Digital news catches up to print
Newspapers are not dead yet, but they’re still edging towards the grave in the UK. New Ofcom research has found that accessing news on the web and mobile apps is now as popular as reading a newspaper.
Ofcom found that around 41% of people say they now access news on websites and apps – up significantly from around a third (32%) last year.
But despite the rising popularity of digital news, rates of newspaper usage are remaining steady overall – unchanged at four in 10 people (40%), year-on-year. So the good news is that you’ll have something to line the bottom of the parrot’s cage for a while yet.
However Ofcom’s report does note a decline in print readership “particular among the under-35s” over the past year.
Unsurprisingly, it is youngsters who are leading the charge online – 60 per cent of 16-24 year-olds have said that they consume news digitally, up 16 per cent from 2013.
Also unsurprisingly, TV remains the most popular way to consume news with 75 per cent tuning in during 2014, compared to 78 per cent in 2013.
Ofcom’s findings are based on a survey of 2,731 people across the UK conducted in March/April of this year.
