As media undergoes a period of profound transformation, what media do people rely on?

The "Information Media White Paper 2025" (edited by Dentsu Inc. Media Innovation Lab, published by Diamond Inc.) was released on April 23. This marks the 32nd year of publication for this white paper, compiled as a data book revealing the full scope of the information media industry.

The opening feature, "A New Horizon for Communication Shaping the Future in a Period of Great Media Transformation," explains trends in the information media market and people's behaviors across the following four articles.

1. Amid media diversification, what media do people rely on?
2. The Modern Influencer's Transformation: Marketerization, Podcasts, and Small Platform Syndrome
3. Exploring Hints for Leveraging "Fan Activities" in Advertising and Marketing
4. Media Studies: The Present and Future of Newspapers

This series introduces parts of the content from this special feature. This time, based on "As Media Diversifies, Which Media Do People 'Rely On'?" we unravel how people engage with media.

<Table of Contents>

▼Media Facing a Period of Great Transformation

▼Shifting Focus from "Individual" to "Society" with Age: Changing Interests Across Broad Genres

▼All Age Groups Utilize Both New and Traditional Media/Information Sources According to Their Needs

▼SNS/Blogs, Video/Audio Streaming Dominate Media Use Among Younger Generations

▼The "40s" as a Watershed!? "Reliable" Media Varies Significantly by Age Group

▼The Future of Diversifying Media and Human Connections

Media Entering a Period of Great Transformation

Radio broadcasting began in Japan in 1925. It's easy to imagine how the emergence of a medium delivering audio information in real time to many people via radio waves profoundly changed daily life and entertainment. Now, as we mark the 100th anniversary of radio's birth, what kind of era is the media facing?

Against the backdrop of evolving communication infrastructure and digital devices, the internet rapidly permeated society starting in the 2000s, transforming how people access information, seek entertainment, and communicate. This phenomenon is not unique to Japan. For example, a September 2024 announcement by the UK's Ofcom (Office of Communications) clearly illustrates this shift.

In its latest survey targeting those aged 16 and over, 71% reported using online news in some form, surpassing television (70%) for the first time. Ofcom described this situation as "TV loses its crown as main source for news" (※1).

※1 Source: Ofcom website, September 10, 2024 announcement article "TV loses its crown as main source for news"

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Most recently, we experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, which imposed significant constraints on daily life. During this period, the internet functioned as an indispensable life infrastructure for many people. Beyond its role as a medium, the internet's importance continues to grow for enhancing the convenience of daily life. Newspapers, magazines, radio, and television are also evolving in response to these changing times.

On the other hand, various issues related to the internet have been pointed out in recent years. For example, algorithms that display content based on users' interests and preferences, while enabling personalized experiences, also raise concerns about filter bubbles and echo chambers resulting from continuous exposure to overly optimized information.

Furthermore, the distortion of the information space caused by an excessive attention economy (※2) has been noted, and discussions are underway in various quarters on how to ensure opportunities to encounter diverse opinions and values.

※2 Attention Economy = An economic model in an information-saturated society where the interest and attention of users themselves are considered to have economic value.

Media is currently undergoing unprecedented transformation, making it difficult to clearly envision its future. However, gaining a deep understanding of the current relationship between people and media should provide crucial clues for looking ahead.

As people age, their focus shifts from the "individual" to the "society." Within a broad range of interests and concerns, the objects of their attention change.

Based on the results of the "Survey on Trusted Media" conducted by Dentsu Inc. Media Innovation Lab in June 2024, we will now examine the relationship between people and media. Many people likely use media to obtain information and experiences that satisfy their interests and concerns. This survey asked what types of topics people are interested in.

Figure 1 shows the results of correspondence analysis (※3) applied to attributes grouped by gender and 10-year age brackets. This visualization aims to reveal the relationship between major interest categories and attributes.

