Covid-19 news and information: consumption and attitudes

As a response to the Covid-19 outbreak, Ofcom is providing a range of information about how people are getting news and information about the crisis.

This page contains results from the first five weeks of the survey. You can also view the latest findings and our interactive data portal.

Week five

Key findings from week five of the survey

Consumption of news and information about Covid-19

Nine in ten respondents (93%) are still accessing news about Covid-19 at least once a day (vs. 99% in week one). But just one in ten (10%) are now accessing news about the pandemic at least twenty times a day (vs. 24% in week one).
More than a third of respondents (34%) say they are ‘trying to avoid news about Coronavirus’ (vs. 22% in week one). Those aged 18-24 and 25-34 are most likely to say they are avoiding news about Covid-19 (43% of both groups). Female respondents (38%) are more likely than male respondents (30%) to say they are avoiding news on the topic.
Among adult internet users, traditional media sources (broadcasters, newspapers, radio) remain both the most-used source of news and information about Covid-19 (86% in week five, 93% in week one,) and the most important source of news and information to users (66% in week five, 71% in week one). Within the traditional media sources, BBC services (TV, radio and online) remain the most used (74% in week five, 82% in week one,) and most important sources of information (49% in week five, 52% in week one,).
Compared to week one, use of social media as a source of information about the pandemic has decreased (34% in week five vs. 49% in week one), as has use of closed groups (7% vs. 15%). There has also been a decrease in sharing news or information about Covid-19 via social media posts (14% in week five vs. 25% in week one) or by writing in closed messenger groups (17% vs. 34%). A quarter (25%) now say they have not shared any information or news about Covid-19 either online or by word of mouth in the last week, an increase from 11% in week one.

Misinformation related to Covid-19

In week five, 50% of respondents say they have come across false or misleading information about Covid-19 in the last week. This is higher than results in week four (44%) but in line with those from week three (50%). Just 3% of those who saw misleading information in the last week say they forwarded or shared it (vs. 7% in week one).
As in weeks three and four, the most common piece of misinformation respondents came across (from a select list) was ‘theories linking the origins or causes of Covid-19 to 5G technology’. There has been a small decrease in the proportion of respondents coming across this, from 51% in week four to 47% in week five. In week five, 9% of respondents said they had seen ‘other’ pieces of misinformation outside of those on our select list which related to ‘injecting disinfectant’ and ‘exposure to UV light’.

Attitudes and behaviour related to Covid-19

The NHS remains the most trusted source for information on Covid-19. Nine in ten adults who use it for information say they trust it (91% in week five, 95% in week one). A clear majority of respondents using official sources continue to trust the information provided by official scientists (87% in week five vs. 90% in week one), local health services (84% vs. 91%), the WHO (81% vs. 94%) and the government (78% vs. 89%).
More than a third of respondents (36%) say they ‘find it hard to know what is true and what is false about Coronavirus’, in line with results from week four (36%). Nearly four in ten female respondents (39%) say they find it hard to know what’s true or false, compared to 32% of male respondents.
Nearly all respondents still say they are closely following official guidance about regular handwashing (91% in week five vs. 92% in week four), only going outside the home for essential shopping and exercise (96% vs. 97%) and practising social distancing (97% vs. 98%).
A fifth of respondents (20%) say they think ‘the mainstream media is exaggerating the seriousness of Coronavirus’, in line with results from week four (20%). Nearly a quarter of male respondents (24%) agree with this statement, compared to 17% of female respondents.
Finally, most respondents (84%) continue to think that ‘this crisis is showing some positive sides of society (e.g. more local/community spirit, support for the NHS)’ (vs. 83% in week four). Those aged over 65 are most likely to agree the crisis is showing positive sides to society (92%).

We have also published the following pieces of analysis:

Results by ethnicity, using a combined dataset from weeks one to four of the survey (PDF, 262.3 KB)

Early effects of Covid-19 on online consumption (PDF, 189.0 KB)

Week four

Key findings from week four of the survey

Consumption of news and information about Covid-19

Among adult internet users, traditional media sources (broadcasters, print media etc.) remain both the most-used source of news and information about Covid-19 (93% in week one, 89% in week four) and the most important source of news and information to users (71% in both weeks one and four). Within the traditional media sources, BBC services (TV, radio and online) remain the most used by some margin. Three quarters (76%) use the BBC as a source of news/information, although this is a decrease on week one (82%). BBC services also remain the most important source of information (52% in week one, 49% in week four).
Almost all respondents are still accessing news about Covid-19 at least once a day, but this has decreased slightly (99% in week one, 96% in week four). It appears that people are not accessing news and information as frequently as in the first week of lockdown. In week one, a quarter of respondents (24%) said they were accessing news about Covid-19 twenty or more times a day, but this decreased to 17% in week two and 14% in week three. This has now decreased further to 12%.
Furthermore, three in ten respondents (30%) now say that they are ‘trying to avoid news about Coronavirus’, up from 22% in week one and 27% in weeks two and three. Those aged 18-24 are most likely to say they are avoiding news about Covid-19 (42%).
Compared to week one, respondents are now more likely to say they have not shared any information or news about Covid-19 in the past week (11% in week one vs. 18% in week four).

