WELLINGTON, April 8 (Xinhua) -- While interest in news in New Zealand is high, trust in news continues rapidly to decline, and news avoidance is increasing, an annual report has found.

The national online survey of over 1,000 New Zealanders published on Monday showed that trust in news in general fell significantly from 42 percent in 2023 to 33 percent in 2024, and the proportion of those who actively avoid the news grew from 69 percent to 75 percent.

The report found that while there was a slight increase in the proportion of people paying for their news, all major New Zealand news brands have suffered a decline in trust over the past year.

The results, from the fifth edition of the annual Trust in News in New Zealand report by the Auckland University of Technology, showed both conventional and social media are key sources of news for New Zealanders.

New Zealand's national TV broadcaster TVNZ has remained the biggest source of news for New Zealanders, but Facebook has become the second most important source of news, despite a drop in its trustworthiness, according to the report.

The proportion of those who are paying for digital news grew slightly from 23 percent in 2023 to 24 percent in 2024. When compared internationally, New Zealanders are in third place after Norway and Sweden in paying for news, it said.

Merja Myllylahti, co-author of the report, said journalism has lost its authority as the main source of news and information. In general, people distrust the information they see, and they are increasingly checking facts themselves.

Greg Treadwell, co-author of the report, called on journalists and media companies to form relationships with their audiences and with communities to rebuild that trust. Enditem

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