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Canberra Today 14°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Facebook ban hurts elderly and regional Australians the most

ELDERLY and regional news consumers are the most likely to be hurt by Facebook’s decision to restrict Australian news on its site, according to researchers from the University of Canberra.

The study conducted by the News and Media Research Centre at UC shows that 11 per cent of people from the baby boomer generation and older generations solely checked Facebook for news, compared to only 3 per cent of gen Z and gen X respondents.

“While younger generations use social media more than older generations, they get news from several social media platforms,” said Assoc Prof Caroline Fisher.

“For older people, Facebook tends to be the only social media they use for news. Therefore, they are more likely to be affected by this block.”

The study further shows 32 per cent of people in small local government areas with populations under 30,000 are turning to social media to fill the gap.

“Regional Australia has been hit hard by newspaper closures and job losses with more than 100 local news outlets closing during COVID-19,” said Ms Fisher. 

“Removing news from Facebook means those with already limited access to news will have their choices further restricted.”

Also highlighted in the study is the growing concern surrounding the spread of misinformation. A majority (64 per cent) of Australians indicated they were highly concerned about the issue, with 36 per cent saying they were especially worried about misinformation spreading on Facebook. 

“If news from Facebook is taken away, people may be more vulnerable to misinformation,” Ms Fisher said. 

“While certain marginalised groups will feel the impact of the Facebook news ban more than others, we need to remember that in the hybrid media environment, Facebook is just one source of news.”

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