Januar 2024
Tinius Digest
Månedlige rapporter om endringer, trender og utviklinger i mediebransjen.
Om Tinius Digest
Tinius Digest gir deg en oversikt over rapporter om og analyser av utvikling i mediebransjen og publiseres en gang i måneden. Her er våre viktigste funn fra denne måneden.
Del gjerne innholdet med kollegaer og bruk det i møter og presentasjoner.
Online Searches Increase Belief in Misinformation
Researchers at New York University have conducted a study looking into the unintended consequences of using search engines to evaluate misinformation.
Key Findings
1
The search paradox
Extensive experiments demonstrate that using search engines to verify the truthfulness of misinformation actually increases the likelihood of believing it due to the prevalence of lower-quality information in search results.
2
Search results quality impacts misinformation belief
The quality of information search engines return significantly affects belief levels. Exposure to low-quality information correlates with a higher probability of accepting misinformation as true.
3
Inconsistent effects on true information
While searching also reinforces belief in true news, the effect is inconsistent and varies depending on the source's quality. Searches that return information from mainstream sources do not consistently increase belief in their veracity.
4
Digital literacy and ideological bias influence search outcomes
Individuals with lower digital literacy or ideological bias are more likely to encounter low-quality information when searching, further exacerbating the problem of misinformation belief.
Emerging Trends in Journalism and Media for 2024
The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism has published its annual 'Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions 2024'-report.
Key Findings
1
AI's disruptive influence
Artificial intelligence is poised to revolutionise content creation and distribution, prompting a critical reassessment of journalism's function. The rise of AI in search engines and chatbots is reshaping the pathways through which news is discovered and consumed.
2
Declining Facebook referral traffic
The report notes a significant 48 per cent drop in Facebook traffic to news websites in 2023, underscoring a broader trend of changing platform dynamics. This has led publishers to seek direct engagement strategies and explore other platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and new AI-driven interfaces for audience interaction.
3
Evolving business models
The media industry is noticing a pivot towards subscription and membership models, coupled with creative product development and pricing approaches. Publishers are diversifying revenue streams, including venturing into AI licensing deals, though there are concerns about the fair sharing of benefits.
4
Content innovation on the rise
In response to specific audience and advertiser interest areas, there's an increased focus on producing more video content, newsletters, and podcasts.
5
Tackling news avoidance and fatigue
The industry is adopting strategies to address news avoidance and fatigue, such as emphasising explanatory journalism, solutions-focused reporting, and human-interest stories.
Exploring Children's Social Media Use and Well-being
Published in the Norwegian Journal of Sociology, this study investigates the impact of social media use on loneliness, time spent with friends, and life quality among Norwegian children.
Key Findings
1
Increased social interaction
Contrary to concerns about social isolation, children who are more active on social media also tend to spend more time physically with friends. This suggests that social media use does not detract from real-life social interactions among children.
2
Feeling of loneliness
The study identifies a significant correlation between the use of social media and feelings of loneliness, particularly among girls. Higher usage rates tend to correlate with increased feelings of isolation.
3
Limited cause for concern
While frequent social media use is linked with lower well-being among girls, the findings suggest limited cause for concern regarding Norwegian children's social media use.
SEO Spam Makes Search Results Worse
Researchers from Leipzig University and Bauhaus University Weimar have studied the effect of SEO-optimized, low-quality content on search results on Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo.
Key Findings
1
Prevalence of SEO spam
All the major search engines struggle with filtering out low-quality, highly SEO-optimized content, particularly in the form of affiliate marketing spam, which disproportionately populates search results compared to its actual web presence.
2
Dominance of affiliate marketing
A detailed examination of product review content shows a stark overrepresentation of pages using affiliate marketing techniques. Amazon Associates is the most prevalent network, indicating a troubling trend towards monetised, lower-quality content.
3
Impact of ranker updates
Despite search engines' efforts to improve results through updates, the research notes a cyclical battle against SEO spam, with temporary improvements followed by regressions, suggesting a dynamic and ongoing challenge in maintaining search quality.
4
Content quality concerns
The study identifies a direct correlation between the use of affiliate links and the simplification of content. This highlights a decline in the complexity and quality of information available to users, potentially undermining trust in search engine reliability.
Social Media's Impact on Adolescent Health Risks
A comprehensive analysis by the Medical Research Council/Chief Scientist Office Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, examines the correlation between social media usage and health risk behaviours among adolescents.
Key Findings
1
Widespread harmful associations
The study uncovers widespread harmful links between social media use and various health risk behaviours, except for physical activity, where there are some beneficial effects.
2
Increased risk with frequency
Frequent social media usage is significantly associated with higher odds of engaging in risky health behaviours, including alcohol and drug use, tobacco consumption, sexual risks, anti-social behaviour, gambling, and multiple risk behaviours.
3
Content exposure elevates risks
Exposure to social media content depicting health risk behaviours heightens the likelihood of engaging in such behaviours, especially unhealthy dietary habits and substance use.
4
User-generated content more influential
For alcohol consumption, exposure to user-generated content had a stronger association with increased consumption compared to marketer-generated content.
Safeguarding Children's Digital Consumer Rights
This Consumption Research Norway (SIFO) report looks into the evolving landscape of digital consumer protection for children.
Key Findings
1
Intensified commercial influence
Commercial influence in children's digital environments has become more personalised, complex, and hidden, challenging digital consumer protection in various ways.
2
Children's vulnerability exploited
Children and young people’s lack of maturity, experience, and impressionability starkly contrasts with the intense power position of market actors, who extensively use technical, psychological, social, and relational techniques for persuasion and manipulation.
3
Need for comprehensive protection
The dissolution of traditional protective defences due to constant digital participation underscores the need for research, policy, and regulation to integrate "strengthening" and "protection" more cohesively.
4
Involvement of stakeholders
Effective measures require coordination across sectors and political fields, with more substantial involvement of commercial actors, parents, and children.