Television is no longer the main source of news for UK adults with online sites and apps now as popular as TV news for the first time.
According to the regulator Ofcom, TV news saw a steep decline in 2023, despite the medium being more trusted.
TV has been considered as the leading source of UK news since the 1960s, when widespread ownership allowed it to overtake radio and newspapers.
But Ofcom’s annual study into how we access news shows that 71% of adults now do so online, compared to 70% for TV, marking a generational shift in the balance of news media.
The big driving factor is the use of social media; more than half of UK adults (52%) now use platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to access news, up from 47% in 2023. However, in responding to research participants may be referring to content or posts by traditional news publishers such as the BBC, posts by journalists or public figures, or content posted/shared by friends and family, etc.
For younger people, 88% of 16 to 24 year olds, going online for news is a way of life. But it’s also changing among older audiences.
Over half (54%) of people aged 55+ find news online – up from 45% in 2018 – with most navigating directly to news websites. Only 28% access news via social media, significantly lower than 16-24s at 82%.
Public service broadcasters (PSBs) remain an important way to access news. BBC One remains the most popular individual news source, while news across all BBC platforms (TV, radio, news website, Sounds and iPlayer) still reaches 68% of all UK adults. ITV1 is the second most popular individual news source.
