I can’t remember the last time I bought a physical
newspaper. I rarely watch the news on TV. I now rely on the internet for my
daily news fix and I consume more news than I ever did through traditional
outlets. Whether it’s a newspaper website, an aggregator for hot news stories
or a recommendation on Facebook or Twitter, the vast majority of the news I
consume is online. Since I can access news wherever I happen to be with my
smartphone I read more of it.
According to research from Pew Research Center I am not
alone. More and more people are turning to the internet for their news. In fact
the audience for online news has gone up 17.2% in the last year. Interestingly
the audiences for network, local, audio and cable news have all grown as well.
The big losers are magazines and newspapers. The newspaper industry has declined
by a whopping 43% since the year 2000.
Around a quarter of the population now consume news on
mobile devices. Smartphones and tablets are becoming more popular and the
mobility factor is key. They aren’t actually replacing desktop computers or laptops,
they are providing additional outlets. Many people are actually consuming more
news now than they ever did before.
One widely reported finding was that, despite the increase
in the popularity of social media, most people are not using it to find news.
Only 10% of digital news consumers said they followed links from Facebook or
Twitter “very often”. Despite the fact that 54% of U.S. citizens now have a
Facebook account they are still accessing news directly through websites or
apps.
As people move online for their news many outlets have to
follow suit or risk extinction. Digital subscription models are expected to
grow this year. Particularly with the growth of the tablet market, magazines
have found a suitable alternative outlet and some publications are reporting
success with digital subscriptions.
One year on, since launching a digital subscription model, the
New York Times is reporting over 450,000 paying subscribers who shell out $15
to $35 per month for articles. They are so confident that they are reducing the
number of free articles they offer readers from 20 per month to just 10.
It looks like online news is no longer the future, it’s the
present. What do you think? Do you turn to the internet for news?
Nice Post Simon! I must say the very first thing I do when I turn on my laptop each day is turn to Google News! While I do enjoy the Austin American-Statesman newspaper on Sunday only, you are right, my news is online, all the time (except Sundays) and this paper is purchased mostly for all the store ads!
ReplyDeleteThanks! The Sunday paper was definitely my last physical newspaper to go, it was kind of a tradition, but the content online is such high quality and so accessible now I really don't miss it.
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