96% of the UK population consume newsbrands in some form, despite waning interest in the news as a whole, according to Ofcom’s annual News Consumption report.
Although only 42% of UK adults say they are interested in news, the average adult spends 61 minutes per day consuming news content. For the first time, online news consumption (70% reach among all adults) has overtaken linear broadcast TV channels (63% reach) – with the majority of this digital consumption taking place through social media, news aggregators, or search engines, rather than directly from newsbrands. This varies greatly by demographic, however: three-quarters of 16-24-year-olds consume news through social media, compared to just one-fifth of those aged 75+.
Whilst news consumption shifts to digital sources, Brits continue to place greater trust in public service broadcasters – despite steady declines in reach for the BBC and other PSBs in recent years.
