The decline in print media

 Part 1: Ofcom report into news consumption 2022:

1) Look at the headlines from the report on page 6. Pick three that you think are interesting and bullet point them here. Why did you pick those three in particular?

  • From 2020 (1%), TikTok's reach for news rose to 7% in 2022. Ages 16 to 24 make up half of its user base for news.
  • The reach of five of the top six TV networks among online adults declined from 2021, with the exception of BBC One, which continues to be the most popular news source across all platforms.
  • For news, teens are turning to social media more than traditional outlets. These days, the top three news sources they utilise are YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. In the meantime, a lot of sources have seen declines since 2021; for example, BBC One/Two's reach dropped from 35% in 2021 to 24% in 2022.  
I chose these because they provide statistics on how news organisations engage with a younger audience. In addition, they were published after 2020, following the COVID lock-down pandemic, during which a large number of people watched and read the news.

2) Look at the overall summary for adults on pages 7-8. What are the key points on newspapers?

Newspaper reach has dropped by 9%, although online newspapers are still widely read. On Sundays, a lot of people read The Daily Mail. 

3) Look at the statistics on page 13. What do you notice about newspapers and how has it changed in recent years?

Out of all the media platforms, readership on this one has dropped the most—by sixteen percent.

4) Now look at the age demographics for news consumption on page 16. What age demographic groups are most and least likely to read newspapers and what are the percentages?

The audience most likely to read newspapers is 75 years of age and older (51% on print copies and 59% online), while the audience least likely to read is 16 to 24 years old (10% on print copies and 30% online). 

5) Look at the newspaper-specific data on page 36. Which are the most popular newspaper titles?

Daily Mail (35%) The Sun (20%) and The Metro (17%) as of 2022. 

6) Now look at the total newspaper reach of print and online on page 39. How has this decreased over the last three years?

The overall number of newspaper readers, both in print and online formats, has dropped by 11% during the past three years.


Part 2: Factsheet - The death of print media:

1) What has happened to print media in the last 30 years?

The primary information sources in the past were print media, but their readership has declined over the past 30 years.

2) Why is the Independent newspaper such a good case study for the decline in print media?

Rupert Murdoch established it, deciding to save printing expenses, and his paper became the most popular. 

3) What was the Independent newspaper famous for?

Because of its "unorthodox" front pages, the company's tagline was "free from political bias, free from proprietorial influence."

4) What did the then-owner of the Independent, Evgeny Lebedev, say about the newspaper's digital-only future?

He said that it was a daring move, that readers are driving change in the industry, and that digital is the way of the future.

5) How do online newspapers make money?

by offering businesses the option to purchase and lease advertising space to utilise for internal corporate promotion.

6) What did the Independent's longest-serving editor Simon Kelner warn regarding the switch to digital?

He asserted that the print's uniqueness and power were what made it difficult for digital formats to capture.

7) What is the concern with fake news? What does 'post-truth' refer to?

Because it is simple to copy a website and the style of an online news site, fake news is becoming harder to distinguish from real news as things become more digital. It is also more accessible and doesn't require the expense of printing and distribution to reach readers, especially with the rise of social media. The term "post-truth" describes a situation where objective facts have less of an impact on influencing the public's perceptions and individual beliefs.

8) What is your view on the decline in print media? Should news be free? Is it a concern that established media brands such as the Independent can no longer afford to exist as a printed newspaper?

Since print is so much more traditional and tangible, I don't think it should go extinct and I don't think it ever will since it would continue to exist as a nostalgic niche product like The Gentlewomen, for example. Global news, including articles on politics or war, should be free. However, newspapers covering particular genres, like the economy, should be paid for; this is especially true for The Financial Times and other specialty publications in other languages that cater to a particular readership. Since they were widely used and the majority of audiences these days choose digital over print, it is not really a worry.



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