This article is the third in a series of country-based analyses of Digital News Report 2023 conducted by the Reuters Institute of Journalism at Oxford University. This report aims to provide an overview of how citizens of Japan and South Korea consume news by examining trust and interest in the news, news avoidance, and criticism of journalists. It also investigates the change in the main sources of news, social media usage, and users' concerns about misinformation and disinformation.
Japan and South Korea share similarities in their media environments, notably the dominance of the so-called 'aggregators. On the other hand, South Koreans face ideological polarisation between conservatives and progressives, in which the media plays a key role. The analysis suggests that the influence of politics is evident in trust in news, news avoidance, and news sources on social media. Concerns about misinformation and disinformation are greater in South Korea, where news organisations and universities have led a fact-checking initiative.
Furthermore, the analysis suggests a change in the behaviour of digital natives. While the overall usage of aggregators is high in Japan and South Korea, 18–24-year-olds in both countries use social media more than aggregators, which trend is expected to accelerate in the future.