The role of friends and influencers
The need for simplification of reality and reassurance should not be overlooked. 45.5% of Italians, with values that rise to 51.6% among those who have at most the average license, in the face of the information confusion to which they are exposed, prefer to rely on informal sources they trust, therefore to friends, relatives , acquaintances met in person or on social networks without having to ask themselves if the news they find, share, comment on is true or not and, above all, without ever having to confront those who have ideas different from their own
The risks for “digital natives”
51% of Italians and 53% of Europeans express their concern about the risks that digital technology can have on the safety and well-being of minors. Today it is practically impossible to keep minors away from the web, which is part of their daily life, so efforts must be concentrated to inform and protect them from the possible risks they may encounter. 19.2% of the adult population (which rises to 21.5% for those living in families with children) believe that parents should forbid access to the internet for children under 14. The position of 31.7% is softer (28.7% in families with children), who think that when children under 14 surf the net there must always be an adult. On the other hand, 5.2% of Italians are convinced that in a life that has increasingly moved to online.
The role of communication agencies
To curb disinformation and fake news, stricter rules must be implemented for platforms and social media, digital education programs and the promotion of quality communication managed by professionals. Emergencies teach that the ability to communicate is essential to manage crises and to obtain a relationship of collaboration and trust between citizens and institutions. There is a need for professionals to guide companies and institutions in communication. Their role is fundamental in fighting fake news and disinformation. In 2021, 4,445 communication and public relations agencies are active in Italy, employing 8,290 professionals, for an average of about two employees for each agency
The inevitability of the web and social media
For Massimiliano Valerii, Director General of Censis, «with Covid first, then with the war, the web and social networks have fully entered the information ecosystem, and will remain there in the future. Information professionals must take note of this and look for ways to positively influence the web which is and must remain an instrument of freedom and democratization ».
The need for reliable sources
For Domenico Colotta, Founder of Ital Communications, “The Censis-Ital Communications Report, also in this year’s edition, notes that in the information field we are in the presence of a communicative infomedia that generates confusion and anxiety, prevailing over the correct information. In fact, in recent months, regarding the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, we can speak of war communication and not of information on the war ». «In this context – explained Attilio Lombardi, Founder of Ital Communications – communication agencies can certify, using reliable and verified sources, the correctness of the news they produce and distribute. All this is a guarantee for the functioning of modern democracies, as well as for the protection of people’s dignity ”.