Social networking sites are on top as a source of information on the Internet. Presentation of the study «Consumption of online news items in Central Asia» says.
According to it, Facebook is a leading social networking site for receiving news in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. As for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, their residents read the news on Instagram more often. At least six out of ten respondents in Uzbekistan always use Telegram as a source of information. WhatsApp messenger is the main news exchange in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, Telegram and Viber — in Tajikistan.
According to Abakhon Sultonazarov, IWPR Regional Director for Central Asia, the study is the first attempt to measure consumption of information on the Internet in the region.
«Proportion of users of social networking sites, news websites, messengers is growing in Central Asia. At the same time, the amount of misinformation, manipulation, and fakes is increasing. This causes concern about information literacy of both the population and journalists,» he stressed.