※3 Correspondence Analysis = An analytical method for visualizing relationships between categorical data. It measures the "distance" between categories and visualizes their "relationships," enabling a visual understanding of data patterns and structures. Items with strong relationships are plotted closer together, while those with weak relationships are plotted farther apart.

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The horizontal axis is interpreted as representing <Individual ⇔ Society>. It places categories like "National Politics/Administration" and "Foreign Affairs/Security" on the right, and categories heavily influenced by personal preferences like "Beauty/Cosmetics," "Idols," and "Fashion" on the left.

The vertical axis features softer genres like "Beauty/Cosmetics," "Healthcare/Nursing," "Drama," and "Cooking/Recipes" at the top, and harder genres like "Games," "Automobiles/Motorcycles," and "Technology/IT" at the bottom, representing the <Soft ⇔ Hard> spectrum.

Looking at trends by demographic, women appear to have a stronger affinity for genres in the upper quadrants (softer domains). By age group, younger women tend to be closer to genres strongly reflecting "individual" preferences, while interest shifts toward genres in the more socially oriented right-hand area as age increases. Men are generally closer to genres in the lower quadrants (hard areas). By age group, similar to women, younger men show interest in more personal, hobby-oriented genres, while interest shifts toward social phenomena in older age groups.

This variation in interests across age groups is influenced not only by individual preferences but also by changes in life stages and accumulated experiences. People engage with media seeking information and experiences that satisfy this broad range of interests.

All age groups utilize various media and information sources, both new and traditional, according to their needs.

Television, newspapers, radio, and magazines have long delivered diverse content across many genres to meet broad needs. Additionally, on the internet, various entities distribute content in formats like text, images, audio, and video. Therefore, this survey examined usage of 78 media and information sources (82 when including major TV program genres).

Figure 2 shows the top 20 most frequently used media and information sources.

Ranked first is "Portal News Sites" (70.8%), followed by "Commercial TV Programs" (69.8%), "NHK (General TV/E-TV) Programs" (53.2%), "Online Shopping/E-Commerce Sites" (44.4%), and "General Newspapers" (34.3%). The top rankings include a mix of traditional and online media, covering diverse content such as news, product/service information, and music.

Additionally, information shared by individuals is frequently used, such as "channels of celebrities (YouTubers, TikTokers, etc.)" on video-sharing sites (YouTube, Niconico Video, TikTok, etc.) and "SNS posts or blogs by friends and acquaintances." Given this situation, it can be said that people select and use media and information sources appropriate for their specific purpose at the time, whether for information acquisition or entertainment.

SNS/Blogs and Video/Audio Streaming: Core Media for Younger Generations

Next, we examine the characteristics of daily media usage by age group. Figure 3 aggregates the frequency share of usage for each media/information source type: "TV/Radio (Broadcast)", "Newspapers/Magazines (Print)", "Internet/Digital", "Video/Audio Streaming", and "SNS/Blogs".

Those in their 50s and 60s use "TV/Radio (Broadcast)" most frequently, indicating strong dependence on broadcast media. However, as age decreases, the share of "TV/Radio (Broadcast)" shrinks. Instead, "Internet/Digital" (use of general internet sites and apps) becomes the largest share for those in their 20s to 40s.

A notable characteristic is that "SNS/Blogs" have the largest share among the youngest age group, 15-19 years old, showing a different trend compared to those in their 20s. "SNS/Blogs" includes posts on social networking services and blogs by individuals and companies. For 15-19 year olds, the most frequently used content comes from friends/acquaintances, celebrities, SNS/online personalities, bloggers, and influencers. This indicates that information disseminated by individuals holds significant importance in this age group's media consumption.

Another characteristic trend among young people is that "video/audio streaming" holds the second-largest share for both 15-19 year-olds and those in their 20s. Breaking this down, the most frequently used services were "channels of celebrities (YouTubers, TikTokers, etc.)" on video-sharing sites (YouTube, Niconico Video, TikTok, etc.) and "music streaming services" ( ). In contrast to middle-aged and older adults who frequently engage with broadcast media, younger generations appear to enjoy diverse videos and music primarily through online channels.

