News Consumption - Print, Online and Social - UK - February 2016

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Definition
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The consumer
Nearly half of people read news online
Figure 1: News consumption methods, December 2015
Brand is still central as three quarters go directly to a news website/app
Figure 2: Access method, December 2015
Social media is first news stop for many
Figure 3: Attitudes towards social media, December 2015
Many are willing to accept adverts
Figure 4: Attitudes towards online news, December 2015
Over a fifth are interested in using news aggregators
Figure 5: Interest in news services, December 2015
What we think
ISSUES AND INSIGHTS
Ad blockers worry the news industry
The facts
The implications
New news aggregators present challenges and opportunities
The facts
The implications
THE MARKET – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Mobile device ownership continues to grow
Cover prices rise
The Sun drops its paywall
Apple supports Ad blockers
IPSO turns a year old
MARKET DRIVERS
Mobile device ownership continues to grow
Figure 6: Household ownership of selected digital devices, October 2014 and September 2015
Cover prices rise
Figure 7: Basic UK cover prices for national newspapers, January 2016
The Sun drops its paywall
Apple supports Ad blockers
IPSO turns a year old
KEY PLAYERS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The Times is the only national newspaper to grow circulation
Despite circulation declines The Sun remains the UK’s largest print newspaper
Mail Online dominates among online newspapers
The BBC leads the way on social media
Major media players focus on news aggregators
City AM bans ad blockers
The Sun launches political SunNation website
MARKET SHARE
The Times is only national newspaper to grow circulation
Figure 8: National newspapers’ average print circulation per issue, 2014 and 2015
Despite circulation declines The Sun remains the UK’s largest print newspaper
Figure 9: Average UK print circulation per issue, November 2014 and November 2015
Sunday People sees largest declines
Figure 10: National Sunday newspapers’ average print circulation per issue, 2014 and 2015
Mail Online dominates among online newspapers
Figure 11: Average daily unique visits to national newspaper websites, November 2014 and November 2015
The BBC leads the way on social media
Figure 12: Social media presence of select major online news sources, January 2015
The Guardian is the most followed national newspaper
Figure 13: Social media presence of select major UK newspapers, January 2015
LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION
Major media players focus on news aggregators
Facebook launches Instant Articles
Apple updates its News app
Moments collates most important news stories on Twitter
Tipsy allows readers to pay what they wish for content
City AM bans ad blockers
The Sun launches political SunNation website
THE CONSUMER – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Preferred news format varies across age groups
Daily Mail remains the most popular online newspaper
BBC News is the most popular online news source
Most are still going straight to a news site/app
Friends are influencing the news people read
Younger people do not mind adverts on news websites/apps
Over a fifth are interested in using news aggregators
NEWS CONSUMPTION METHODS
Nearly half of people read news online
Figure 14: News consumption methods, December 2015
Traditional media still used by most older people
Figure 15: Weekly use of traditional media to consume news, by age, December 2015
Figure 16: Weekly use of online news sources, by age, December 2015
PAID AND FREE NEWS SOURCES
Two fifths of news consumers pay to read national newspapers
Figure 17: News sources, December 2015
Over-55s are the group that is paying
Figure 18: Use paid national newspapers in a typical week, by age, December 2015
ACCESS METHOD
Brand is still central as three quarters go directly to a news website/app
Figure 19: Access method, December 2015
16-24s are the most likely to use social media to access news
Figure 20: Access news websites/apps via social media in a typical week, by age, December 2015
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER WEBSITES/APPS VISITED
Daily Mail remains the most popular online newspaper
Figure 21: National newspaper websites/apps visited, December 2015
Women prefer Mail Online
Figure 22: Websites/apps accessed in a typical week, by gender, December 2015
Nearly a third of people only regularly use one website/app
Figure 23: Repertoire of online news sources used weekly, December 2015
NEWS WEBSITES/APPS USED
BBC News is most popular online news source
Figure 24: Online news sources used, December 2015
Huffington Post and BuzzFeed appeal to women
Figure 25: Visit news website/app in a typical week, by gender, December 2015
16-24s use a new form of news site
Figure 26: Visit BuzzFeed in a typical week to consume news, by age, December 2015
SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook is important for news consumption
Figure 27: Use of social media sites or apps to find out about news in a typical week, December 2015
ATTITUDES TOWARDS SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is first news stop for many
Figure 28: Attitudes towards social media, December 2015
ATTITUDES TOWARDS ONLINE NEWS
Free online news is impacting print sales
Figure 29: Attitudes towards online news, December 2015
Younger people are willing to accept adverts
Figure 30: Do not mind seeing adverts on news websites/apps if they are free, by age, December 2015
There is also a willingness to pay for in-depth content
Online Guardian and Telegraph readers are put off by exaggerated headlines
INTEREST IN NEWS SERVICES
Over a fifth are interested in using news aggregators
Figure 31: Interest in news services, December 2015
Younger people are more interested in a personalised feature on social media
Figure 32: Interest in feature on social media that gathers news content, by age, December 2015
Men are more interested in video news and virtual reality
Figure 33: Interest in features, by gender, December 2015
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES, ABBREVIATIONS AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Definition
Abbreviations
Consumer research methodology