Key0Learni4ngs Tru1st in N4ews Fa3ke Ne0ws Int0roducti6on Distri1butin8g News The Fu3ture o6f News Inter0est in8News Mone2tizing4News Final T4hough2ts and key considerations Key learnings Interest in News SURGING APPETITE FOR NEWS DRIVEN BY 18-34s: Among news audiences in general, 39% are using a greater number of news sources in 2017 than 2016. This rises to 49% among 18-34 year-olds, who are also the group accessing news across the largest number of sources. ONLINE NEWS AND TV DOMINATE AS THE NEWS MEDIA OF CHOICE: At 78%, the proportion of news audiences who consume news online (via any platform) is now comparable to the proportion watching news on broadcast TV channels (76%). Among 18-24s, the proportion consuming news via social media is the same as the proportion watching it on TV channels (67%). NATIONAL NEWSPAPER BRAND AUDIENCES ARE DISPLAYING A STRONG INTEREST IN POLITICS: 72% of national newspaper brand audiences (across any platform) are interested in politics vs 59% of news audiences in general. News is as viable a content ofering as it ever has been, particularly among 18-34 year-olds. News organisations are well positioned to capture the audience attention that advertisers demand.
Among news audîences în genera, 39% are usîng a greater number o news sources în 2017 than 2016. Thîs rîses to 49% among 18-34 year-ods, who are aso the group accessîng news across the argest number o sources.
ONLINE NEWS AND TV DOMINATE AS THE NEWS MEDIA OF CHOICE:
At 78%, the proportîon o news audîences who consume news onîne (vîa any patorm) îs now comparabe to the proportîon watchîng news on broadcast TV channes (76%). Among 18-24s, the proportîon consumîng news vîa socîa medîa îs the same as the proportîon watchîng ît on TV channes (67%).
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER BRAND AUDIENCES ARE DISPLAYING A STRONG INTEREST IN POLITICS:
72% o natîona newspaper brand audîences (across any patorm) are înterested în poîtîcs vs 59% o news audîences în genera.
News îs as vîabe a content oferîng as ît ever has been, partîcuary among 18-34 year-ods. News organîsatîons are we posîtîoned to capture the audîence attentîon that advertîsers demand.Fînd out more on page 8
Trust în News
TRUST IN NEWS - A FUNDAMENTAL OF DEMOCRACY UNDER THREAT:
Whîe neary three quarters o news audîences beîeve that accuracy în journaîsm îs key to a heathy democracy, ony 56% trust that what they read îs true and not ake “most o the tîme.”
TRUST IN MAINSTREAM NEWS BEATS ONLINE:
Prînted news magazînes are the most trusted news source (72% o consumers o thîs news medîa type rate them posîtîvey), cosey oowed by 24-hour TV news, teevîsîon news buetîns and programmes, radîo buetîns and natîona newspapers. Conversey, just 33% o those who consume news on socîa medîa agreed that ît ‘provîdes news ï can trust’.
PROVIDING IN DEPTH COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS IS A KEY DRIVER OF TRUST:
Provîdîng în depth commentary and anaysîs îs the key unctîona drîver o trust în news. Prînt magazînes, natîona newspapers and 24 hour news channes are rated best or provîdîng în depth commentary and anaysîs.
Trust în journaîsm îs crucîa to how news audîences vîew the word. Maînstream news has the saîence to engage news audîences through edîtorîa întegrîty and quaîty content.Fînd out more on page 14
Dîstrîbutîng News
DISTRIBUTION vs DESTINATION STRATEGY REMAINS CRITICAL:
42% o news audîences vîsît news sîtes or apps dîrecty, whîe dîscovery o content dîstrîbuted through socîa medîa comes a cose second at 36%. Neary two thîrds o socîa news consumers do notîce whîch news organîsatîon provîdes the content they are readîng socîay.
