Compiled with the help of Jane Suiter, Dublin City University.

Ireland’s media environment witnessed some substantial changes in 2019, with job losses, changes of ownership, and more online paywalls. Irish news consumers were highly engaged with politics with national referendums, local, and general elections all taking place over the past year.

Top Brands

Changing Media

Traditional sources of news such as television and print appear to be in structural decline, though industry data show television audiences increasing sharply during the COVID-19 lockdown. In line with international trends, the use of smartphones has continued to increase, over the past six years rising to 69%.

Trust

Irish consumers’ levels of trust in news has remained stable over the past year, bucking international trends. In both 2019 and 2020 almost half (48%) agreed they can trust most news most of the time. The public service broadcaster RTÉ remains the most trusted news brand, closely followed by the Irish Times and the Irish Independent, now under foreign ownership.