Il Sole 24 Ore first daily newspaper for reliability

The web, on the other hand, is slowing down. Newspaper and radio and television sites are struggling, while digital newspapers and independent journalists are growing timidly. Social media? Downhill, especially Facebook, which is being used less and less by the under-35s to get information. On the other hand, Instagram and TikTok are on the rise, where information becomes brief, visual and often borderline.

Another important element: Italians consult news frequently, but in an increasingly indirect manner. Access via search engines, social networks and aggregators is growing, while direct access to websites and apps of newspapers is falling. This is a reflection of a more 'distributed' and less linear information consumption, but no less significant. Here too, the choice of source - when recognisable - remains central.

Leading the ranking of trust in editorial brands are three realities. At the top, Ansa, the national news agency; followed by SkyTg24 and Il Sole 24 Ore, the economic-financial daily that consolidates a reputation built on authoritative analysis and technical, yet accessible writing. In detail, 67% of those interviewed considered the information provided by Il Sole 24 Ore to be credible and reliable - making it Italy's leading daily newspaper in terms of reliability for the eighth year running - the same percentage as Sky TG24 and behind only ANSA (74%). The performance of the daily newspaper of the 24 ORE Group is thus higher than that of the other major international newspapers, both in the USA, with The New York Times at 47%, and in the UK with Financial Times at 57%, and among the main European countries, in particular Germany, France and Spain, with the main dailies below 50%.

Ansa, Sky Tg 24 and Il Sole 24 Ore are considered, all three, as titles capable of intercepting the need for professional and reliable information, especially in a historical phase in which noise is growing and sources are multiplying.

An interesting fact emerges in this respect: influencers are considered, together with politicians, to be the main source of disinformation. 42% of Italians think so. A percentage that far exceeds that referring to journalists, indicated by 28% as possible vehicles of false news. This is an important signal: we are not facing a generalised distrust, but a selective one. Users discriminate. They evaluate. And they choose who to follow.

However, the report issues a clear alarm: Italy is not ready for the challenge of infodemics. Only 17% of Italians have ever participated in media literacy initiatives. Too little for a country where 54% say they are concerned about online disinformation and where, paradoxically, as mentioned, 28% also consider journalists to be potential spreaders of fake news, more so than 'ordinary people'.

Yet the number one enemy is not the reporter, but the influencer: considered the main source of disinformation by 42% of respondents, followed by Italian politicians. Confirming that the problem is not the medium, but who uses it.

In this context, there is growing interest in proximity information, that which tells the story of the territory, everyday stories, concrete problems. 81% of Italians declare themselves interested in local news. A figure that rewards the work of local newspapers and editorial offices rooted in the territory, which maintain a strong connection with the reference communities.