Forsa survey: majority fear social division due to disinformation
Over eighty percent of German internet users are concerned about disinformation, while quite a few blame the media.
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A large majority of German internet users state that they fear social division (87%) and the radicalization of individuals (84%) through political disinformation. This was the result of a Forsa survey, which has been published annually by the NRW Media Authority since 2019. A further 78% also stated that they think disinformation can influence election results.
According to the survey, trust in social network operators and journalists has continued to decline. “The fact that almost 60 percent no longer trust the actions of the platforms is hardly surprising, given the advanced atrophy of responsibility among Mr. Zuckerberg and Mr. Musk. In addition, almost 30 percent also see journalists and local media as senders of disinformation,” Dr. Tobias Schmid, Director of the Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia, is quoted as saying.
However, many do not trust the traditional media either, with a full 28% of respondents believing that the media and journalists are responsible for spreading disinformation. The importance of radio and daily newspapers increased slightly in the wake of the federal elections and compared to 2024. Television saw an increase of 10% compared to the previous year, although the older people are, the more frequently they use television as a source of information.
Differences between young and old
Social media are popular among 59% of under 25-year-olds for obtaining political information. In terms of the overall group of respondents, this figure was only 24%. Similarly, 51% of 14 to 24-year-olds use personal conversations to obtain information ahead of the Bundestag elections, which is also a higher figure than for older respondents.
The survey was conducted between January 15 and 20, 2025 using an online questionnaire. For this purpose, 1,005 German-speaking private internet users aged 14 and over were surveyed.
(tlz)