The 40s as a "watershed"!? "Reliable" media varies significantly by age group

We've examined which media are most commonly used by age group. Now, how much do people "rely" on these media?

This survey asked respondents how much they "rely on" the media they use. The reason for focusing on "reliability" rather than "trust" in media is to reveal how individuals' relationships with media vary greatly, based on their personal experiences rather than general media perceptions.

Figure 4 shows the degree of reliance on various media by age group. The surveyed media are grouped into 12 categories based on response patterns. The scores and colors indicate which media groups each age group relies on: a "positive" score (orange) means greater reliance on that media group, while a "negative" score (light blue) indicates weaker dependence.

Categorical factor analysis was performed based on response tendencies regarding the degree of reliance (four levels including non-users). The numbers in the chart represent standardized factor scores.

Those in their 50s and 60s show higher scores for traditional media like "BS/CS satellite TV/CATV," "commercial TV programs," and "NHK/newspapers (general papers)." This tendency is more pronounced among those in their 60s, suggesting strong trust in media they've engaged with for years and a tendency to maintain the media consumption patterns of their youth.

Among those aged 30 and under, the scores reverse, showing a tendency to rely on online media such as "Music/Audio/Video Streaming," "SNS/Blogs," and "News/Summary Sites." Notably, while those aged 15-19 show exceptionally high scores for these online media groups, those in their 30s exhibit a positive trend across a broader range of media groups. This includes "comparison/review sites, shopping, flea markets, Q&A/review sites," "news sites, TV, newspapers, publishers' official video channels" (including online extensions of traditional media), and media groups originating from magazines. This contrasts with the younger age groups' focus on online media.

The generation in their 40s, positioned between these two groups, is characterized by not showing strong dependence on either new or traditional media groups. Born between 1975 and 1984, this generation experienced the spread of PCs and the internet triggered by the arrival of Windows 95 during their student and early working years. They also encountered subsequent digital technologies, including feature phone culture like i-mode and camera mail, making them the "digital native generation" who were among the first to engage with digital technology.

At the same time, they likely spent their childhoods discussing TV shows they watched the night before with friends and saw family members reading newspapers at home. Based on these experiences, the 40s generation can be considered a cohort familiar with both old and new media, establishing a position that can be seen as a watershed in how they engage with media.

The Future of Diverse Media and Human Connections

Compared to an era when mass media was the primary information source, today's media landscape has diversified significantly, with information originating from a wide range of sources, including individuals. Simultaneously, the environment surrounding audiences has undergone major changes. The evolution of information devices—smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, smart speakers, smartwatches—enables media engagement tailored to needs across various life scenarios.

Amidst this landscape, this survey revealed significant differences in how different age groups engage with new and traditional media. For marketing to effectively deliver information and messages, it is now more crucial than ever to accurately grasp these trends and design communication strategies that effectively combine media.

Currently, against a backdrop of circulating unverified information and the spread of fraudulent ads through impersonation, maintaining and ensuring the integrity of the online information space is being discussed as a critical social issue. Media is expected to play a significant role in this context, with mass media also being challenged on the quality of its content and its ability to leverage the internet to widely disseminate information. It can be said that all industries involved in media are expected to contribute to creating an environment where people can utilize information with confidence.

Simultaneously, the importance of literacy on the part of the audience has grown more than ever before. Depending on how media experiences evolve in the future, it cannot be ruled out that media evaluation, particularly in terms of what people "rely on," may shift from its current form. It is necessary to continue closely monitoring the trends in what kind of media people will come to rely on.

[Survey Overview]
Dentsu Inc. Media Innovation Lab "Survey on Trusted Media"
・Nationwide Internet Survey
・Target: Ages 15–69 (Valid samples: 4,727)
・Survey Period: June 2024

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