OTTAWA — A new Media Technology Monitor (MTM) report reveals 85% of online Canadians have some level of concern regarding the impact of fake news on the world around them.
MTM, a research product of CBC/Radio Canada, released Wednesday its latest Sneak Peek Report, which provides technology trend information, is based on telephone interviews with 8,000 Canadians and is released twice annually.
Gen Zs, those aged 18 to 29, reported a higher level of concern (89%) regarding the impact of fake news than other generations. Gen Ys (aged 30-38) and Boomers (55-73) reported the same level of concern (85%) as the overall national average. Gen X (39-54) and seniors (74-plus) reported slightly less concern about fake news (83% and 82%, respectively).
According to the MTM report, news consumption is high among Canadians. Half of Canadians reported they tune in to watch a local news show each night. Watching nightly local news jumps to 75% among heavy TV viewers, who are defined as those who watch 15-plus hours of TV in a typical week and make up one-third of TV viewers, according to MTM.
Among those Canadians who read news online, 13% admitted to not reading any online articles in their entirety in a typical day, according to MTM’s survey.
The MTM report also revealed general trends regarding TV viewing and radio listening, plus the adoption of smart speakers. About one in five Canadians (19%) have watched movie or TV content in a language other than French or English. Gen Z and those born outside of Canada are the most likely to watch content in a language other than Canada’s official languages (29% and 41%, respectively).
Radio listening levels among Canadians remain stable, with 88% of Canadians surveyed by MTM saying they have listened to AM/FM radio in the past month. Radio consumption is heavily tied to the commute and people listening in cars — two-thirds (67%) of listeners tune in from their vehicle, according to MTM.
Smart speaker adoption in the Canadian market grew to 13% in fall 2018, up from 8% in spring 2018, according to MTM’s research. The majority of smart speaker owners surveyed by MTM said they own the Google Mini or the Google Home smart devices. Although survey respondents reported a variety of activities they do with their smart speakers, streaming music is the number one activity, with 76% of smart speaker owners telling MTM they stream music on these devices.
To read MTM’s news release regarding its fall 2018 Sneak Peek Report, click here.