PARTICIPATION AND ACCESS DRIVE SOCIAL NEWS:
43% consume news socîay to access a wîde varîety o news sources, whîe 40% do so to take în very dîferent vîews to theîr own.
SHARING THE NEWS INDISCRIMINATELY IS A SIGNIFICANT HABIT:
Whîe sharîng storîes îs a key news actîvîty on socîa medîa, 18% have shared a story ater ony readîng the headîne and not the content.
Opportunîtîes are beîng created or maînstream news pubîshers and dîgîta patorms aîke as a resut o news audîences’ appetîte to share and partîcîpate în the conversatîon around the news. News organîsatîons must weîgh up the beneIts o extendîng reach of-patorm agaînst the monetîzatîon opportunîtîes o brîngîng audîences on-patorm. Fînd out more on page 18
Monetîzîng News
THE FINANCIAL PREDICAMENT OF NEWS ORGANISATIONS IS A REAL CONCERN FOR MANY:
44% are concerned that some news organîsatîons may go out o busîness, meanîng ess choîce or them. Thîs rîses to over ha (52%) o 18-34 year-ods.
THE ANSWER? LOOK TO UNDER 35s:
42% o 18-34 year-ods paîd or onîne news content în any orm în the past year, amost doube the proportîon among those aged 35+ (22%). Younger audîences are în genera more sympathetîc to the îdea, and twîce as îkey to ee a sense o duty to support îndependent journaîsm.
TRUST INCREASES PROPENSITY TO PAY FOR NEWS:
Among those who trust newspaper brands, 26% pay or an ongoîng subscrîptîon to an onîne news servîce (rom any source), compared wîth 17% o news audîences overa.
The sense o duty that younger audîences have to pay or onîne news at the rîght prîce poînt must be capîtaîsed upon to convert them rom one-of payments to ongoîng subscrîbers.Fînd out more on page 24
Fake News
TRUST IN MAINSTREAM NEWS HAS SUFFERED LESS THAN DIGITAL SPECIALISTS IN THE WAKE OF FAKE NEWS:
24% say that they wî trust coverage o poîtîcs and eectîons ess în maînstream news as a resut o becomîng aware o ake news (18% wî trust ît more, and 59% the same as beore). For socîa medîa the Igures are starker: 58% wî trust ît ess în the wake o ake news.
THERE IS NO CONSENSUS ON THE DEFINITION OF FAKE NEWS:
58% o news audîences beîeve that ake news îs a story that has been deîberatey abrîcated by maînstream news organîsatîons, whîe ony 42% beîeve ît to be a story that has been put out by someone pretendîng to be a news organîsatîon.
US AND BRAZIL MOST LIKELY TO BELIEVE FAKE NEWS HAS INFLUENCED OUTCOME OF THEIR OWN ELECTIONS:
The majorîty o US and Brazîîan news audîences beîeve that ake news has împacted the resuts o eectîons în theîr own countrîes, whîe those în the UK and France ee that ît has had more împact outsîde theîr own countrîes.
Maînstream news organîsatîons must everage theîr reputatîon and trusted status to gîve news audîences the conIdence they need to tacke ake news, whîe dîgîta patorms must rebuîd trust by provîdîng users wîth the toos to îdentîy abrîcated storîes.Fînd out more on page 30
Future o News
CREDIBLE SOURCES, REGULATION AND TECH TO SIFT THE FAKE FROM THE TRUE:
44% beîeve that audîences choosîng to access more credîbe news content îs the most efectîve way to tacke ake news.
APPETITE FOR PERSONALISED CONTENT AMONG YOUNGER AUDIENCES:
53% o 18-34 year-ods want news content personaîzed based on what they have prevîousy read.
LIVE AND EXCLUSIVE: THE FUTURE OF NEWS VIDEO AND TV ONLINE:
63% watch onîne news vîdeo to access excusîve content that they can’t see on TV.
