The results of the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2021, which refer to Germany, back the long-term trend towards digital information intake. 92 % of adult internet users in Germany read, listened to or watched the news at least several times a week in 2021. The proportion of adult online users who spent money on news services online remained largely stable at 9 % in 2021 (2020: 10 %). Of those who have not paid for online news so far, 11 % consider it likely that they will change their behaviour. The growing use of digital on-demand offers is also evident in the audio sector. Thus, apart from the classic radio stations, the use of podcasts has increased: Just under a third (29.3 %) of the German-speaking population has already used podcasts, and among 14- to 49-year-olds the figure is as high as 41.8 % (source: ma 2021 Audio). A similar picture emerges for the moving image media libraries. The services of ARD and ZDF are recording significantly growing usage figures. ARD reports an increase of 62 % while ZDF states an increase of 28 %.
Despite many challenges, the media industry in Germany paints a comparatively optimistic picture. The situation is different in many regions within and outside Europe. There, free media are hardly able to fulfil their task. For example, the organisation Reporters without Borders put Viktor Orbán on its list of “enemies of press freedom” for the first time, a head of government from the European Union. The conflict over the Slovenian news agency STA, which has sustained verbal and financial pressure from President Janez Janša’s government for months on end, was also disturbing. In Russia, too, the few remaining independent media are coming under increasing pressure and are often denounced as foreign agents in order to make their work impossible. In connection with the Ukraine war, a further deterioration of the situation is to be expected here. The ban on broadcasting by Deutsche Welle is another signal in the direction of escalation.
A bleak picture for free journalistic work is also emerging in numerous regions around the world. In particular in Afghanistan after the Taliban’s recapture of the country, but also in Recep Erdoğan’s Turkey. The ongoing difficult situation in Hong Kong should also be mentioned here.
Consequently, the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to two media workers last year cannot be overestimated. The two laureates, Maria Ressa from the Philippines and Dmitri Muratov from Russia, stand together for a committed struggle against the suppression of free reporting.
The number of more than 1,600 journalists killed in the last 20 years cited by Reporters Without Borders is extremely worrying. For the past year alone, the organisation points to 488 imprisoned journalists – more than ever before. China, Myanmar and Belarus account for most of the imprisoned. But in Germany, too, media workers are constantly coming under attack, often in the context of demonstrations against Corona health measures or in digital channels. The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom cites a record 95 physical attacks for the year 2021. In the press freedom ranking, Germany slipped from 11th to 13th place. In order to support the journalists affected, various media organisations, including dpa, have formulated a corresponding code of protection.
However, despite continued attacks and accusations of an untruthful press from certain political milieus, the media industry has gained credibility among people in Germany. For example, 56 % of respondents agree with the statement: “When it comes to really important things – such as environmental problems, health hazards, political scandals and crises – you can trust the media.” In 2019, this figure was 44 %, and in 2015 it was only 28 %. This was the result of the long-term study “Media Trust” published by the Institute for Journalism at the University of Mainz and the Institute for Social Sciences at the University of Düsseldorf.