARN ABOUT THE STUDY
A NEW CONSUMER
Our study revealed 5 new types of media consumers. Their attitudes towards media contribute significantly to how they engage with content. Is your brand missing or even alienating the people you are trying to reach? Dive in to learn how to leverage media consumption profiles to generate content that actually engages your audience.
THE GENERATIONAL DIVIDE
Did you know that media is significantly more important to younger generations than their older counterparts? And younger generations have higher trust in media? Our study found staggering disparities in how, what, and why different generations consume media. You’ll see some of the biggest callouts in our report — or get in contact with us to learn more.
“EvolveMKD conducted the research as a tool for our clients’ benefit. Telling a meaningful story through the earned media channel is getting more complicated. This data tells us how to leverage our assets to reach a skeptical, at best, audience. Once we saw the results from the survey, we knew we had to not only share this information with our clients, but also with other communications professionals so we are all armed with the information needed to tell our client’s stories effectively.”
Meg Driscoll, CEO & Founder of EvolveMKD
“This research teaches a real lesson in how critical it is to earn our readers’ trust. We in the media need to remind ourselves that our legitimacy is in question; we can’t assume we come with built-in authority. Readers are savvier than ever, and can sniff out disingenuous content. In fact, they’re on the hunt for it. But through these findings, we’re also getting a glimpse into the positive power of story-telling. Readers’ skepticism isn’t a disappointment, but rather a foreseeable evolution in keeping with the morphing of news. The challenge lies in mixing solid facts with a heartbeat—making a piece human and personal, while backing it up with intel, both the positive and the negative. Our stories become stronger in the end. The fact that readers are diversifying their news sources presents great opportunity. Smaller niche and enthusiast brands can now claim equal footing with legacy lifestyle OGs. This opens up a bigger universe of experimental tones and delivery. It lets us play, and it gives readers a richer experience.”
Isabel Burton, Former Executive Editor of Shape and Self Magazines
“We so often hear the media’s perspective on the world around them but very rarely do they share their point of view on themselves and the media industry as a whole. This survey gave us a chance to speak to them directly — what their pain points are, their desires and barriers, their personal purpose and how they view media’s purpose overall, and so on. We know media is perceived as being too political and profit-driven, but as we uncovered, media is so much more than what meets the eye. We hope by sharing this data, we can chisel away at the wall between media and their consumers and create greater understanding between us all.”
Alex Christian, Vice President Research & Analytics of EvolveMKD