Fake news presents a tremendous opportunîty or maînstream news organîsatîons to assert the întegrîty and credîbîîty o theîr journaîsm. New storyteîng technîques and content deîvery mechanîsms wî enabe quaîty content to thrîve. Fînd out more on page 36
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Introductîon
The shîtîng and nuanced nature o audîence reatîonshîps wîth news has never been o so much commercîa and socîa împortance to news organîsatîons, audîences, advertîsers and governments as ît îs today.
The goba news îndustry îs caught în a perect storm o deIcîts: a deIcît o attentîon as consumer medîa consumptîon habîts are ragmented across mutîpe devîces and channes; a deIcît o revenue as prînt cîrcuatîon and advertîsîng decînes and dîgîta revenue îs syphoned of towards încreasîngy domînant onîne payers; and most împortanty a deIcît în trust as evîdenced by the seîsmîc poîtîca events o the past tweve months and the proîeratîon o ake news onîne.
However, out o thîs perect storm comes a host o new opportunîtîes or news organîsatîons: opportunîtîes to provîde news audîences wîth the credîbe and trusted content that they crave, whîe engagîng wîth younger, socîay-engaged audîences whose medîa consumptîon habîts are amost unrecognîzabe rom those o prevîous generatîons. Wîth neary ha o 18-34 years ods usîng a greater number o news sources în 2017 than în 2016, decîsîons on how to monetîze and dîstrîbute news în a way that satîsIes thîs burgeonîng demand are o paramount împortance.
Whîe ake news îs technîcay ar rom a new phenomenon – propaganda and spîn have been around or centurîes ater a – îts modern încarnatîon în the orm o abrîcated news storîes created by bogus news organîsatîons proîerates rapîdy vîa socîa channes. The demonstrabe împact that ake news has had on recent eectîons and reerendums across the gobe has brought îts înLuence înto sharp ocus.
Our research shows that ake news has had a ar more detrîmenta împact on trust în onîne ony and socîa medîa than ît has on maînstream news organîsatîons, wîth the atter ceary havîng a greater reputatîon or producîng quaîty content and subsequent reserves o trust on whîch to draw. ïn act prînted news magazînes come top or trust, wîth 72% o those who consume thîs news medîa type ratîng them hîghy on thîs metrîc versus just 33% who do so or socîa medîa. However, the înLuence o ake news extends beyond shapîng consumer attîtudes and opînîons. ït has spawned a new breed o cîck-baît artîces that exîst wîth the soe purpose o generatîng page împressîons (enabed by the 18% o socîa medîa
news consumers who have shared a story ater ony readîng the headîne and not the content), ad împressîons, cîck-throughs and ad revenue, îrrespectîve o the Inancîa împact on quaîty news organîsatîons and concerns around brand saety or advertîsers.
ït îs în thîs sense that the îssue o trust în news needs to be expored more hoîstîcay. Fake news îs a rea îssue but ît îs merey one aspect o a broader narratîve or news organîsatîons as they ace a precarîous baancîng act between uIîng theîr socîa purpose and monetîzîng theîr audîences as efectîvey as possîbe în the new dîgîta economy. Whîe 53% o 18-34 year-ods who have accessed news onîne în the past week want news content personaîzed based on what they have prevîousy accessed, two-thîrds o onîne news consumers worry that personaîzatîon înhîbîts the breadth o content that they accessed. Thîs shows that no strategîc dîstrîbutîon decîsîon îs straîghtorward or news organîsatîons and each comes wîth îts own trade-of.
Thîs study examînes how audîences în the US, France, Brazî and the UK are consumîng news rom both a behavîoura and attîtudîna poînt o vîew. ït wî expore the themes o trust în the news and how thîs reates to news monetîzatîon, dîstrîbutîon and brand perceptîon. News engagement, patorm usage and how personaîzatîon and curatîon înLuence our strength o reatîonshîp wîth the news are a topîcs that wî be touched upon.
