newspapers are now the least popular way to get news

Always Ofcom throws up fascinating research and a report trailed in The Guardian is no exception.

by Dan Slee

This is significant: printed newspapers have become the least popular way that people use to keep up to date with what is going on in the world.

According to a report in the Guardian the annual Ofcom news consumption study will say that 31 per cent of the population read a printed newspaper to keep informed. This is a fall from 41 per cent the previous year.

On the other hand, TV news on 67 per cent, the internet with 41 per cent and radio 32 per cent are all comfortably ahead of breaking news on the news stand.

To anyone interested in the media landscape this feels like hugely landmark news in itself. To communications teams geared-up to service the needs of newspapers first and foremost this feels especially important.

It’s also further evidence that while newspapers used to be practically the only show in town they are not any longer.

The full report doesn’t appear to have been published on the Ofcom site. Their reports always bear reading and the Ofcom Communications Market 2015 report should be required reading for all comms and PR people. I’ve blogged the findings here.

To look at this from a newspaper perspective, they would argue their websites and social media are included in the internet column. So, ‘it’s complicated’ maybe one summary.

The Guardian report also had a few more significant bulletpoints:

• ·        25 per cent of people use their mobile phones to keep up to date – up four per cent.
• ·        14 per cent of people use word of mouth to get their news – up three per cent.
• ·        Young people are more likely to go online (59 per cent) than watch the TV (‘around half.’)
• ·        BBC1 was the top news source on 48 per cent, ITV second with 23 per cent, the BBC app or website 23 per cent, BBC News channel 14 per cent and Facebook 12 per cent along with Sky News.

Once the Ofcom report the Guardian piece is drawn from goes live I’ll update.

Dan Slee is co-founder of comms2point0.

Picture credit.