News consumption increased in the UK

Posted by Alexandra Jaffe on April 2, 2010 at 11:45 AM

Editor and Publisher reported Thursday on a potentially brighter-than-expected future for news media. According to data collected in a McKinsey survey, news consumption in the UK increased compared to 2006, with respondents spending 72 minutes per week on news, up 12 minutes from three years before.

Respondents also named television as their top medium for news consumption, with all but the oldest age group--55-64 years old--favoring web sites second most. Newspapers came in at third for all but the oldest, and despite the frequent bad news coming from the newspaper industry, all age groups reported an increased use of newspapers from 2006.

The largest jump occurred in respondents' interest in web sites, with each group reporting increased interest in online media, and the youngest group--aged 18-24--recording a 28 percent jump in interest in the medium.

Newspapers did beat every other medium in trustworthiness--respondents found newspaper ads to be routinely more "informative, inspiring confidence" than ads from television, radio, or online. The most annoying ad venue for those surveyed was ad banners or pop-up links online.

This survey seems to suggest that newspapers would be wise to sell that unique quality--their trustworthiness--to advertisers, while still trying to increase their young readership. Although the McKinsey survey offers heartening news that the market for news is growing, news publishers are still unsure of how to monetize that increased interest. Perhaps one of the many paid content plans coming out recently will have the answer.

Sources: Editor&Publisher, McKinsey's