A mutî-country consumer survey
Thîs report ocuses on an 8,000-strong survey o news audîences spît eveny between the UK, US, France and Brazî. The întervîews were conducted onîne by Kantar between the 2nd and 10th June 2017. The majorîty o anaysîs în thîs report ocuses on average scores across the our countrîes, however, where sîgnîIcant regîona dîferences are noted, these have been hîghîghted.
News audîences are deIned as anyone who had read/seen/heard the news at east once în the past week. Theîr proIe and correspondîng demographîc quotas or recruîtment were determîned usîng data rom Kantar Medîa’s TGï consumer survey în each regîon.
Natîona newspaper brands are deIned as the entîre olîne and onîne pubîshîng patorms o what were once seen to be maînstream prînt newspaper pubîshers.
7
Interest în the News
The news agenda o the ast eîghteen months has been caîmed by many to have îgnîted a resurgence în engagement wîth current afaîrs that has a too oten been mîssîng în recent years. Yet whîe the iercey contested eectîons în the US, UK and France have undoubtedy domînated theîr respectîve medîa andscapes, îs thîs assessment o renewed înterest în the news accurate?
Fast Facts
SURGïNG APPETïTE FOR NEWS DRïVEN BY 18-34s:
Among news audîences în genera, 39% are usîng a greater number o news sources în 2017 than 2016. Thîs rîses to 49% among 18-34 year-ods, who are aso the group accessîng news across the greatest number o sources.
ONïNE NEWS AND TV DOMïNATE AS THE NEWS MEDïA OF CHOïCE:
At 78%, the proportîon o news audîences who consume news onîne (vîa any patorm) îs now comparabe to the proportîon watchîng news on broadcast TV channes (76%). Among 18-24s, the proportîon consumîng news vîa socîa medîa îs the same as the proportîon watchîng ît on TV channes (67%).
NATïONA NEWSPAPER BRAND AUDïENCES ARE DïSPAYïNG A STRONG ïNSTEREST ïN POïTïCS:
72% o natîona newspaper brand audîences (across any patorm) are înterested în poîtîcs vs 59% o news audîences în genera.
9
Interest în the News
1. Surgîng appetîte or news drîven by 18-34s
ïnterest în the news îs on the rîse among news audîences, wîth neary two în Ive usîng more news sources în 2017 than they were în 2016. Thîs trend has prîmarîy been drîven by younger audîences wîth neary ha o 18-34 year-ods recordîng an încrease în sources used. Natîona newspaper brand readers are aso dîspayîng a hîgh commîtment to news and overa ît îs cear that more than ever there seems to be an însatîabe appetîte or keepîng up to date wîth word events.
Fîgure 1.1a: How number o news sources used has changed
Questîon: Thînkîng about the ways în whîch you access the news, whîch o the oowîng îs true? Base: News audîences = 8000
News audîences across the our countrîes use an average o our dîferent types o medîa or news each week (e.g. out o TV, radîo, prînt, onîne etc…), whîe or natîona newspaper brand audîences, thîs Igure încreases to 5.4. Natîona newspaper brand consumptîon îs a cear îndîcator o news appetîte overa.
Age îs a actor when ît comes to repertoîre, wîth the average number o medîa types used beîng ower or oder audîences. Whîe there îs no partîcuar demographîc group that has reported an overa reductîon în news sources used în the ast tweve months (perhaps suggestîng that tak o Iter bubbes restrîctîng news consumptîon mîght be over-hyped), there îs a cear îndîcatîon that enthusîasm or news content îs beîng încreasîngy drîven by the 18-34 year od age group.
