July 13, 2020

The research looks at how people are receiving and acting on news and information during the coronavirus pandemic.

The report summarises the findings from week 14 of the lockdown, including how people’s experiences and behaviour has changed from previous weeks.

In week 14 of lockdown:

• around eight in ten respondents (85%) are now accessing news about Covid-19 at least once a day, down from 99% in week one;
• one in three respondents (32%) say they are trying to avoid news about Coronavirus. As in previous weeks, those aged 25-34 remain most likely to say they are avoiding news on Covid-19 (46%);
• the NHS remains the most trusted source for information on Covid-19. More than nine in ten adults who use it for information say they trust it (91%); and
• the vast majority of respondents agree with the statement “untrue stories about the coronavirus should not be posted or shared on social media” (84%), with only 6% disagreeing.

Alongside this week’s report, Ofcom has published more detailed information on people’s experience of misinformation related to Covid-19, along with updated findings on how the pandemic has affected people’s online behaviour and TV viewing:

• in week 14, 29% of respondents say they have come across false or misleading information about Covid-19 in the last week; down from a peak of 50% in weeks three and five;
• claims linking 5G to the virus remain the most commonly-seen piece of misinformation, although only one in five (21%) respondents came across this in week 14, compared to with half (50%) in week three;
• six in ten respondents (60%) say they are concerned about the amount of false or misleading information others may be getting about Covid-19;
• as lockdown measures began to ease in May 2020, overall time spent online by the average UK adult began to decrease, although visits to travel booking sites and apps began to increase; and
• average daily viewing of broadcast TV for June 2020 averaged three hours seven minutes per person, higher than in June 2019 and 2018.

To read the report in full, click here.