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News – what, where, why (not)?

Ofcom Future of News projectPresentation to Oxford Media Convention, 18 January 2007

Alison Preston, senior research associate

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What we did

Quantitative survey Qualitative groups

• 2216 respondents aged 16+

• Questions repeated and extended those of New News Old News

• Carried out by TNS during September 2006

• 12 groups

• Focus on young people, and people from minority ethnic and faith groups

• Groups conducted across the UK – Birmingham, Bradford, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leicester, London

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Two key themes

- Consumption – who uses what, and how?

- Disengagement from news – who is, and why?

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TV remains dominant as the major news source –

91

73

59

15 13

94

67

52

2717

30

20

40

60

80

100

Television(net)

Newspapers Radio Internet Magazines Mobilephone

2002 2006

Q3a) Which of the following do you EVER use for news? Base: All adults 16+, 4662 (2002) and 2216 (2006)Note1: 2002 question = Q1b) What OTHER sources do you use

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– and use of internet for news has nearly doubled since 2002

91

73

59

15 13

94

67

52

2717

30

20

40

60

80

100

Television(net)

Newspapers Radio Internet Magazines Mobilephone

2002 2006

Q3a) Which of the following do you EVER use for news? Base: All adults 16+, 4662 (2002) and 2216 (2006)Note1: 2002 question = Q1b) What OTHER sources do you use

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Young people: 16-24 use of press and radio for news is down

92

78

60

2618

86

61

4435

23

7

0

20

40

60

80

100

Television(net)

Newspapers Radio Internet Magazines Mobilephone

2002 2006

Q3a) Which of the following do you EVER use for news? Base: All 16-24 year olds, 217 (2002) and 352 (2006)Note1: 2002 question = Q1b) What OTHER sources do you use

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Minority ethnic groups have a different pattern of consumption to the all-UK picture

90

67

52

36

4

27

80

60

3644

3136

81

65

3440

6

19

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

TV newsprogrammes on the

main 5 channels

Newspapers Radio English-language24 hour news

channels

TV news onchannels fromother countries

Internet

All adults Asian Black

Q3a) Which of the following do you EVER use for news? Base: All adults 16+, 2216

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Use of online news is mainly “traditional”

Q6) In which types of ways do you access and use news online? Base: All who use as news source, 512

73%

19%

18%

11%

11%

6%

5%

1%

Read news stories

Watch news related videoclips on a site

Subscribe to personalisednews info (RSS)

Listen to radio newsonline

Receive email alerts ofnews

Use a ‘news ticker’

Read news related blogswritten by others

Write news related blogs

Use internet as news source

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And the main source is TV channel news sites – and online aggregators

Q5e) Thinking specifically about Internet (via a PC or laptop) which of the following do you use REGULARLY for news?Base: All weekly users, 453

46%

35%

14%

14%

10%

9%

7%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

TV channel news websites

Online-only news sites

National newspaper websites

Sports or entertainment news websites

News websites from other countries

Regional newspaper websites

Internet weblogs (blogs)/Personal home pages

Weekly users of source

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Some evidence of “incidental” internet news access

“When I log onto the internet, the first page that comes up has a little news bit on it. Sometimes a little picture pops up with a little

headline, and if it’s interesting, I’ll click on it and

have a look” (16-18 years, Leeds)

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Some evidence of “incidental” internet news access

“When I log onto the internet, the first page that comes up has a little news bit on it. Sometimes a little picture pops up with a little

headline, and if it’s interesting, I’ll click on it and

have a look” (16-18 years, Leeds)

“Usually, on Yahoo, when I’m searching for

something, the news headlines are down the

side, so if there’s something interesting then

I’ll have a look” (19-24 years, Glasgow)

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Two key themes

- Consumption – who uses what, and how?

- Disengagement from news – who is, and why?

