"Traditional media, specifically, radio, newspaper, and television, are the key sources of information, followed by social media. Social media is a source of information for significantly more youths (aged 18 to 30 years), citizens living in urban areas, or in the Southern region, trending towards further growth in the future. Even so, radio and newspapers remain the top two information sources across all segments surveyed regardless of gender, age group, region, and density (urban/rural). Trust in information sources has generally declined since 2019, however citizens trust the sources of information they are using and while traditional and social media feature as key information sources, a range of other trustworthy sources of information were identified. In fact, the Church was rated the most trustworthy source of information amongst all demographics surveyed, reinforcing the role of religion in Papua New Guinean communities today, with traditional media following as the next most trusted sources of information. In the FGDs, youth shared stories about misleading information on social media and the internet, and perceived influence and bribery impacting the quality of some stories in traditional media. With 91% of internet users having seen misinformation or disinformation at least occasionally across online platforms, online sources are considered some of the least trustworthy sources of information [...]
Mobile phones are the most accessible digital devices in Papua New Guinea, with 79% of citizens using them daily and a further 12% using them a few times a week. Frequency of mobile phone usage increases with educational attainment and is higher amongst those living in urban locations. Rising accessibility of smartphones is also widening the reach of internet and social media services, which continue to be accessed primarily through smartphones. Importantly, 60% of Papua New Guineans use the internet or social media even if only occassionally; usage is higher in urban locations, and the Southern and Momase regions, but declines with age. Half of all citizens use the internet or social media weekly and usage is more frequent with higher educational attainment, but lower for PWD. Using social media is the most popular internet activity, however obtaining information, accessing news, and for entertainment purposes are also popular. Engagement with social media declines with age, while use of internet banking or transferring money increases with age. Facebook is the most popular social media platform with 94% using it weekly, followed closely by WhatsApp at 84%. TikTok, Instagram, and Viber are relatively more popular amongst youths. PWD have the highest variety of social media platforms used weekly of any group and are more likely to use TikTok. Overall, quality of internet services is considered just OK considering affordability, speed, and reliability.
Snapshot of Vulnerable Groups: This study examined media coverage, inclusivity, and issue-related measures for four (4) particular groups in society: youth, people with disability (PWD), women, and people living in rural and remote areas. Youth, women and rural citizen issues are being covered, but even so, people would like to see more coverage. There is a lot of room for improvement on PWD coverage. There is a general theme that the media is encouraged to tell stories about these groups, and that these stories should come from these people directly. There is a sense that discussions and stories around youth, PWD, women, and those in rural and remote areas are often sourced from those who are not in these categories. ‘Talk to them, not about them’ would be a good mantra to drive media inclusivity." (Executive summary, pages 5-6)