4.4 A closer analysis of audience profile and their media preferences and needs HILE the new and alternative media has added to the continuum of communicative spaces through which public opinion is increasingly debated, these have retained a largely urban bias. W have resulted in differentiated uptake among citizens, primarily based on geography, class, and communications infrastructure. The rise in prominence and use of various social media platforms like Facebook, X and WhatsApp It has been noted that social media use tends to increase with increased education and social Young people account for the biggest percentage of social media use as a news source compared to adults. status, probably because of the capacity to use and purchase a device and data. The analysis shows that 43.4% of Zimbabwe’s social media users were female, while 56.6% were male (Datareportal 2023). As depicted in the figure below, more men than women access online news from the top five news websites in Zimbabwe. Figure 21: Sources of news [41] Figure 20: Gender distribution of access to top five news websites Source: similarweb.com Results indicate that adult Source: similarweb.com males listen to the radio more frequently than women and young people. education and less, including those with just primary and no education. of a reading literacy requirement for radio may be what draws the majority of listeners. Given that 58.8% of those who Only 15% of respondents said The reliance on radio a news listen to the radio have lowfrequently they have than challenges listening Results indicate thatasadult males listen to the radio more women and to young source was noted and found literacy levels and find it “easy” the radio for news, which may people. The reliance radiooras“very a news was and be most common to be most common on among easy”source to access, as noted well be duefound to poortotransmission and respondents in rural areas and areas as the and fact that they groups do so onwith a frequencies among respondents in rural among secondary[42].education and less, among groups with secondary daily and weekly basis, the lack including those with just primary and no education. Given that 58.8% of those who listen to the radio have low literacy levels and find it ‘easy’ or ‘very easy’ to access, as well as the fact that they do so on a daily and weekly basis, the lack of a reading literacy requirement for radio may be what draws the majority of listeners. Only 15% of respondents said they have 30