Abstract

Based on telephone interviews with a representative sample of the Italian adult population (18 +), the survey NEWS-ITATALY has investigated - since 2011 - the views and preferences of Italian news consumers. The article presents the results of a research that, drawing on the data of NEWS-ITATALY 2014 survey (N = 1,013), has focused on the relationship between different ways of consuming news in digital format and the opinions and attitudes of respondents regarding their search and consumption of information. More specifically, through a comparison between different regression models, we were able to assess the role played by the use of internet, smartphone/tablet and social networking sites for getting information, in influencing Italians' opinions regarding their experience with news. The analysis shows a significant effect of the use of the internet for getting news on respondents' opinions regarding their experience of information overload, their encounter with news as a result of relatives and friends' suggestions and their preference for getting news form sources contradicting their own opinions and views.