User Needs Priority Index: Importance of each user need relative to how well the news media fulfils it

On average across eight countries, audiences rate most climate coverage user needs as highly important, yet perceived media performance lags behind with the largest gap for news that inspires hope and offers diverse perspectives.

Q43. On balance, to what extent, if at all, do you think the news media in your country do a good job or a bad job in terms of how they provide the following types of news relating to climate change? Q44. To what extent do you consider the following to be important, if at all, in terms of how news or information about climate change is reported? Base: Total sample in each country ≈ 1000. Note: User Needs Priority Index is the percentage point gap between the proportion who think a particular need is important and the proportion who think the news media do a good job of fulfilling it multiplied by importance as a decimal. Higher scores indicate larger unmet audience needs. The four categories group related needs: Feeling (inspire, enjoyable), Understanding (perspective, educate), Knowledge (update, engaged), and Doing (help, connect).
Source: 'Climate change news audience report 2025: Analysis of news use and attitudes in eight countries', published in December 2025.

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Reuters