Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Print circulation falls by 10% in 2018
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- Figure 1: Trend in total annual UK print national newspaper circulation, 2013-23
- Newspapers express concern for freedom of the press after Cliff Richard BBC ruling
- The government explores options for helping UK newspapers in Cairncross Review
- Key players
- MailOnline’s 15% browser drop blamed on Facebook’s News Feed algorithm change
- Trinity Mirror acquires Express and Star titles and rebrands as Reach
- Joint newspaper advertising scheme expands further
- The Independent introduces partial paywall
- The consumer
- Growing use of delivery apps presents opportunity for more newspaper deliveries
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- Figure 2: Purchasing print newspapers, October 2018
- Younger people are purchasing newspapers in more varied locations
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- Figure 3: Locations print newspapers are purchased, October 2018
- The FT looks to diversify appeal
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- Figure 4: Online news sources, October 2018
- Lifestyle and sport are the content topics people are most willing to pay for
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- Figure 5: Willingness to pay for newspaper content, October 2018
- The Sun is the least trusted national newspaper
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- Figure 6: Perception of national newspapers, October 2018
- National newspapers explore subscription options as younger people show greater willingness to pay for online news
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- Figure 7: National newspaper behaviour, October 2018
- High interest in news updates on voice activation services indicates significant investment will be worthwhile
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- Figure 8: Attitudes towards national newspapers, October 2018
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Investing in sophisticated voice activation content will prove worthwhile
- The facts
- The implications
- National newspapers should introduce more tiered subscription options
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Print circulation falls by 10% in 2018
- Many more cover price increases implemented at newspapers
- Newspapers express concern for freedom of the press after Cliff Richard BBC ruling
- The government explores options for helping UK newspapers in Cairncross Review
- Publishers and Google negotiate over new GDPR policies
- Footballer Raheem Sterling puts scrutiny on national newspaper sports reporting
Market Size and Forecast
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- Print circulation falls by 10% in 2018
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- Figure 9: Trend in total annual UK print national newspaper circulation, 2013-23
- Figure 10: Trend in total annual UK print national newspaper circulation, 2013-23
- Note
- Forecast methodology
Market Drivers
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- Many more cover price increases implemented at newspapers
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- Figure 11: Basic UK cover prices for national newspapers, December 2017 and 2018
- Newspapers express concern for freedom of the press after Cliff Richard BBC ruling
- The government explores options for helping UK newspapers in Cairncross Review
- Publishers and Google negotiate over new GDPR policies
- Footballer Raheem Sterling puts scrutiny on national newspaper sports reporting
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Consistent declines across newspaper sectors
- MailOnline’s 15% browser drop blamed on Facebook’s News Feed algorithm change
- Trinity Mirror acquires Express and Star titles and rebrands as Reach
- The Guardian works its way towards a sustainable model
- New editor could see Daily Mail changing its tone
- Joint newspaper advertising scheme expands further
- The Independent introduces partial paywall
- Publishers invest in audio journalism
- The Guardian and Times inspire greatest levels of trust
Market Share
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- Consistent declines across newspaper sectors
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- Figure 12: Daily national newspapers’ average print circulation per issue, 2016-18
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- Figure 13: Sunday national newspapers’ average print circulation per issue, 2016-18
- MailOnline’s 15% browser drop blamed on Facebook’s News Feed algorithm change
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- Figure 14: Average daily unique visits to national newspaper websites, 2016-18
- Trinity Mirror acquires Express and Star titles and rebrands as Reach
- The Guardian works its way towards a sustainable model
- New editor could see Daily Mail changing its tone
- Digital revenue overtakes print at the Mail
- Instagram an underexplored platform for newspaper publishers
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- Figure 15: National newspapers’ social media followings, January 2018-19
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Joint newspaper advertising schemes expands further
- More subscription options introduced
- The Independent introduces partial paywall
- The Guardian launches subscription tier based on user experience rather than exclusive content
- The New European introduces micro-paywall
- Publishers invest in audio journalism
- The FT creates interactive audio experience for Google Assistant
- The Guardian launches Voice Lab
- The Guardian also continues investment in documentaries
- The Times updates comments section
- The i begins incorporating Economist articles
Brand Research
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- Brand map
