Media Consumption & Covid

Media Consumption & Covid 19

Abstract
The topic of media consumption during Covid -19 is very relevant to current research.

The Coronavirus pandemic has been a topic that has been heavily discussed amongst most forms

of media. Social Media and Television are two of the most popular forms of media. Since

December 2019, there have been many reports about the virus that have been falsely reported.

Many of these reports have been published on social media. My research will determine where

news consumers are getting their information from about the coronavirus pandemic.

Review of Literature

In this study published by Nielsen, there are new trends within the use of media.

According to Nielsen, being at home has caused a 60% increase in the amount of video content

watched globally from March 2019 to March 2020 (Nielsen, 2020). This study analyzed data

from several countries and continent such as South Africa, Taiwan, Sweden, and The United

States. The sources of this data come from their personal studies of Nilsen media’s worldwide

database and international TV networks. This has caused Television Media to increase

consumers due to the concern about the Coronavirus. Ad buyers are growing higher engagement

due to the demand for more media. (Nielsen,2020).

Weitman and Essling analyzed media consumption trends in the pandemic. This study

was closely analyzed in categories such as education, family and youth, entertainment, financial

services, games, goovornment, health, news, retail, and social media. This study contains data

collected from March 2020 to August 2020. According to this study published my comscore,

Digital visits from each category peaked during the week of April 20th- 26th 2020. There were

64.3 billion digital visits. In the news category, non-weather news sites visit increased with 8.5
Media Consumption & Covid

billion total visits. This is 28% higher than pre- pandemic searching (Weitman, 2020). There was

also an increase in trends in the social media category. According to Weitman and Essling, there

were over 170 news outlets covering the coronavirus. News consumers viewed over 18 million

hours of this content back in March 2020. Networks such as CNN grew in engagement due to the

pandemic.

In a study conducted by Jamieson and Alberici, published by Howard University, there s

a direct correlation between media consumption and misinformation about the coronavirus. The

sources in this study include Fox news 11, NBC, CDC.gov, The New York Times. False reports

about the virus began to circulate Social Media. This has caused media consumers to create a

sense of fear and mistrust about the Virus. According to Jamieson and Alberici, Global health

organizations began to report false reports about the Virus so that they would be removed from

Facebook. Since March 2020. Popular social media outlets such as YouTube, Twitter, and

Instagram began to run factchecks on any statement made by the coronavirus so they can inform

readers about which stories are true. According to Jamieson and Alberici, Exposure to

mainstream broadcast and cable correlated positively with reporting that the novel coronavirus is

more lethal than the flu. More consumers believed television reports than social media reports.

In an analytical study conducted by Amy Watson, the coronavirus has impacted the

consumption of in-home media. This data was collected and published by Statista. According to

Watson, 40 % of media consumers spent most of their time on messaging and social media sites

during the start of the pandemic in March 2020. In the same study she concluded that 50 percent

of consumers spent their time watching new coverage to collect facts about the virus.

In an article written by Maddy Savage, it was concluded that news consumers were

consuming too much media. This article was published by BBC and contains interviews from
Media Consumption & Covid

news consumers. Savage found that seven in ten Americans say that they need to take breaks

from news about the coronavirus. Broadcasters have been able to bring in more young viewers

since the start of the Coronavirus (Savage,2020). New sites have also reported a 57% viewer

increase. Broadcast news became the most dependent source since the beginning of the

pandemic.

Research conducted by JP Morgan shows the heighten of the news cycle due to the

coronavirus pandemic. According to their research, Social media shares have grown

tremendously. Tv network’s have reported their views to double due to the pandemic. According

to JP Morgan, Facebook massager grew more than 50 % in May 2020. Snapchat also reported 68

million of their users shared content relating to the coronavirus. Social Media has become a

necessity during the pandemic.

According to an article by Ad Tech Daily, 70% of is trying to catch more news than

before as of August 2020. The coronavirus has pushed for media consumers to want to learn

more updates concerning the virus. Smart phone usage increased by 70% globally (N.P, 2020).

This study also found that generation z has been exposed to misinformation about the pandemic

due to the consumption of social media. A survey conducted in the UK proved that 60 % of 16-

24-year old’s use social media to find out their news about the coronavirus.

Iab also conducted research on this topic. They were able to analyze data from March -

April 2020 about media consumption. According to Iab, nearly 9 in 10 U.S consumers reported

higher in media consumption. 79% of consumers watch news programs about the coronavirus for

their news.
Media Consumption & Covid

In a study conducted by Elsa Shearer, Local news station views have shown growth since the

start of the pandemic. Sources of her findings include the Pew Research Center. According to

the Pew Research Center, 61% of Americans said they were following news about the

coronavirus outbreak at both the national and local level equally. Her research also pointed out

how consumers are being careful about listening to the Trump Administration about updates on

the virus due to misleading comments. In a survey conducted between June 4-10th, Half of U.S

adults said they trust their local news because the information is reported accurately

(Shearer,2020).

In conclusion, usage of media has peaked due to the coronavirus pandemic. News

consumers are aware that social media contains information that can be misleading about the

virus. The most trusted form of media during the pandemic is Television. Social media has been

consumed tremendously during leisure time. Most people are getting their news from Television.
Media Consumption & Covid

Introduction
This research examines where news consumers are getting their news from in the

coronavirus pandemic. I chose this study because it has emerged this year and is still ongoing.

According to research from John Hopkins, 1.57 million people have died in a result of the

coronavirus. If misinformation continues, I believe this total will grow rapidly. This study is

important to literature because it will dissect a pattern of where media consumers trust to find

their news.

