Decline in Print Media

Part 1: Ofcom report into news consumption 2019

1) Look at the key findings from the report on pages 2-3. How do UK adults generally get their news? 

While TV remains the most-used platform for news nowadays by UK adults, usage has

decreased since last year.

2) Read the overall summary for adults on pages 7-8. What do you notice about the changing way adults are getting their news?

At the same time, use of social media has gone up, with nearly half of all adults saying they use it for news.

3) Look at the summary of platforms used on page 13. What do you notice about newspapers and how has it changed since 2018?

The usage decreased. Newspapers are the least used news source for all adults aged 16 and up. 

4) Now look at the demographic summary for news platforms on page 15. What audience demographic groups (e.g. age, social class) are most and least likely to read newspapers?

Females between the ages of 16 and 24 who are from a lower-middle-class family are the least likely to read newspapers.

5) Read Section 3 on cross-platform news consumption (page 20). What newspaper brands can you find in the list of most popular news sources across platforms?

. The Guardian

. Daily Mail

6) Now turn to Section 6 focusing on newspapers (page 33). How has the circulation of national newspapers decreased between 2010 and 2018?

Declined from from 21.9 to 10.4 million.

7) What are the most-used newspaper titles?

. The Sun

. The Guardian

8) What are the most popular titles when print and online figures are combined (look at page 38)?

With 36% of the vote in 2019, the daily mail is the most popular newspaper, both in print and online.

9) How does the i compare to the Daily Mail?

For news, the I is only read 5% of the time, whereas the Daily Mail is used 36% of the time.

10) Now study the demographic details for our two CSP newspapers on page 39. What is the breakdown of the Daily Mail audience and the i audience? What differences do you notice?

The Daily Mail is read by more women, while the I is read by slightly more men. Both are more popular among those aged 65 and up than those aged 16 to 24.

11) Read section 7 of the report: news consumption via social media (pages 40-52). Pick out three statistics from this section that you think are interesting and explain why.

People still use popular news people, as social media has grown dramatically from 2018 to 2019, demonstrating the main reason why newspapers have lost popularity. 25% of people get news from social media and news organisations, demonstrating that people are still using popular news people. People get their news on social media, but on the pages of popular news organisations.

12) Look at the summary of readers' attitudes for newspapers on page 76. What statements for Daily Mail readers tend to agree with?

. Accurate 

. High quality


Part 2: Factsheet - The death of print media

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

The popularity of print media has plummeted in the previous 30 years. This is primarily due to the rise of digital media, which makes it quicker to obtain information on a digital device than on print media, and information on digital media is also free.

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

It was a broadsheet newspaper that has since 'dead,' and it is now entirely focused on the internet.

3) What was the Independent newspaper famous for?

Until 2011, the newspaper's selling line was "free from political bias, free from proprietorial control," and the reporting mirrored this; the Independent became noted for its unconventional and campaigning front pages in the last decade of its production.

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

The newspaper's future, according to the independent leader, would feature an online website with news pieces on it.

5) How do online newspapers make money?

The newspaper's future, according to the independent leader, would feature an online website with news pieces on it.

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

That is extremely tough to duplicate digitally. It's even more difficult with a publication like the Independent.

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

The issue with fake news is that certain news organisations may put false information on their websites or social media pages in order to persuade viewers to believe in anything, such as a political viewpoint.

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?

News, in my opinion, should be free because it is information that everyone is interested in, so why should they have to pay for it?