5 April 2012 Citizen journalism Latin America takes the lead Research from Kantar Medias Global TGI

I Net reveals how attitudes to usergenerated content differ around the world The apparent ubiquity of social networking raises questions about the relevance of traditional news providers. Even the most nimble publisher struggles to keep up with citizen journalists on the ground, who can Tweet updates as they happen. As newspaper publishers enter a new era, Kantar Medias Global TGI believes newspapers have a key role to play in this changing landscape, but recognises that business models need to change to incorporate direct audience interaction. Recent research by the company provides publishers with insight to inform their strategies by showing the different social media habits of people around the world. In terms of engaging with user generated content (UGC), the number of internet users reading articles or comment varies significantly by country, with Latin America featuring strongly. 47% of internet users in Brazil and 44% in Argentina read UGC on newspaper websites, compared to only 35% in GB and 26% in Germany. Not all countries have high levels of user interaction however. Latin American countries again show the highest rates of activity in submitting articles or comment on the websites of newspaper publishers, with 27% in Brazil and 26% in Argentina. This drops to only 17% in Germany and 12% in GB. Geoff Wicken, Head of TGI International at Kantar Media comments: Todays digital world has enabled consumers to move from being passive recipients of news coverage to playing an interactive role in how news is distributed. While the doomsayers take this to signal the end of the traditional newspaper, savvy publishers understand that they need to encourage and engage with people providing content, and use it as means of underpinning their role in this Brave New World. At the same time, as demonstrated by our research, it is critical for global publishers to adapt their strategy by region. Kantar Medias Global TGI Net provides further insight for publishers, as well as brand owners. When asked how important it was that they trusted the websites they visited in general, internet users in the Middle East were more likely to agree, with 82% in Saudi Arabia and 80% in Kuwait confirming this. In Latin America trust is less of an issue, with Brazil showing 73% agreement and Argentina only 71% - a factor that may help to explain the acceptance and willingness to contribute to content. The trust that people have in online content differs country by country. This is a key consideration for publishers wanting to incorporate material from users. In some regions it is clearly important to verify the source, whereas in other places, different priorities take precedence, concludes Wicken.

Appendix % of internet users reading UGC comment/article on newspaper websites Brazil 47% Argentina 44% Mexico 41% United Arab Emirates 39% Spain 38% France 36% Great Britain 35% Saudi Arabia 35% Germany 26% Kuwait 26%

% of internet users submitting articles/comment on newspaper websites Brazil 27% Argentina 26% Mexico 23% Spain 19% Germany 17% United Arab Emirates 15% Great Britain 12% France - 12% Kuwait 8% Saudi Arabia 5%

% of internet users agreeing it is important to trust the websites I visit Saudi Arabia 82% Kuwait 80% Great Britain 79% France 78% UAE 78% Brazil 73% Argentina 71% Mexico 71% Germany 68% Spain 66%

-endsAbout Global TGI Global TGI is a network of single source market research surveys. Present in over 60 countries across 6 continents TGI provides invaluable consumer insights into the lifestyle and behaviour of over 1.5 billion consumers. www.globaltgi.com

About Kantar Media Kantar Media provides strategic advice and competitive intelligence to the worlds leading brands, publishers, agencies and industry bodies, helping them navigate and succeed in a rapidly evolving media industry. This includes analysis of paid media opportunities; counsel on brand reputation, corporate management and consumer engagement through owned media; and, evaluating consumers reactions in earned media. Kantar Media provides clients with a broad range of insights, from audience research, competitive intelligence, vital consumer behaviour and digital insights, marketing effectiveness and online influence. Our experts currently work with 22,000 companies tracking 3 million brands in 50 countries. www.kantarmedia.com https://twitter.com/#!/kantarmedia_uk