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Chilean journalism faces a crucial challenge: regaining trust and meeting the expectations of audiences in a context of growing distrust and evasion of news. The “2024 Report: News Consumption and Evaluation of Journalism in Chile”, led by academic Claudia Mellado from the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso (PUCV), reveals revealing data on people’s perception and behavior regarding the media. communication in Chile.
Distrust and Dissatisfied Satisfaction
According to the study, despite the fact that 67% of people frequently consume news about what happens in society, an alarming 55.3% evaluate the performance of national journalism as poor. Additionally, an overwhelming 64.6% say they do not trust the news most of the time. These figures reflect a significant gap between public expectations and the perception of the quality of journalism in Chile.
Unmet Expectations
The report indicates that people have high expectations regarding the role of journalism, but they do not see the functions they consider most important fulfilled, such as civic education, impartiality in information, reporting the wrongdoing of powerful people, and explaining the political impact in local environments. This discrepancy between expectations and reality contributes to the growing distrust in the media.
The study reveals that 36% of the people surveyed use social networks as the main source of information, even surpassing online media (27%). On the other hand, news consumption through printed media has decreased, with 4 out of 10 people declaring that they do not consume news through this medium.
Next steps
The “2024 Report” not only analyzes news consumption and the evaluation of journalism in Chile, but also seeks to offer an electronic platform aimed at people linked to the topic and the community in general. This represents an important step towards greater transparency and participation in the discussion about the future of journalism in the country.
In conclusion, the report highlights the urgency of addressing the challenges facing Chilean journalism to rebuild the trust of audiences and meet the expectations of a democratic and correctly informed society.