Fîgure 1.1b: Average number o medîa types used or news
Questîon: Whîch o the oowîng have you used în the past week as a source o news? Base: News audîence în a markets (n=8000); sub-group bases a >1000
Impîcatîons
News îs as vîabe a content oferîng as ît has ever been, commandîng the consumer attentîon that brands and advertîsers crave. ïncreased partîcîpatîon rom younger voters în the 2017 UK eectîon, or exampe, poînts to a word 1 where Generatîon Z îs engagîng wîth current afaîrs topîcs across a wîde range o estabîshed and new medîa outets provîdîng excîtîng opportunîtîes or news organîsatîon to capîtaîse on thîs trend.
Thîs îs good news or medîa owners seekîng proo poînts to market theîr premîum audîences (în thîs case, 18-34 year-ods who are hîghy engaged and attentîve în quaîty contexts) to advertîsers. Ad measurement and verîIcatîon înîtîatîves that prove the vaue o campaîgns runnîng în quaîty contexts wî încreasîngy provîde the data needed to trade such audîences at the premîum they deserve.
2. Onîne News & TV domînate as the News Medîa o Choîce
Onîne news, în a îts varîous orms, îs the medîum o choîce or news audîences. 78% access news vîa any onîne patorm, whether the websîtes or apps o maînstream newspapers, TV and radîo organîsatîons, or through onîne ony news channes or socîa medîa. As can be seen în the chart beow, thîs trend îs drîven by 18-34 year-ods, 92% o whom are accessîng onîne news, vs 61% o 55+ year-ods.
Whîe over three-quarters aso use TV (eîther news buetîn shows or 24 hour news channes), natîona newspaper organîsatîons– at 46% - hod a hîghy reevant posîtîon în the news consumptîon andscape, athough socîa medîa îs now vîrtuay comparabe.
Fîgure 1.2a: Types o medîa used or news în the ast week, by age (%)
Questîon: Whîch o the oowîng have you used în the past week as a source o news? Base: News audîence în a markets (n=8000), news audîence aged 18-34 în a markets (n=2700), news audîence aged 35-54 în a markets (n=2980), news audîence aged 55+ în a markets (n=2320)
The popuarîty o onîne news amongst younger audîences has seen news organîsatîons that may typîcay be consîdered nîche overa, grow and deepen reatîonshîps wîth thîs core demographîc. Whîe ony 4.2% o onîne news consumers overa use Vîce onîne or exampe, thîs Igure îs doube or 18-34 year ods – an age group whîch accounts or 80% o Vîce’s onîne audîence overa.
Onîne news consumptîon îs a truy mutîpatorm experîence wîth news audîences across the our countrîes covered în thîs report accessîng vîa aptop, desktop, smartphone and other mobîe devîces. Younger audîences have a ar greater propensîty to use mobîe than oder audîences wîth 81% o 18-34 year-ods accessîng news thîs way vs 30% o 55+ year-ods.
Fîgure 1.2b: Devîces used to access news content în the ast week
67%access the news on a aptop / desktop
58% access the news on a smartphone
26%access the news on a tabet
Questîon: Whîch o these devîces have you used to access news în the ast week? Base: News audîence în a markets (n=8000)
“Mobîe Irst” has been the mantra o many news organîsatîons or a ew years now, wîth many empoyîng edîtorîa content management toos that ensure journaîsts and edîtors are sense-checkîng how theîr storîes are read on mobîe beore any other patorm. Conscîous o the reatîonshîps that news audîences have wîth theîr mobîe devîces, Googe and Facebook have întroduced ast oadîng artîce ormats (AMP and ïnstant Artîces respectîvey) that attempt to satîsy consumer demand whîe doîng justîce to maînstream news organîsatîons’ edîtorîa brands, urther drîvîng growth în mobîe news consumptîon.
Impîcatîons
The mutî-patorm content consumptîon habîts o news audîences are now an accepted eature o the medîa andscape, yet at the same tîme cross-patorm measurement, both o medîa and advertîsîng, îs stî the exceptîon rather than the norm. News organîsatîons that do not have the uxury o expansîve cross-devîce
1= Generatîon Z are deIned as those born between the mîd 1990’s and mîd 2000’s