Compiled with the help of Sascha Hölig and Uwe Hasebrink Leibniz Institute for Media Research / Hans Bredow Institute, Hamburg.

German media usage has been amongst the most traditional in Europe, but patterns are changing with online growing in importance and influence.

Top Brands

Changing Media

Online has caught up with television to become jointly the most widely used source of news in Germany in our January survey – though the COVID-19 lockdown reversed that position in April (see Executive Summary chart). Meanwhile the smartphone has overtaken the computer as the main access point for news.

Trust

Trust in news media decreased further in 2020, though trust in the brands people use themselves remains relatively high. Public media such as ARD and ZDF remain most trusted, along with regional and local newspapers. We observe the highest level of distrust in commercial broadcaster RTL (30%) and tabloid newspaper Bild (58%), despite their popularity with audiences.