Katz surveyed 1,000 adults across the country to pose a simple question about a not so simple issue - media trust. Respondents were asked, "How trustworthy do you find the following sources of information?" with regards to radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and social media. Our simple probe into the minds of consumers turned up some encouraging news for the radio industry and advertisers.
RADIO TOPS OTHER MEDIA IN TRUSTWORTHINESS
The study found that radio is the most trusted media among adults, with 8 in 10 considering it to be very trustworthy or trustworthy. Radio edged out newspapers by +2 points, and surpassed television and magazines by double digit margins (+16%). Social media landed in last place as the least trusted media type, with just over a quarter of adults putting faith in it. Compared to social media, radio was trusted by nearly 3x as many adults.
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TRUST IN RADIO SPANS ACROSS ALL AGES
Regardless of age and life stage, radio consistently achieved a high level of consumer trust, while other media types saw shifts, especially among the older and younger crowds. Older adults (A55+) expressed the most widespread trust in radio among all age breaks, at 83%. A55+ were also more trusting of magazines than the other age groups, and much less trusting of social media. Younger adults (A18-34) were found to trust radio at a level on par with the average adult (79%), earning it the top spot among this cohort. Compared to the average adult, A18-34 were much less trusting of magazines, and slightly more trusting of social media. At its peak, among A18-34 and A35-54, only one-third of consumers reported holding any faith in social media.
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Radio is the ideal platform for advertisers looking to make their voice heard and their message count. Unlike with risky social media platforms, brands utilizing radio in their media mix can be sure that they are reaching wide audiences in brand safe environments with the best chance for messaging to break through, resonate, and not be mistrusted by consumers. When it comes to consumer trust in an expansive world of media platforms, hearing is believing.