Media Regulator Ofcom has published its findings on news consumption in the UK for 2022. Below are the key findings:
Top sources used for news:
The BBC remains the news organisation with the largest cross-platform audience with a reach of 76%.
There are significant differences between sources used by diverse age groups. BBC One remains the top source by reach for adults (53%), whereas younger groups rely predominately on social media - 39% of 16-24-year-olds selected a social media platform as their primary news source.
News consumption in the nations:
·BBC One is the most used news source in Wales for accessing news about the nation, whereas STV is most used in Scotland and UTV the most used in Northern Ireland. BBC One is the most used news source in England for accessing news about the respondents’ region
Television
Television news has continued its recent decline. From 2021 to 2022 BBC One, ITV, BBC News Channel, Sky News Channel, and BBC Two all experienced a fall in their viewership.
Viewers’ attitude towards television news provision (which measures trust, impartiality, quality, and accuracy) remains the highest of all news sources.
Television is still the most popular platform for local news and people are very happy with its quality. 42% of online UK adults who follow news say they watch regional/local broadcasts on BBC TV and 23% watch them on ITV/ITV Wales/UTV/STV.
However, the percentage of viewership for non-BBC regional television news is down 32% from 2020. This can be attributed to the rise that occurred during the pandemic when people followed the local news for COVID updates, as four in five of current viewers are satisfied with the quality of news that these channels provide.
Social Media:
The growing importance of social media as a news source has continued its trend. Instagram is the top source among 16–24-year-olds with a reach for news of 46%.
TikTok’s overall news reach has increased from 2020 (1%) to 2022 (7%). Users for news get more of their news on TikTok from ‘other people they follow’ than from ‘news organisations’.
Despite social media’s rise in popularity amongst young and old, it still scores poorly in regard to its news provisions.
Newspaper:
While the reach of print newspapers is decreasing, online newspaper reach remains steady. The Daily Mail/Mail on Sunday remains the most widely read news title overall, whilst The Guardian/Observer and Daily Mail/Mail on Sunday are the most widely read digital titles.