Why do Romanians access social media, press platforms?

The top sources of information accessed by Romanians are television (70%), social media (68%) and online media (56%), says the latest study carried out by Reveal Marketing Research during June 22-28, 2023.

The survey, aimed to identify the perceptions and attitudes of Romanians about the different media channels, the main sources of information used in everyday life, the motivations behind these choices, as well as the types of their favorite content, also reveals that 5 out of 10 Romanians would be willing to pay extra to have access to relevant and quality information, while the average amount of time spent by most Romanians on social media, watching TV or listening to the radio is 1-3 hours a day.

According to the study, even if television remains the most accessed information channel (70%), the traditional press (television, radio, newspapers) is losing ground to the online environment.

So, the top sources of information accessed by Romanians are television (70%), social media – Facebook, Instagram, etc. (68%) and online media – news sites, portals, etc. (56%). Other alternatives mentioned by respondents are radio (38%), podcast (24%) or print media – newspaper/magazine (23%).

As a trend, those under 45 are more likely to prefer online environment than those over 45. For example, for 80% of young people between 18-34 years old, social media is the main source of information (vs. 68% total sample), while 85% of those over 55 prefer television (vs. 70% total sample).

Internet platforms – ideal for personal development, traditional media – the main information source

Looking at the motivations behind the choice of different sources of information, the desire to keep up to date with important news and events leads most Romanians to use television (77%), online media (77%), radio (73%) or print media (70%). As a general trend, mature people over 55 use all sources to a greater extent in order to keep up to date with news and events.

To learn more about topics of personal interest (technology, fashion, sports, etc.), the most accessed sources of information are social media (57%), print media – newspapers, magazines (57%), online media (56%) or podcasts (56%). In this regard, men are more likely to prefer both print and online media (60% vs. 52% women) and women more likely to prefer podcasts (61 vs. 50% men).

Out of the desire to develop their knowledge and learn new things, most Romanians choose podcasts (62%), especially women (67% vs. 55% men) and young people between 18-24 years old (83%) , online press (41%) or social media (39%).

Regarding the entertainment and relaxation component, the most mentioned sources are social media (54%), radio (52%), podcast (44%) and television (41%). Social media is considered more a source of entertainment by 18-24 year olds (61% vs. 54% total sample) and TV by those over 55 (51% vs. 41% total sample).

5 out of 10 Romanians would pay extra for quality information

The growing impact of online media is undeniable, with 44% of respondents saying they follow the online media daily, to a lesser extent 18-24 year olds (21%), while 37% say they access it a few times a week. When it comes to podcasts, 47% of Romanians access them occasionally, less than once a week, especially 18-24 year olds (71%), and 31% regularly, more often than once a week.

Streaming video platforms have also become more popular than ever in recent years, with 52% of respondents now saying they own at least one such subscription, either personally or in their household. The content available on these platforms is most often watched using the TV (77%), smartphone (63%) or laptop/PC (44%), and the average time of use is 1-3 hours per day for 6 out of 10 users.

Regarding the other communication channels, most Romanians declare that they spend an average of 1-3 hours daily on social media (40%), on TV (39%) and listening to the radio (33%). In the case of print and online media, 5 out of 10 Romanians mention that they access them less than 1 hour a day.

At the same time, access to quality content is very important, with half of the respondents (50%) stating that they would be willing to pay a subscription to have access to relevant and quality information, especially those aged 25-34 (62%). The amount that most would be willing to take out of their pocket is between 20-50 lei (34%) or 10-20 lei (31%).

Types of preferred content

When watching TV, Romanians either want to relax by watching films/series (70%) and entertainment content (67%), or they want to be informed by watching documentaries and educational programmes (66%), debates and political analysis (62%) or talk shows (62%). Radio is most used for music content (46%), and print media is preferred for political and economic information (24%), sports information (23%) or technology and science information (20%).

Social media is a common channel for accessing information about hobbies and personal interests (45%), memes and humorous content (43%), information about public figures they follow (42%), information about celebrities and entertainment (42%) or fashion and lifestyle information (41%). On the other hand, online media is preferred for information in the field of technology and science (42%), political and economic information (39%) or education and personal development (39%). Podcasts are accessed for interviews with personalities (30%), interviews with experts in different fields (27%) or education and personal development (26%).