Misinformation related to Covid-19

During the fourth week of lockdown, 44% of respondents say they have come across false or misleading information about Covid-19. This is lower than 50% in week three, but roughly in line with results from week two (45%) and week one (46%).
There has been a small decrease in the proportion of respondents saying they have done something after coming across false or misleading news/information about Covid-19 (45% in week one, 41% in week four).
As in week three, the most common piece of misinformation that people have come across in week four (from a select list) was ‘theories linking the origins or causes of Covid-19 to 5G technology’ (50% in week three, 51% in week four).

Attitudes and behaviour related to Covid-19

The NHS remains the most trusted source for information on Covid-19. Nine in ten adults who use it for information say they trust it (93% in week four, 95% in week one). Trust in some official sources has decreased between weeks one and four, but a clear majority of respondents using these sources continue to trust the information provided by the WHO (87% in week four vs. 94% in week one), local health services (81% vs. 91%), the government (80% vs. 89%) and official scientists (78% vs. 90%).
36% of respondents say they ‘find it hard to know what is true and what is false about Coronavirus’, an increase from 32% in week three, but still lower than 40% in week one. Furthermore, 16% say they are ‘confused about what I should be doing in response to Coronavirus’, an increase from 12% in week three and in line with 17% in week one.
Most respondents (83%) continue to think that ‘this crisis is showing some positive sides of society (e.g. more local/community spirit, support for the NHS)’ (vs. 84% in week three). Nearly all respondents continue to say they are closely following official guidance about regular hand washing (92% vs. 94% in week three), only going outside the home for essential shopping and exercise (97% vs. 97% in week three) and practising social distancing (98% vs. 98% in week three).

We have also published the following pieces of analysis:

Results by UK nation, using a combined dataset from weeks one to four of the survey (PDF, 526.4 KB)

Newyddion a gwybodaeth am Covid-19: defnydd ac agweddau – canlyniadau’r DU fesul Gwlad (tonnau un i bedwar arolwg ar-lein Ofcom wedi'u cyfuno) (PDF, 330.6 KB)

Our latest analysis of TV consumption using BARB data (PDF, 191.6 KB)

Weeks one to three

Key findings from weeks one to three of the survey

Almost all of the UK online population continue to access news and information about Covid-19 at least once a day.
BBC services are still the most used source for news and information on Covid-19.
One in five respondents say they are not sharing information about Covid-19 – an increase since week one.
Half of all respondents say they have come across false or misleading information.
50% of respondents have seen theories linking Covid-19 with 5G.
Virtually all respondents continue to say they are following official advice on the coronavirus.
Official sources, such as the NHS and the WHO, so far tend to be the most trusted.
The proportion of people 'finding it hard to know what's true and what's false about Covid-19' has decreased.
An increasing number of people agree they are 'trying to avoid news about coronavirus'.
Respondents almost universally agree that the crisis has shown positive sides to society.

Covid-19 news and information: consumption and attitudes – results from weeks one to three (PDF, 327.6 KB)

Newyddion a gwybodaeth am Covid-19: defnydd ac agweddau – canlyniadau arolwg ar-lein Ofcom ar gyfer wythnos un i dri (PDF, 446.3 KB)

Week one

Key findings from week one of the survey

Almost all of the UK online population are accessing news and information about Covid-19 at least once a day.
BBC services are the most used source for news and information by some margin.
36% of respondents named BBC TV as their most important source for news and information.
46% of respondents say they have come across false or misleading information.
55% of people that came across false or misleading information did not take any action.
Virtually all respondents say they are following official advice on the coronavirus.
Official sources, such as the NHS and the WHO, tend to be the most trusted.
40% of respondents agree that they are 'finding it hard to know what's true and what's false about Covid-19'.
One in five people agree they are 'trying to avoid news about the coronavirus'.
86% of respondents agree that the crisis has shown positive sides to society.

Covid-19 news and information: consumption and attitudes – results from week one (PDF, 262.9 KB)

Newyddion a gwybodaeth am Covid-19: defnydd ac agweddau – canlyniadau arolwg ar-lein Ofcom ar gyfer wythnos (PDF, 284.0 KB)

Supporting documents

Covid-19 news and information: consumption and attitudes – previous results

Week five

Week four

Weeks one to three

Week one

See also...