The newspaper industry has long been experiencing a decline due to the rise of the internet, and now it seems that TV news is facing a similar fate. According to a new study from U.K. communications regulator Ofcom, online platforms have surpassed TV as the most popular source for news among adult consumers, with 71% of respondents relying on online platforms compared to 70% who rely on TV.
This shift is significant for a couple of reasons. Firstly, TV has dominated the news landscape for over 60 years, overtaking newspapers as the preferred source of news in the past. The fact that online platforms are now surpassing TV in popularity is indicative of the changing times. Additionally, online platforms are not limited to a few sources like traditional broadcasters, but rather offer a much wider range of sources. While this can be beneficial for having diverse viewpoints, it also poses challenges in terms of vetting the accuracy of the information. Consumers are concerned that with the growth of artificial intelligence (AI), the problem of misinformation and deepfakes will only worsen.
While the decline of TV news and the rise of online platforms may not come as a surprise, it is important to note the statistics provided by Ofcom’s research. This data will be used by Ofcom to determine its regulatory focus in the coming years. Yih-Choung Teh, Ofcom’s group director for strategy and research, acknowledges the generational shift towards online news and the growing concerns about misinformation and deepfake content. Ofcom aims to ensure high-quality news for the next generation and has initiated a review of public service media that support the U.K.’s democracy and public debate.
Ofcom has been conducting annual surveys on news consumption since 2017. This year, they surveyed over 5,000 adults through online and face-to-face methods. The findings show that online news continues to disrupt the media market, but being an online publisher does not guarantee success. Online news outlets are also experiencing competition from social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter, all of which rank among the top 10 news sources in the survey.
It is somewhat ironic that platforms like Facebook and YouTube, which have been at the center of fake news controversies, are also popular sources of news. Facebook even scaled back its efforts in showcasing news content earlier this year. However, news remains a significant aspect of user engagement on these platforms. According to the survey, 30% of respondents get their news from Facebook, considering it on par with the broadcaster ITV. Google-owned YouTube saw its share rise by 12 percentage points to 19%. TikTok, though not in the top 10 news sources, is rapidly growing in popularity as a news source. In 2020, only 1% of adults considered TikTok as a news source, but that number has now risen to 11%.
The rise of TikTok as a news source is particularly evident among users between the ages of 12 and 15. Thirty percent of younger respondents named TikTok as their go-to platform for news, with 12% considering it their primary news source. Other popular platforms for news among this age group include YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Twitter. Interestingly, the BBC still holds its position as a news source, with 36% of respondents stating they continue to use it for news.
These findings in the U.K. align with trends observed in the U.S. Pew Research conducted earlier this year revealed that around half of TikTok’s users under the age of 30 consume political and news content through the platform.
However, the growing reliance on internet and user-generated content for news consumption is a cause for concern. This shift is accompanied by a looser definition of what constitutes news and opens the door for exploitation. Election cycles are a prime example of this phenomenon. During the U.K. General Election, Ofcom’s survey found that 60% of respondents recalled seeing false or misleading information, with 10% encountering such content several times a day. Additionally, 57% expressed concerns about falling victim to deepfake content, and 27% claimed to have already come across deepfakes.
It is evident from the survey that TV, newspapers, and radio still have work to do in gaining more trust from consumers. The challenge lies in ensuring that news does not become a race to the bottom, where accuracy and quality are compromised in the pursuit of higher viewership or readership. With the continued rise of online platforms and the proliferation of AI, it becomes crucial for regulators and media organizations to address these concerns and prioritize high-quality, reliable news for the next generation.
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