Bill H.’s Post

Television is no longer the single main source of news for UK adults, as new research shows that online sites and apps are now as popular as TV news for the first time. TV has been considered the leading source of UK news since the 1960s, when widespread set ownership saw it overtake radio and newspapers. But recently published findings from the UK's Ofcom annual study into how UK adults access news shows that 71% of adults now do so online, compared to 70% for TV, marking a generational shift in the balance of news media. The big driving factor is the increasing use of social media for news. More than half of UK adults (52%) now use platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to access news, up from 47% in 2023. Once the dominant feature of the peoples daily news diets, the reach of TV news in the UK has gradually declined in recent years, and fell sharply from 75% to 70% last year. https://lnkd.in/eZHiC-qq

For the first time, online news has overtaken TV as the most popular news source in the UK! According to Ofcom, 71% of the population now get their news online, while 70% tune in to TV bulletins. Social media is also growing fast, with platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram leading the charge—especially among 16-24 year-olds, where a staggering 82% use social media for news! Whilst the BBC remains the top individual news source in the UK (68%), Meta-owned platforms have become the second largest source at 40%. Meanwhile, traditional newspapers continue to decline, with only 34% of people saying they use them. The way we consume news is changing—are you staying up to date online? 🌐 Link to article https://lnkd.in/esgFm4b5 #NewsHabits #DigitalNews #SocialMediaNews #UKNews #Ofcom

Good news or bad news - TV no longer the single main source of news In the #UK "#Television is no longer the single main source of news for UK adults, as Ofcom research shows online sites and apps are now as popular as TV news for the first time." Whether this is good or bad, it is undoubtably inevitable. The internet opened up the world of news and made other non-mainstream media sources available at the click of a button. That has huge positives. Alternative media has different takes, different focuses that traditional media, looks at details that mainstream television news doesn't highlight. Depending on the type of news, it can really enrich and compliment understanding of the world. However, the obvious negatives is that fake news floods the zone, people are ciphoned into their own bubbles of what is real and what is fake. People can tailor the news to their own biases and interest, and that is causing a schism in societies. All these changes underscore the importance of #publicservicemedia in the ever-changing media landscape. The importance of having impartial and fact-based media in a divided newscape is so important. Corporate media has business interests, and online independent media varies in quality enormously. It's important for PSBs to embrace this change and ensure that they are not just present or considered a TV-only news source, but be across all platforms. In the UK "Public service broadcasters (#PSBs) remain an important way to access news. BBC One remains the most popular individual news source, while news across all BBC platforms (TV, radio, news website, Sounds and iPlayer) still reaches 68% of all UK adults. ITV1 is the second most popular individual news source." "Online news sources – and social media platforms in particular – are rated much less favourably than traditional platforms such as TV and radio for accuracy, trust and impartiality....Audiences still consider ‘trusted and accurate UK news’ as the most important societal feature of public service media (PSM), with nearly half of respondents (49%) ranking it among the top three attributes...PSBs, on the whole, consistently deliver well in this area, with 63% of respondents rating PSB news as ‘trusted and accurate’." In summary, the moves to online news is inevitable. Some independent media is great, and a great benefit to that, but others are a danger to understanding of truth and facts. In the battle to establish truth and facts, the public service media, with the mission to inform, has to lead the way and reach audiences where they are. They require support from governments to continue to offer this vital service. It's a fact that the stronger support and independence of #psbs the stronger society's democracy is. #newsmedia #news #socialmedia #tvindustry #mediaindustry #tvnews #broadcastmedia #broadcasting https://lnkd.in/ekCxFKxC

For the first time, online news has overtaken TV as the most popular news source in the UK! According to Ofcom, 71% of the population now get their news online, while 70% tune in to TV bulletins. Social media is also growing fast, with platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram leading the charge—especially among 16-24 year-olds, where a staggering 82% use social media for news! Whilst the BBC remains the top individual news source in the UK (68%), Meta-owned platforms have become the second largest source at 40%. Meanwhile, traditional newspapers continue to decline, with only 34% of people saying they use them. The way we consume news is changing—are you staying up to date online? 🌐 Link to article https://ow.ly/PINQ50TlfxA #NewsHabits #DigitalNews #SocialMediaNews #UKNews #Ofcom

Online news media overtakes TV news for the first time. A watershed moment, which underlines everything we see at Metricomm in our media effectiveness analysis. There’s no doubt that online media are by far the most influential source of news.  A TV bulletin is over in minutes. Online news about brands, topics and issues stays there, with the potential to influence audiences over a much longer timeframe. Interesting comment as well about ‘this is what people say they do.’  I’d put money on the fact that many of the 70% who say they  ‘watch’ news bulletins on TV aren’t actually watching at all; it’s just background noise. On the other hand, we know from consumer responses to online media coverage (search, website visits etc) that readers of online news are paying attention, and it becomes a powerful catalyst for other behaviours. #mediaeffectiveness #insights #dataanalytics #news #consumerbehaviour

