Public news consumption trends have changed beyond recognition; continuous reassessment of multi-channel communication approaches is essential.
We’ve seen a flurry of large shifts in the upper echelons of the UK’s news ecosystem in recent weeks.
A change in ownership (and editor) at the Spectator, final bids for the Daily and Sunday Telegraph, and digital ‘slow news’ group Tortoise Media is in exclusive negotiations to buy The Observer from the Guardian Media Group.
What’s behind these changes and what do they mean for business?
An industry in rapid transition
Firstly, to clarify: the changes to the media landscape run much deeper than changes in ownership of historic brands.
Less than two decades ago, the general public found out about the 2008 financial crash through various forms of traditional media, from print to broadcast. In comparison, in 2020, many found out about the death of George Floyd by seeing it on their phone, whether on social media or in the digitalised version of those more traditional forms of media.
In 2024, breaking news is less structured, with news alerts and live coverage available across a huge array of channels and platforms. According to Ofcom and Statista, 10% of UK adults turn to TikTok for the latest news and 16% turn to Instagram. These have risen significantly in the past year (from 1% and 9% respectively). Ros Atkins, News Analysis Editor at the BBC, has observed that 2023 saw “the steepest annual decline in broadcast TV audiences since records began.”
Change is not coming as a shock to the national broadcasters, although the speed of it might be. Many now routinely create video news specifically for Instagram and TikTok, sharing news with their followers or, in the case of Sky News, broadcasting live from TikTok.
So what?
Is news simply moving platform?
Not necessarily – it is increasingly clear that the medium is changing the nature of the message. Stories trending across TikTok and Instagram are often emotive or personal. Short-form videos rule. In comparison, trending stories on news websites tend to be more political in nature, cover breaking news and/or be written in the spoken word.
The shift in news consumption habits has coincided with, or facilitated, a rise in opinion – there are more commentators sharing their own take on the news than ever. Podcasts such as The Newsagents and The Rest is Politics continue to grow in popularity whilst James O’Brien, known for his radio talk show on LBC, has 1.2 million followers on X. That’s more than the print circulation figures of The Sun and Times combined.
None of this is to say that the likes of the Financial Times or BBC have less impact on corporate reputation than in the past. However, those seeking to influence the public debate must focus on the way that audiences consume news more than ever before.
For business, this means evolving from a focus on traditional ‘tier one’ media to investing in an integrated media approach, embracing new and emerging mediums to enhance tier one impact. Likewise for leaders, traditional media as king has shifted to long form, discursive new mediums.
For communications professionals, a data-led approach to ensure you target the right audiences, at the right time, on the right channels, using content, language and collateral you know will deliver impact is key. News proprietors will continue to change, business models will continue to be disrupted, but vying for influence and shaping the public narrative is here to stay.
If you’re wondering how to maximise your brand’s presence within this changing media landscape, contact us.