Online News Consumption Surpasses TV in Latest UK Survey

For the first time, online news sources have overtaken television as the leading medium for news consumption in the UK, according to a new survey by broadcast regulator Ofcom. The annual study reveals a significant shift in news habits, with 71% of respondents reporting they use online services for news, compared to 70% who rely on TV news bulletins.

Over the past year, online news consumption increased from 68% to 71%, while social media usage for news also grew, climbing from 47% to 52%. Among the younger demographic aged 16 to 24, a substantial 82% reported using social media platforms for news. The most popular online news sources identified were Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, emerged as a major player in news dissemination, with 40% of survey participants citing it as a primary news source. Despite this shift, the BBC remains the most prominent single news source, with 68% of people indicating they turn to it for news. However, it’s important to note that this survey reflects self-reported usage rather than actual consumption metrics. Analysis of actual usage shows  News reaching 75% of the UK population on a weekly basis.

Traditional news providers experienced significant declines. The proportion of people using newspapers and their websites dropped from 39% to 34%, while TV news consumption fell from 75% to 70%. The  online news presence also saw a decline, falling from 22% to 18%.

Although the survey did not specify usage of particular websites, it highlighted notable trends. According to the UK Press Gazette’s most recent survey, BBC News and CNN are the two largest news websites globally, with BBC News attracting 1.2 billion visits and CNN 710 million visits. Both platforms have seen substantial increases in traffic over the past year.

YouTube witnessed the most significant rise in news consumption, with 19% of respondents reporting they use it for news. This is a sharp increase from just 7% the previous year, though it’s worth noting that YouTube was previously categorized under “other online” sources, which likely accounts for the large jump.

Other news sources such as The Guardian (10%) and the Daily Mail (14%), which have a robust online presence in addition to their print editions, maintained similar figures to last year. The Guardian’s website remains the most visited UK newspaper site, with 365 million visits recorded in July 2024.

The survey also highlights a notable decline in print newspaper readership, particularly among the over-55 age group, which saw a decrease from 38% to 32% in just one year. Despite this trend, TV remains a significant news source,  One still the most mentioned single news source in the survey. Although overall TV news consumption is declining, 43% of respondents said they rely on BBC One for news, leading its closest competitors, ITV and Facebook, by 13 percentage points, both of which are at 30%.

This shift underscores a broader trend towards digital media consumption, reflecting changes in how people access and consume news in an increasingly online world. The move from traditional media to online platforms and social media highlights the evolving landscape of news distribution and consumption.