“The Times They Are A-Changin’” For the first time, OFCOM’s annual research shows that online platforms have overtaken TV channels as the most popular sources of news in the UK. 71% of UK adults consume news online - websites and apps, whereas 70% use a TV. OFCOM said that the most significant driving factor was the increasing use of social media for news. Over half of UK adults now use social media platforms to access news, up 5% since last year. The most popular social media platforms for news are Facebook, then YouTube, Instagram, and X. All except X are used by more adults as news sources than the BBC News website and app! However, traditional news sources outperform online ones in terms of research questions about trust, accuracy, and impartiality. For the last three years, six out of ten adults have rated public service broadcasters as “trusted and accurate.” If we dig into the OFCOM data, we see that for 16- to 24-year-olds, social media is the dominant news source (82%). Instagram then TikTok are the preferred platforms. For people over 55, the preferred news source is TV. However, 54% of the 55+ group now find news online - through news websites rather than social media (only 28% compared to the 16-24’s 82%). For 12- to 15-year-olds, TikTok is the preferred source of news. On the topic of social media, I was amused to read that hobby apps have become the new social networks. Especially to find friends and future partners. Forget Tinder and other dating apps; it is Strava (running and cycling), Goodreads (books), Revelry (knitting) or Letterboxd (films) where you need to be. This fits the broader change where people are becoming tired of the digital town square that is X and prefer a friendlier environment. Connecting with people with similar hobbies and interests rather than broadcasting views and commentary to the world. I was gobsmacked to read another article about the people who try to beat running records on Strava within airport terminal buildings! Bob Dylan recorded “The Times They Are A-Changin’” in 1964. Until recently, BBC News at Nine and ITV News at Ten were the dominant news sources for UK adults. The shift to online, particularly social media, has been gradual. The BBC director general admitted in the BBC’s Annual Report for 2024 that 500,000 fewer people pay the TV licence fee than the previous year. The change will continue. [Image: Fujiphilm on Unsplash]

Television is no longer the single main source of news for UK adults, as Ofcom research shows online sites and apps are now as popular as TV news for the first time. TV has been considered the leading source of UK news since the 1960s, when widespread set ownership saw it overtake radio and newspapers. But Ofcom’s annual study into how we access news shows that 71% of adults now do so online, compared to 70% for TV, marking a generational shift in the balance of news media. The big driving factor is the increasing use of social media for news. More than half of UK adults (52%) now use platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to access news, up from 47% in 2023. Once the dominant feature of the nation’s news diets, the reach of TV news has gradually declined in recent years, and fell sharply from 75% to 70% last year. Older generations turn to news sites Going online is by far the most popular way for younger people to access news (88% of 16–24-year-olds), but older generations are also gradually adding online sources to their news diets. Over half (54%) of people aged 55+ find news online – up from 45% in 2018 – with most navigating directly to news websites. Only 28% access news via social media, significantly lower than 16-24s at 82%. Despite this trend towards online news sources, TV remains by far the leading platform for news among older age groups (85%), compared to only half of 16-24s (49%). Broadcast news trusted and valued, with review underway to secure its future “ source: OFCOM https://lnkd.in/eachRfti

For the first time ever, more people in the UK are viewing online content than watching TV. Research by Ofcom reveals 71% of the population said they used online services for news versus 70% who watch TV news bulletins. Tapping into online conversations is more important now, than ever. The online world has become an extension of our real life. The world's thoughts and opinions on any topic can be found across online news and social channels. How do you tap into the conversation? Exorde monitors over 5000 news and social media sources daily, collecting approximately 5 million posts per day - Data which can be at your fingertips, either through an API or a custom built dashboard. If you want to know more about how you can use social media data for your business, comment "Data" and we'll get back to you. Read more in the BBC article: https://lnkd.in/exwrkWtf #news #uknews #bbc #bbcnews #socialmedia #online #internet #internetnews #media #medianews #mediachannels #tv #technology #technews #data

Did you know online news is now as popular as TV for the first time in the UK? 💻 According to Ofcom, more than half of UK adults (52%) now use platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram to access news, up from 47% in 2023. However, older audiences still place greater trust in TV and radio for accuracy and impartiality, with 85% of over-55s relying on TV as their main news source. As a PR consultant, understanding how news is consumed is critical to making work more impactful for clients. These insights are even more important as we: 👉🏾Adapt our strategies to leverage digital platforms while maintaining the trustworthiness of traditional media. 👉🏾Create a blend of coverage opportunities across digital and traditional outlets to maximise reach and ensure credibility. 👉🏾Ensure all content we newsjack or align with is fact-checked and verified, especially with rising concerns over misinformation and deepfakes. Personally, I listen to the radio in the morning, check the news throughout the day via social media alerts, and watch the news on TV in the evening—I rarely use YouTube for current events unless I’m watching Sky News Live. How do you consume your news? And for the PR pros, how are you adapting your strategy to these shifts in news consumption?

While we must worry about truth, trustworthiness, and fact-checking, we must also see how news continue to be followed - only from sources unexpected 20 years ago. This adds responsibility for #newsmedia to find where the audience is and make sure the delivery channel is effectively chosen. It's also a challenge for current media business models. The Guardian: "Online platforms have overtaken TV channels as the most popular sources for news in the UK, (...) a 'generational shift' in viewing habits." In the UK, news consumption is: - Adults: 70% TV / 71% online / 52% social media (top 3 are Facebook, YouTube, Instagram) - 16- to 24-year-olds: social media is the dominant news source - 12- to 15-year-olds: TikTok is the biggest single news source Link to The Guardian's story here, correctly approaching the need for a revision from outdated programming based on 60's-style viewing habits.