First Elements 11 Practical

 

Online News Consumption

Despite TV remaining the most used platform for news by adults in the UK, it has decreased to 75% in 2019 from 79% from 2018. Online media usage has increased to 49% from 44%, as it is the most popular platform for media consumption for 16-24 year olds. 

BBC One was the most used news source in 2018 (58%), compared to ITV (40%) and Facebook (35%), yet they saw a decrease in views in 2019. Use of social media platforms increased. There's evidence that UK adults are consuming more news from social media, commenting on apps like Twitter and Facebook. However, magazines and TV are still more trustworthy than social media.

Six in ten 12-15 year olds are interested in news, as they wish to know about the world around them. The only reason some children don't watch the news is because it's "too boring". TV is the most popular platform for 12-15 year olds, with BBC One/BBC Two remaining the most-used sources. TV, family and radio are seen as the most truthful, with social media and friends seen as the least.

In 2019, 73% of people interviewed used Facebook for news, down from the 76% in 2018. It was the only popular social media platform to decrease in usage, with platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram and Snapchat increasing. 16-24 year olds and ethnic minorities are more likely to use social media, with the exception of Facebook. Men are more likely to use WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn and Reddit for their news, whereas women are more likely to use Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook. Those using social media for news get it from posts instead of directly from websites and apps run by news organisations.

     News consumption in 2020