Entertainment is in the Top of Citizens’ Preferences

According to the recent sociological study “Media Audience in the Republic of Moldova”, ordered by the Independent Journalism Center (IJC), entertainment and relaxation are the most important reasons, besides information, for which people watch television, listen to the radio, or surf the Internet. Thus, 55.5% of respondents turn to television to relax; 87.3% prefer to listen to entertainment shows and music on the radio. A similar trend is common to the online domain.

According to the study, Moldovan citizens usually choose television not only to get new information, but also to relax and to have fun. Thus, 71.3% of respondents said they turn to television to learn new information, and 55.5% - to relax. Television is followed by the Internet: 49.5% of respondents choose the Internet as a source of learning something new, and 40.1% use it for recreation.

Among the respondents who said that they listen to the radio, 87.3% said they prefer entertainment or music, 72.9% listen to the news, and 51.5% – shows about healthy lifestyle. On the opposite side there are documentaries (16.7%), political talk shows (21.6%), and shows for children (26.4%).

As for the Internet, interviewees’ answers show that most of them use the Internet as a means of entertainment and interpersonal communication. Thus, 67.3% of them seek movies and 66.2% seek music. Social networking websites took the top position, with 86.5% of respondents’ choice. On the other hand, the online portals of newspapers (15.0%), radio stations (20.1%), and TV stations (30.4%), as well as sports portals (30.3%) and blogs (25.9%), are among the least popular.

The information component of the online environment, according to the study, is currently behind the need for interpersonal communication and the use of the Internet as a means of recreation and entertainment.

It is noteworthy that social networks are among the main online sources where respondents receive both information and entertainment.

The study was performed by the Independent Sociology and Information Service “Opinia” by order of the IJC between October 7 and October 24, 2017 among 1,200 respondents, and it covered 68 localities in the Republic of Moldova. The margin of error is +/- 3%.