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- Figure 16: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, January 2019
- Key brand metrics
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- Figure 17: Key metrics for selected brands, January 2019
- Brand attitudes: The i stands out for innovation
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- Figure 18: Attitudes, by brand, January 2019
- Brand personality: The Guardian is viewed as the most ethical
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- Figure 19: Brand personality – Macro image, January 2019
- The Daily Star is considered the most low-brow
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- Figure 20: Brand personality – Micro image, January 2019
- Brand analysis
- The Guardian is considered more innovative than quality rivals
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- Figure 21: User profile of The Guardian, January 2019
- The Times is viewed as the most authoritative newspaper
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- Figure 22: User profile of The Times, January 2019
- The i falls behind other quality newspapers in perception of intelligence
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- Figure 23: User profile of the i, January 2019
- The Daily Telegraph has a weaker brand image than the Times
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- Figure 24: User profile of The Daily Telegraph, January 2019
- The Daily Mail leaves a surprisingly weak impression
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- Figure 25: User profile of Daily Mail, January 2019
- The Daily Mirror is viewed slightly more positively than the Star
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- Figure 26: User profile of Daily Mirror, January 2019
- The Sun has strong positive and negative associations
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- Figure 27: User profile of The Sun, January 2019
- The Daily Star has the most negative brand image
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- Figure 28: User profile of Daily Star, January 2019
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Environmental concerns put more pressure on print
- Younger people are having newspapers delivered
- Half of people visit national newspapers via smartphones
- Lifestyle and sport are the content topics people are most willing to pay for
- The Sun is the least trusted national newspaper
- National newspapers explore subscription options as younger people show greater willingness to pay for online news
- High interest in news updates on voice activation services indicate significant investment will be worthwhile
Print Newspaper Purchases
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- Environmental concerns put more pressure on print
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- Figure 29: Print national newspaper purchases, October 2018
- Growing use of delivery apps presents opportunity for more newspaper deliveries
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- Figure 30: Purchasing print newspapers, October 2018
- Younger people are purchasing newspapers in more varied locations
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- Figure 31: Locations print newspapers are purchased, October 2018
Online National News and Devices
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- Half of people access national news via smartphones
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- Figure 32: Devices used for national news, October 2018
- The FT looks to diversify appeal
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- Figure 33: Online news sources, October 2018
Willingness to Pay for Newspaper Content
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- Lifestyle and sport are the content topics people are most willing to pay for
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- Figure 34: Willingness to pay for newspaper content, October 2018
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- Figure 35: Willingness to pay for newspaper content, by gender, October 2018
- Technology/science could be a good way to attract younger subscribers
Perception of National Newspapers
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- The Sun is the least trusted national newspaper
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- Figure 36: Perception of national newspapers, October 2018
National Newspapers – Qualitative Research
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- The Sun
- Guardian
- Daily Mail
- Financial Times
- The Times
- i
- Telegraph
National Newspaper Behaviour
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- Comment sections are an important aspect of national newspapers
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- Figure 37: National newspaper behaviour, October 2018
- National newspapers explore subscription options as younger people show greater willingness to pay for online news
- More than one in four online newspaper readers are registered with a title
- The popularity of podcasts highlights the growing importance of audio news
Attitudes towards National Newspapers
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- People are sceptical of headlines
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- Figure 38: Attitudes towards national newspapers, October 2018
- Figure 39: Attitudes towards national newspapers, by age, October 2018
- High interest in news updates on voice activation services indicate significant investment will be worthwhile
- Nearly half believe social media networks should support national newspapers
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Market forecast
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- Figure 40: Total UK annual print circulation, 2018-23
- Forecast methodology
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