JUNE 2024: STATE OF ENGAGEMENT WITH NEWS OUTLETS
Each month we provide a visualization that provides insight into some features of the CIE. This month’s ecosystem snapshot focuses on the state of engagement with top Canadian news outlets. We capture engagement by contrasting their online engagement on major social media platforms with self-reported weekly use of these outlets and ideologies. We observe CTV and CBC leading in social media engagement, with Rebel News, The Post Millennial and La Presse rounding out the top five outlets. Survey data showing self-reported weekly use for political and current affairs content has CBC, CTV and Global News leading the pack, reaching approximately a third of Canadians. After that we see a notable drop-off, with other outlets reaching only 10% or less of the Canadian population each week.
The average readers of the most consumed news outlets, CBC, CTV, and Global News, are ideologically moderate (self-reported). In contrast, outlets that are read by more ideologically right leaning audiences have disproportionately large online engagement metrics compared to their national readership levels. Overall, there is no single dominant outlet in the top 10 news outlets in Canada when considering engagement or usership levels.
Key findings:
Mounting awareness of and concern over foreign influence (FI)
Lower appetite for news and politics in June
Top Canadian news outlets are moderate and have broad appeal
Small right-wing outlets punch above their weight on social media