Flash Eurobarometer 464 Survey requested by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content § Peoples perceptions of how often they encounter news or information that is misleading or false; § Public confidence in identifying news or information that is misleading or false; § Peoples views on the extent of the problem, both in their own country and for democracy in general; § Views on which institutions and media actors should act to stop the spread of fake news. This survey was carried out by the TNS Political and Social network in the 28 Member States between the 7th and the 9th of February 2018. A total of 26.576 respondents from different social and demographic groups were interviewed via telephone (landline and mobile phone) in their mother tongue, on behalf of the European Commission, Directorate-General for Communications Networks. The methodology used is that of Eurobarometer surveys as carried out by the Directorate-General for Communication “Media monitoring, Media Analysis and Eurobarometer” Unit). 1Special Eurobarometer 452: Media pluralism and democracy 2 2016/2276(INI) Online platforms and the digital single market3 ec.europa.eu/commission/news/european-commission-adopts-2018-work-programme-2017-oct-24_en 4ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/public-consultation-fake-news-and-online-disinformation 5 ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/experts-appointed-high-level-group-fake-news-and-online-disinformation3 Fake News and Disinformation Online February 2018 Report Flash Eurobarometer 464 Note: In this report, countries are referred to by their official abbreviation. The abbreviations used in this report correspond to: Belgium BE Latvia LV Czech Republic CZ Luxembourg LU Bulgaria BG Hungary HU Denmark DK Malta MT Germany DE The Netherlands NL Estonia EE Austria AT Greece EL Poland PL Spain ES Portugal PT France FR Romania RO Croatia HR Slovenia SI Ireland IE Slovakia SK Italy IT Finland FI Republic of Cyprus CY * Sweden SE Lithuania LT United Kingdom UK European Union weighted average for the 28 Member States EU28 * Cyprus as a whole is one of the 28 European Union Member States. However, the acquis communautaire has been suspended in the part of the country which is not controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus. For practical reasons, only the interviews carried out in the part of the country controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus are included in the CY category and in the EU28 average. We wish to thank the people throughout the European Union who have given their time to take part in this survey. Without their active participation, this study would not have been possible. 4 Fake News and Disinformation Online February 2018 Report Flash Eurobarometer 464 MAIN FINDINGS Respondents are less likely to trust news and information from online sources than from more traditional sources § The majority of respondents totally trust or tend to trust news and information they receive through radio (70%), television (66%) and printed media (63%). However, less than half (47%) trust online newspapers and magazines, and lower proportions trust video hosting websites and podcasts (27%) and online social networks and messaging apps (26%). This pattern is consistent across Member States, with traditional media sources trusted more than online sources in all them. Most respondents say they encounter fake news at least once a week § More than a third of respondents (37%) say they come across fake news every day or almost every day, and a further 31% say that this happens at least once a week. In every country, at least half of respondents say they come across fake news at least once a week. § Seven in ten respondents (71%) are totally or somewhat confident that they are able to identify news or information that misrepresents reality or is false (fake news), while 26% are not confident. A majority of respondents in every country are confident in their ability to identify fake news, ranging from 87% in Denmark to 55% in Spain. Respondents who use online social networks more regularly, and who come across fake news more frequently, are more confident in their ability to identify them. A large majority of respondents think that the existence of fake news is a problem in their country and for democracy in general § More than eight in ten respondents (85%) think that the existence of fake news is a problem in their country, at least to some extent. A similar proportion (83%) say that it is a problem for democracy in general. These views are consistent across Member States, with at least 70% in every country seeing fake news as a problem in their country, and at least 74% saying this in relation to democracy in general. Various institutions and media actors are seen as being responsible for stopping the spread of fake news § Respondents are most likely to think that journalists should act to stop the spread of fake news (45%), followed by national authorities (39%), press and broadcasting management (36%), citizens themselves (32%), online social networks (26%), EU institutions (21%) and non-governmental organisations (15%). 5 Fake News and Disinformation Online February 2018 Report Flash Eurobarometer 464 I. TRUST IN NEWS SOURCES AND AWARENESS OF FAKE NEWS This first section of the report starts by examining the level of trust that people have in different sources of news and information. It then asks how often people encounter news or information that they believe misrepresents reality or is false (fake news). It then looks at peoples confidence in their ability to identify fake news. 1. Level of trust in news sources Online sources are trusted less than traditional media sources Respondents were asked how much they trust the news and information they access through various sources6. Only a minority of respondents say they totally trust any of the sources; this is highest in relation to radio (15%) and lowest for video hosting websites and podcasts, and for online social networks and messaging apps (both 2%). However, the majority of respondents have a reasonable level of trust in traditional media sources. More than two-thirds (70%) totally or tend to trust radio, while slightly lower proportions say this about television (66%) and printed newspapers and news magazines (63%). Trust is lower in relation to online newspapers and news magazines (47%), and lower still for video hosting websites and podcasts (27%) and online social networks and messaging apps (26%). For each of the online sources, a substantial proportion of respondents answer dont know (between 20% and 25%); this might reflect a lower level of use of these sources among some groups of the population. Base: All Respondents (N=26,576) 6Q1. How much do you trust or not the news and information you access through . ? 6 Fake News and Disinformation Online February 2018 Report Flash Eurobarometer 464 In every Member State, at least half of respondents totally or tend to trust the news and information they access through radio. Levels of trust are highest among respondents in Finland (91%), Ireland, Sweden (both 85%), Denmark, Luxembourg (both 84%) and the Netherlands (83%). Respondents in Denmark are the most likely to say that they totally trust the news and information they access through radio (29%). At the other end of the scale, less than six in ten respondents say they trust the news and information they access through radio in Hungary (50%), Malta (54%), Greece, Italy (both 57%) and Bulgaria (59%). Radio is the most trusted source of news and information in 19 countries and in the remaining countries it is the second most trusted source. It might be worth to highlight that at least a quarter of respondents answered 'don't know' in Malta (32%) and Hungary (25%). This might indicate that Radio is not a popular media in these countries. Base: All Respondents (N=26,576) Respondents in Finland are the most likely to say they trust the news and information they access through television (90%), followed by respondents in Sweden, the Netherlands (both 86%), Denmark (85%) and Portugal (83%). The lowest level of trust in television is seen in Greece (40%, with 28% saying they do not trust it at all), followed by Hungary (48%), Poland (54%), Italy (56%) and Spain (57%). Television is the most trusted source of news and information in ten countries and in most of the other countries it is the second most trusted. However, in Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg and Poland, television is the third most trusted source of news and information (after radio and written press) and in Greece it is only the fourth most trusted. 7 Fake News and Disinformation Online February 2018 Report Flash Eurobarometer 464 Base: All Respondents (N=26,576) As with radio and television, trust in printed newspapers and news magazines is highest among respondents in Finland (90%), followed by those in Luxembourg (82%), the Netherlands, Sweden (both 81%) and Denmark (80%). By contrast, less than half of respondents trust printed newspapers and news magazines in Hungary (33%), Malta (39%), Bulgaria (43%), Romania (45%) and Greece (49%). In Lithuania, Hungary and Malta a high proportion of respondents answered dont know (26%, 34% and 47% respectively) suggesting that printed newspapers and news magazines is not a type of media popular in these countries. Printed newspapers and news magazines, the so called written press, is the most trusted source of news and information in Italy, although in most countries it is the third most trusted source (behind radio and television). Base: All Respondents (N=26,576)