Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Definition
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Print circulation sees further decline while online growth continues
- Controversy over fake news calls into question the role of social media
- Section 40 causes concern as press regulation battle continues
- Brexit vote boosts print circulation
- Ad blockers further threaten advertising revenue
- Key players
- The Independent becomes first national newspaper to focus solely on digital
- The Telegraph replaces metered paywall with new premium subscription service
- The consumer
- Only one in four regularly purchases a print newspaper
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- Figure 1: Print newspaper purchases, October 2016
- A smartphone is the most popular device for reading news
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- Figure 2: Devices used to read national news, October 2016
- The BBC dominates online news
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- Figure 3: National news websites/apps visited, October 2016
- Many are reading directly on news reader app/websites
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- Figure 4: National newspaper behaviour, October 2016
- Readers of quality newspapers more likely to feel current newspaper journalism is worth paying for
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- Figure 5: Attitudes towards online national newspapers, October 2016
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Ad blockers and aggregators threaten advertising revenue
- The facts
- The implications
- Fake news controversy opens door for newspapers to re-establish authority
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Print circulation sees further decline while online growth continues
- Controversy over fake news calls into question the role of social media
- Section 40 causes concern as press regulation battle continues
- Brexit vote boosts print circulation
- Cover prices rise further
- New news aggregators produce mixed results for publishers
- Ad blockers further threaten advertising revenue
Market Size and Forecast
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- Print circulation sees further 5% decline
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- Figure 6: Trends in total UK annual print circulation, 2011-21
- Figure 7: Trends in total UK annual print circulation, 2011-21
- The number of online browsers continues to grow
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- Figure 8: Trends in selected national newspaper website visits*, 2012-16
Market Drivers
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- Further growth in mobile device ownership
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- Figure 9: Personal ownership of consumer technology products, September 2015 and 2016
- Cover prices rise further
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- Figure 10: Basic UK cover prices for national newspapers, January 2016 and December 2016
- Controversy over fake news calls into question the role of social media
- Ad blockers further threaten advertising revenue
- Section 40 causes press concerns as press regulation battle continues
- Brexit vote boosts print circulation
- New news aggregators produce mixed results for publishers
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- The Times increases print circulation
- The Mail Online is most popular national newspaper website
- The Independent becomes first national newspaper to focus solely on digital
- The Telegraph replaces metered paywall with new premium subscription service
- The UK’s first ever pop-up newspaper launches after referendum
- The Telegraph launches new video portal
- The Mail explores ecommerce further
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- The Independent becomes the first national title to focus solely on digital
- The Telegraph replaces metered paywall with new premium subscription service
- The Telegraph launches new video portal
- The Guardian focuses on branded content with ‘Hosted by’
- The Mail explores ecommerce further
- The FT launches new analytics tool for journalists
- Advertising campaigns remind people of the importance of national newspapers
- The UK’s first ever pop-up newspaper launches after referendum
Market Share
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- All newspaper segments see decline in circulation
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- Figure 11: Daily national newspapers’ average print circulation per issue, 2015 and 2016
- Popular Sunday titles see worst declines
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- Figure 12: Sunday national newspapers’ average print circulation per issue, 2015 and 2016
- The Mail Online is by far the most popular newspaper website
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- Figure 13: Average daily unique visits to national newspaper websites, 2015 and 2016
- The Guardian and Mail Online lead the way on social media
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- Figure 14: Social media presence of select major UK newspapers, 2016 and 2017
Brand Research
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- Brand map
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- Figure 15: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, January 2017
- Key brand metrics
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- Figure 16: Key metrics for selected brands, January 2017
- Brand attitudes: quality newspapers’ reputations drive an increased willingness to pay
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- Figure 17: Attitudes, by brand, January 2017
- Brand personality: The Guardian is viewed as the most ethical
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- Figure 18: Brand personality – Macro image, January 2017
- Popular newspapers are considered low-brow
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- Figure 19: Brand personality – Micro image, January 2017
- Brand analysis
- The Guardian has high levels of trust
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- Figure 20: User profile of The Guardian, January 2017
- The Financial Times has a strong identity
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- Figure 21: User profile of Financial Times, January 2017
- The Times lags only behind the Guardian on trust
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- Figure 22: User profile of The Times, January 2017
- The Daily Telegraph trails other qualities on differentiation
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- Figure 23: User profile of The Daily Telegraph, January 2017
- The Daily Mail is considered relatable
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- Figure 24: User profile of Daily Mail, January 2017
- The Daily Express struggles to stand out
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- Figure 25: User profile of Daily Express, January 2017
- The Daily Mirror scores well on accessibility and value but doesn’t make as strong an impression as rivals
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- Figure 26: User profile of Daily Mirror, January 2017
- The Sun divides opinion
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- Figure 27: User profile of The Sun, January 2017
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Only one in four regularly purchases a print newspaper
- A smartphone is the most popular device for reading news
- The BBC dominates online news
- Many have read news directly on an aggregator website/app
- One in five has used an ad blocker
- There is limited trust in online national news
- Many find text news preferable to video
- Younger people are more interested in VR news
Print Newspaper Purchases
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- Only one in four regularly purchases a print newspaper
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- Figure 28: Print newspapers purchases, October 2016
- Major events encourage people to buy newspapers
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- Figure 29: Print newspaper purchases, by age, October 2016
Devices Used to Read National News
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- A smartphone is the most popular device for reading news
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- Figure 30: Devices used to read national news, October 2016
- Readership via smartphone peaks among 25-34s
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- Figure 31: Devices used to read national news, by age, October 2016
National News Websites/Apps Visited
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- The BBC dominates online news
- The Guardian is the most popular online national newspaper
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- Figure 32: National news websites/apps visited, October 2016
- Two out of five only use one source
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- Figure 33: Repertoire of national news websites/apps visited, October 2016
National Newspaper Behaviour
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- Many are reading directly on news reader app/websites
- The Sun launches new edition on Snapchat
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- Figure 34: National newspaper behaviour, October 2016
- Social media plays an important role for younger people
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- Figure 35: Social media behaviour, by age, October 2016
- One in five has used an ad blocker on an online newspaper
Attitudes towards Online National Newspapers
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- Newspapers need to strike the right balance with video content
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- Figure 36: Attitudes towards online national newspapers, October 2016
- Only some feel current national newspaper journalism is worth paying for
- There is limited trust in online news websites/apps
- Younger people are more likely to prefer editorial judgement to algorithms
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- Figure 37: Agree with statement ‘Having the stories ‘selected’ for me by editors/journalists is better than by an automatic system based on previous reads, what friends are viewing etc’, by age, October 2016
- Younger people are more interested in VR news
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- Figure 38: Agree with statement ‘watching stories using virtual reality technology appeals to me’, by age, October 2016
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Forecast
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- Figure 39: Trends in total UK newspaper circulation, 2016-21
- Forecast Methodology
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