• The preference for reading news in Spain drops to 40% among those under 25, who consume more multimedia formats (video/audio), while adults maintain traditional habits.

• 60% of those who prefer to read news choose to consult commentaries and debate in digital environments

News consumption habits have changed significantly in recent years, adapting to new technological possibilities and audience preferences. When asked about their preferred formats for being informed, half of Spaniards opt for text (50%), ahead of audiovisual (23%) or audio (12%). In general terms, these data are very similar to those recorded in the other countries analyzed.

However, a closer look reveals certain distinctions when people are grouped according to their preference for watching or listening to news. In European countries, a trend similar to that observed in Spain is evident, with the exception of France, where the percentage of individuals who consume current affairs information through audiovisual media is equal to that of readers. According to the data collected, Finland and Norway top the list of countries in Europe where online reading is the main option, with a percentage of over 70%. As evidenced in the global graph, countries such as Canada and the United States show more balanced data regarding the habit of listening, watching and reading news.

In general, the Philippines is the country with the highest acceptance of audiovisual formats (64%) compared to 30% who opt for reading. This dynamic is also observed in India, Hong Kong and Thailand. In line with the above, it is worth noting that more than half of the respondents in the four African countries included in the study prefer to watch or listen to news (either in video or podcast format). Among the Latin American markets where audiovisual consumption exceeds reading, Mexico, Peru and Colombia stand out.

Video and audio consolidate as the most popular news habits among young people, ahead of news reading

If we analyze the differences in Spain between those who prefer to read the news, we see that both men and women have a similar percentage, around 50%. Something similar occurs with those who prefer to watch the news, with figures close to 20% in both cases. As for the preference for listening to the news, the percentage of men (13%) is two percentage points higher than that of women (11%).

When the data is broken down by age group, it can be seen that young people between 18 and 24 years of age are the least likely to express a definite preference for news consumption. However, among those who do express a preference, nearly 40% choose to read the news. In the rest of the age groups, news reading remains close to 50%, and is especially high among people over 55 years of age.

News consumption habits by interest, trust and participation.

When analyzing the preference for news consumption according to interest in current affairs, three levels can be distinguished: high, medium and low. Fifty-seven percent of Internet users with a high interest prefer to read the news, compared to 40% of those who, despite their low interest, also opt for this format. On the other hand, respondents with a medium level of interest (almost 50%) also prefer to read news.

On the other hand, the preference for watching news online is more frequent among users with medium interest (24%), while it drops to figures close to 20% in the segments with high and low interest in current affairs. Listening to the news is the option least chosen by users who consume online content. This preference is highest among those with a high interest in current affairs (13%) and decreases progressively as the level of interest decreases.

News and current affairs consumption habits are also related to the different levels of citizen participation. Both passive and reactive participants show a clear preference for reading news. This pattern is especially B passive information consumers. According to this belief, increasingly widespread among users of digital media and social networks, people do not feel the need to actively seek information. Instead, they rely on important news coming to them passively through their contacts, algorithms or information streams on digital platforms.

On the other hand, nearly 40% of the participants with a more active attitude, both positive and reactive, prefer to watch or listen to the news, a figure that exceeds by approximately ten percentage points that of the passive participants, who show less inclination for these audiovisual formats.

When analyzing audience participation in relation to news, it is observed that 60% of respondents who prefer informative reading usually interact by chatting online with friends or colleagues (via email, social networks or messaging applications) and consulting comments on social network publications. Likewise, more than 50% of these users comment on news on social networksInstagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, etc.), on websites, and share information both on social networks and via email.