In the 2019 election campaign, more people chose to follow election coverage on their computer or phone than on the TV, radio or in newspapers. This is the first time the internet has been the most chosen platform. People still chose to use mainstream news websites more than other sites.
More than a quarter of people, 26%, followed the election on their computer or phone.
Slightly fewer, 22%, watched election coverage on the television.
Mainstream news media websites were the most popular way to see election coverage with 42% using them.
The Australian Electoral Commission site was the second most often accessed website, viewed by 30% of those surveyed.
The results of the 2019 Australian Election Survey reflect the changing media habits over the last few decades.
For the first time, more people choose to follow the election using the internet than any of the other platforms (TV, radio, & newspapers).
The use of TV and newspapers to follow elections was at their height in 1969 with 63 per cent of Australians viewing elections on TV and 55 per cent reading about it in the paper.
In 2019, the most people (26 per cent) followed it on their computer or phone via the internet. 22 per cent watched it on TV, 12 per cent listened on radio and 11 per cent read about it in a newspaper. It is the first time newspaper use has fallen below all the other platforms.
But the survey shows it is a change in platforms rather than a significant move away from mainstream media.
Mainstream media websites were still the most accessed websites for those surveyed in the Australian Election Study. 42 per cent accessed the mainstream media.
The Australian Electoral Commission’s website was the next most popular with 30 per cent, followed by party or candidate campaign sites, unofficial videos and the Federal Parliament site.