According to Pew Research, the two most popular forms of media are broadcast and

social media. The numbers between social media and television have been on the rise since the

start of the coronavirus pandemic. However, there has been a continuous spread of

misinformation about the coronavirus. The purpose of this study is to examine the correlation

between misinformation and media pertaining to the coronavirus.

Before this research, it could be concluded that social media is the leading source of

media during the pandemic. In a study conducted by Jamieson and Alberici, published by

Howard University, there is a direct correlation between media consumption and misinformation

about the coronavirus. It could also be concluded that most media consumers get their news from

television because of reliability. Research conducted by Iab.com says that 79% of news

consumers get their news about the coronavirus from television.

With the ongoing pandemic, news consumption is an ongoing study. Many remain from

this study. How will the media filter out misinformation of the coronavirus? How will the

current media trends change throughout the rest of the pandemic? Which media source is the

most reliant? This research will also examine the demographic divide between where news

consumers watch their news.

Methods Chapters
This chapter will discuss the research methods taken to perform this study. The data collected for

this research utilizes quantity measures. Numbers are very important within this study. For this

study, I will use the survey method to collect new information about the current media

consumption trends. The survey will include 5 questions and will be collected from 50 college

students.

Population
Population refers to a select group of people. The population within this study are those

who consume both Television and Social Media. During the start of the pandemic, the number

of media consumers increased. According to The Interactive Advertising Bureau, 9 in 10 united

states media consumers reported higher media consumption. The population is increasing due to

the growth in media consumption during the pandemic.

Media

Media can be measured as a quantitative element of this research. The two most popular

medias are Television and Social Media. On Television, two news channels were analyzed

within this study. News from CNN and Fox News were included in this study to determine the

number of media consumers. This data was collected by each channel from March to August of
Media Consumption & Covid

2020. To measure where consumers are getting news, various media channels prove this study.

Accuracy and bias are also a determining factor in the correctness of the news.

Social Media can also be broken down into several media outlets. For this study, Twitter,

Facebook, Instagram, and online news media were used to analyze social media. Each of these

social media sites share news. In April, Facebook Twitter, and Instagram created a fact check

warning pretraining to news about the Coronavirus. This encouraged users to preform further

research about the virus. To analyze the presented social media forms, the survey will include the

question “Which form of social media do you use “. This will help to ensure the study carries no

bias.

Statistics and Percentages

To further analyze this research, numbers and analytics were taken to discover where

news is being consumed during the pandemic. Statistics were collected by credible sources such

as JP Morgan, the Interactive Advertising Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, and an array of more to support the examination from the survey.

Findings

Obtained Sample: The sample collected from this research was survey data from 50 college

students. Each student served as a media consumer. The survey included 5 multiple choice

questions.
Media Consumption & Covid

The first question in the survey asks “Have you been staying up to date with news about

the coronavirus. This question was used to determine if each media consumer will give

information to support the study. It also exposes the consumer’s pattern to understand the

current trends. Since the pandemic is ongoing, the answer to this question supports the claim

made through this research.

The second question in the survey asks “Which form of media do you rely on for news

about COVID-19. As previously stated, the two most popular forms of media are social media

and broadcast according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau. This question determines the

accuracy of which media is the most popular media.

The third survey question askes “Which Social Media Apps are you using “? To

determine the reliability of social media news, I asked the consumers this question to further

analyze the current trends of each social media app.

The fourth question asks “which television news source are you more likely to watch for

accuracy of your news? The answer choices included Fox News, CNN, or local news. While

performing the review of literature, I found that Nielsen concluded these news outlets grew in

ratings during the start of the pandemic. I asked this question to measure if each of the 50

students included in this study supports this conclusion.

My final question in the study asked, “How often do you fact check news you learned

from your trusted form of media?”. The absence of Fact checking leads to misinformation.

Misinformation is important within this study.

Citations

Hall Jamieson, K., & Albarracín, D. (2020). The Relation between Media Consumption and

Misinformation at the Outset of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in the US. Harvard Kennedy

School Misinformation Review, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.37016/mr-2020-012

COVID-19: Tracking the Impact on Media Consumption. (2020, June 16). Nielsen.

https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2020/covid-19-tracking-the-impact-on-

media-consumption/
Media Consumption & Covid

Consuming media at home due to the coronavirus worldwide 2020, by country. (2020, June 18).

Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1106498/home-media-consumption-

coronavirus-worldwide-by-country/

Savage, M. (2020). Coronavirus: How much news is too much? BBC Worklife.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200505-coronavirus-how-much-news-is-too-

much

Comscore, Inc. (2020). Revisited: Media Consumption during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Blog/Revisited-Media-Consumption-during-the-

Coronavirus-Pandemic

Media Consumption in the Age of COVID-19 | J.P. Morgan. (2020). JPmorgan.Com.

https://www.jpmorgan.com/global/research/media-consumption

Daily, A. T. (2020, August 25). How the Coronavirus Pandemic Has Changed Media

Consumption. Ad Tech Daily. https://adtechdaily.com/2020/08/25/how-the-coronavirus-

pandemic-has-changed-media-consumption/

Alqahtani, J. (2019). https://iarjset.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IARJSET.2019.61204.pdf.

IARJSET, 6(12), 14–16. https://doi.org/10.17148/iarjset.2019.61204

Shearer, E. (2020, July 2). Local news is playing an important role for Americans during

COVID-19 outbreak. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-

tank/2020/07/02/local-news-is-playing-an-important-role-for-americans-during-covid-19-

outbreak/