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Around one quarter of people say they follow news as a duty

26

16

2431

26 24

36

2619

0

20

40

60

Q2) Thinking about some of the reasons people might have for following the news, which of these reasons apply to YOU?Base: All adults 16+, 2216

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In broad terms, continued strong agreement with its importance

Q16: I am now going to read out some statements. To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of them?Base: 2006 - all adults 16+, 2216

90%

89%

26%

33%

34%

44%

90%

81%

32%

50%

55%

64%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

All adults

16-24s

All adults

16-24s

All adults

16-24s

2002

2006

I follow the news only when something important or interesting is happening

Much of the news on TV is not relevant to me

personally

I think it's important to keep up to date with

news and current affairs

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But a sharp increase in young people’s consumption only for particular events

Q16: I am now going to read out some statements. To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of them?Base: 2006 - all adults 16+, 2216

90%

89%

26%

33%

34%

44%

90%

81%

32%

50%

55%

64%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

All adults

16-24s

All adults

16-24s

All adults

16-24s

2002

2006

Much of the news on TV is not relevant to me

personally

I think it's important to keep up to date with

news and current affairs

I follow the news only when something important or interesting is happening

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And overall, an increased feeling of irrelevance of TV news

Q16: I am now going to read out some statements. To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of them?Base: 2006 - all adults 16+, 2216

90%

89%

26%

33%

34%

44%

90%

81%

32%

50%

55%

64%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

All adults

16-24s

All adults

16-24s

All adults

16-24s

2002

2006

I think it's important to keep up to date with

news and current affairs

I follow the news only when something important or interesting is happening

Much of the news on TV is not relevant to

me personally

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A quick poll

• Who ever uses 3 or more platforms for news?

• Who strongly agrees that– It’s important to keep up to date with news and current affairs– I like to use a variety of news sources to compare stories

• Who ever uses just one or two platforms for news?

• Who agrees that they only follow news when something important or interesting is happening?

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Engagement with news varies by sub-group

Base: All adults 16+, 2216

22%

10%

21% 22%26% 24%

19%

29%

19%25%

16%

0%

20%

40%

60%

Engaged

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Three in ten 16-19s are disengaged with news

Base: All adults 16+, 2216

13%

30%

16%13% 11%

23%

15%

7%

19%

0%

20%

40%

60%

Disengaged

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Reasons for disengagement – 16-24s

“Ignorance is bliss”(White, 18-24, Cardiff)

Apathy

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Reasons for disengagement – 16-24s

“Ignorance is bliss”(White, 18-24, Cardiff)

“I don’t think we really care”(Caribbean, 18-24, Birmingham)

Apathy

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Reasons for disengagement – 16-24s

“There’s more interest from older people than from people our age

because we don’t have time. We’ve got to be out”

(White, 16-18, Bradford)“Ignorance is bliss”(White, 18-24, Cardiff)

“I don’t think we really care”(Caribbean, 18-24, Birmingham)

Different prioritiesApathy

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Reasons for disengagement – 16-24s

“There’s more interest from older people than from people our age

because we don’t have time. We’ve got to be out”

(White, 16-18, Bradford)“Ignorance is bliss”(White, 18-24, Cardiff)

“I don’t think we really care”(Caribbean, 18-24, Birmingham)

“It’s not cool to watch the news. There’s better things going on”

(White, 18-24, Cardiff)

Different prioritiesApathy

Fashion

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Reasons for disengagement – 16-24s

“Politics. You just don’t want to know. Because it does not affect us”.

(White, 16-18, Bradford)

“There’s more interest from older people than from people our age

because we don’t have time. We’ve got to be out”

(White, 16-18, Bradford)“Ignorance is bliss”(White, 18-24, Cardiff)

“I don’t think we really care”(Caribbean, 18-24, Birmingham)

“It’s not cool to watch the news. There’s better things going on”

(White, 18-24, Cardiff)

Different prioritiesApathy

Little perceived relevance Fashion

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Reasons for disengagement – 16-24s

“Politics. You just don’t want to know. Because it does not affect us”.

(White, 16-18, Bradford)

“There’s more interest from older people than from people our age

because we don’t have time. We’ve got to be out”

(White, 16-18, Bradford)“Ignorance is bliss”(White, 18-24, Cardiff)

“I don’t think we really care”(Caribbean, 18-24, Birmingham)

“It’s not cool to watch the news. There’s better things going on”

(White, 18-24, Cardiff)

Different prioritiesApathy

Little perceived relevance Fashion

“We have not got there yet, like where it should bother us….because we do not have that responsibility, so it

doesn’t matter to us what happened”(White, 16-18, Bradford)

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Reasons for disengagement – 16-24s

“Politics. You just don’t want to know. Because it does not affect us”.

