OTTAWA — News consumption has increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, with almost 50% more online Canadians reporting they have watched local TV news programs during the pandemic compared to the fall of 2019, according to a report from CBC/Radio-Canada’s Media Technology Monitor (MTM).
Released today, the MTM’s News in the Time of Covid report also found a 27% increase in the viewing of Canadian TV news specialty channels during the pandemic.
In addition to looking at the consumption of news during Covid-19, the report also examines the sources used by online Canadians to stay informed. Almost half of online Canadians said their primary source for that is TV news programs, which is more than two times the number of online Canadians who listed news websites and apps as their primary news sources, according to the report.
However, according to MTM, English-speaking Canadians are more likely to get news from news websites than French Canadians, while Francophones are more likely to stream TV news online.
Traditional broadcasters are the most popular sources for Covid-19-related news — 81% of online Canadians said they primarily use a traditional broadcaster (TV, online or radio) such as CBC, CTV or Global News for pandemic updates. Social media is the second-most-cited source for Covid-19 updates, with almost a quarter of online Canadians saying they get news from sites such as Facebook, Twitter or Reddit.
To access the full report (subscription required), please visit the MTM website here.
