Published in News

More people read news online

by on26 June 2014



Print is a Norwegian Blue

More people now access their news via the Internet as by the traditional route of reading a printed newspaper.

UK media regulator Ofcom said that in its News Consumption in the UK report that 41 per cent of the public accesses news via the web and mobile apps, compared to 40 per cent who read printed newspapers. To be fair newspaper publishers will take comfort from the fact that the percentage of print readers has remained stable over the past year but the proportion accessing news digitally has increased sharply from 32 per cent in the last 12 months.

The findings should convince newspaper publishers of the need to develop their digital news offerings or die. Or come up with ways of making money from online content. At the moment it is difficult to make a buck online. The increase in digital access to news is being driven by younger generations, with 60 per cent of 16-24 year olds following this pattern. The web and apps have also overhauled radio as a source of news, with only 36 per cent now using this medium.

Television is still the most popular source of news, although the 75 per cent who cited it as a source was fewer than the 78 per cent recorded in 2013.

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