UK Adults Now Prefer Online News Over TV,⁢ Reveals Ofcom Data

Recent data released⁣ by telecommunications regulator Ofcom shows that more than ‌seven​ in ten UK adults (71%) now ‌read their ⁤news online ⁢rather than watching it on TV (70%), ‍with the⁤ regulator describing the‍ findings as indicative of a “generational shift” in news consumption.

Ofcom⁣ cites social media as a key driver of this change: more than half (52%) of UK ⁣adults get their news via social media, up​ from 47%‌ in 2023. The most popular platforms for consuming news are‍ Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and X.

However, traditional news sources still trump their⁢ online competitors on ​key criteria such​ as ​reliability, accuracy and impartiality. BBC ​One remains the⁢ largest news source, used⁤ by 43% of adults, but this is a sharp drop from 58% ⁤in 2019. Channel 4 has⁢ fallen out of the top‌ 10‌ news sources.

Ofcom said ⁤it was⁣ reviewing public media content, with a ⁤focus on news. The agency will look at how public broadcasters such as the BBC and ITV serve⁣ their⁤ news audiences and consider regulatory or legal changes to ⁤support them.

Yih-Choung The,⁢ Ofcom’s director of⁢ strategy and research, said: “Television has dominated people’s news viewing habits ‍since the 1960s and still has ‌very high levels of ⁤trust. However, we are seeing a generational shift to online news, ⁤which is often perceived as⁣ less trustworthy.”

Among 16-24 year olds, social media is the⁤ leading news source. Instagram ranks #1 with⁣ about 4/10 users, while TikTok is used by about‍ 1/3 of ​younger audiences. For the 15-16 age group, TikTok‍ is the⁤ largest news source.

Ofcom’s findings highlight the changing landscape​ of news consumption in the UK, with online news sources becoming increasingly ‌popular among younger audiences.