(White, 16-18, Bradford)

“There’s more interest from older people than from people our age

because we don’t have time. We’ve got to be out”

(White, 16-18, Bradford)“Ignorance is bliss”(White, 18-24, Cardiff)

“I don’t think we really care”(Caribbean, 18-24, Birmingham)

“It’s not cool to watch the news. There’s better things going on”

(White, 18-24, Cardiff)

Different prioritiesApathy

Little perceived relevance Fashion

“We have not got there yet, like where it should bother us….because we do not have that responsibility, so it

doesn’t matter to us what happened”(White, 16-18, Bradford)

Mistrust

“I don’t think we really care”(Caribbean, 18-24, Birmingham)

“The BBC is basically run by the government so you’ll only hear on

there what the government want you to hear”

(White, 18-24, Cardiff)

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Factors in disengagement for minority ethnic groups

“We are Indians living in the UK”(Indian Hindu/Sikh, 20-40, London)

Cultural affiliation

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Factors in disengagement for minority ethnic groups

“We are Indians living in the UK”(Indian Hindu/Sikh, 20-40, London)

“In my household, as soon as my mother-in-law wakes up, Sunrise Radio and Star Plus are tag-teaming around the house. All I want

to do is hear the weather or traffic report, but I don’t get a chance”

(Indian Hindu/Sikh, 25-45, London)

Cultural affiliationGenerational pecking order

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Factors in disengagement for minority ethnic groups

“We are Indians living in the UK”(Indian Hindu/Sikh, 20-40, London)

“In my household, as soon as my mother-in-law wakes up, Sunrise Radio and Star Plus are tag-teaming around the house. All I want

to do is hear the weather or traffic report, but I don’t get a chance”

(Indian Hindu/Sikh, 25-45, London) “If I needed to know anything, my sister lives two doors away

and she’d tell me”(Indian, 25-45, London)

Cultural affiliationGenerational pecking order

More reliance on word of mouth

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Factors in disengagement for minority ethnic groups

“We are Indians living in the UK”(Indian Hindu/Sikh, 20-40, London)

“In my household, as soon as my mother-in-law wakes up, Sunrise Radio and Star Plus are tag-teaming around the house. All I want

to do is hear the weather or traffic report, but I don’t get a chance”

(Indian Hindu/Sikh, 25-45, London)

“In the Daily Mail, all you find about black people is the negative side of

things….The Voice is more about the positive”

(Caribbean, 20-40, Cardiff)

“If I needed to know anything, my sister lives two doors away

and she’d tell me”(Indian, 25-45, London)

Cultural affiliationGenerational pecking order

Disillusionment

More reliance on word of mouth

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Factors in disengagement for minority ethnic groups

I have actually switched off from a lot of the news. Actually switched off

because all it’s going to do is make me angry”

(Pakistani Muslim, 20-40, Glasgow)

“We are Indians living in the UK”(Indian Hindu/Sikh, 20-40, London)

“In my household, as soon as my mother-in-law wakes up, Sunrise Radio and Star Plus are tag-teaming around the house. All I want

to do is hear the weather or traffic report, but I don’t get a chance”

(Indian Hindu/Sikh, 25-45, London)

“In the Daily Mail, all you find about black people is the negative side of

things….The Voice is more about the positive”

(Caribbean, 20-40, Cardiff)

“If I needed to know anything, my sister lives two doors away

and she’d tell me”(Indian, 25-45, London)

Cultural affiliationGenerational pecking order

Active rejection

Disillusionment

More reliance on word of mouth

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Factors in disengagement for minority ethnic groups

I have actually switched off from a lot of the news. Actually switched off

because all it’s going to do is make me angry”

(Pakistani Muslim, 20-40, Glasgow)

“We are Indians living in the UK”(Indian Hindu/Sikh, 20-40, London)

“In my household, as soon as my mother-in-law wakes up, Sunrise Radio and Star Plus are tag-teaming around the house. All I want

to do is hear the weather or traffic report, but I don’t get a chance”

(Indian Hindu/Sikh, 25-45, London)

“In the Daily Mail, all you find about black people is the negative side of

things….The Voice is more about the positive”

(Caribbean, 20-40, Cardiff)

“If I needed to know anything, my sister lives two doors away

and she’d tell me”(Indian, 25-45, London)

Cultural affiliationGenerational pecking order

Active rejection

Disillusionment

More reliance on word of mouth

“I would say as a Muslim I would be more interested … to see what they are saying we have got up to

now”(Pakistani Muslim, 20-40, Leicester)

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What’s next

• Publication in Spring of policy issues and research evidence

• Feedback on publication

• Stakeholder event to discuss issues