40% of Germans mistrust mainstream media, cite fake news as a concern - study

Voice of Europe
Wed, 06 Mar 2024 17:30 UTC

© Christof Stache / AFP

A recent study conducted by the Bertelsmann Foundation has revealed that 40% of respondents in Germany harbor distrust toward German media and journalists, attributing concerns to the spread of fake news.

With a participation of 5000 respondents, the study indicated a significant skepticism among the German populace regarding media credibility. Nearly half of the participants expressed uncertainty regarding the truthfulness of information found on the internet, while one in three claimed to have encountered misinformation in recent publications.

Foreign governments were identified as the main culprits behind fake news by 53% of respondents, while 50% pointed fingers at domestic politicians. Additionally, 34% of participants held the government of the Federal Republic of Germany accountable for disseminating false information.

The study also revealed that 43% of respondents possess a "medium level of trust" in the media, indicating a prevailing sense of skepticism.

Interestingly, individuals who lack trust in the media demonstrate a higher propensity to utilize platforms like Facebook, TikTok and Telegram. In contrast to those with a higher level of trust, who tend to use social networks less frequently.

Comment: It's in part thanks to social media that the endless and brazen lies of the legacy media have been exposed, and it's why most governments are preparing, or already have, laws to censor it. It's also in part because the legacy media has now diverged so far from reality that even the most reluctant people are forced to admit that the official narrative on most issues just isn't supported by lived experience and basic reasoning. One issue in particular is the dire economic situation, which the average person, try as they might, realises that they're ignoring at their own peril.