This document provides an overview of the key findings from the 2019 Digital News Report, which is the largest ongoing survey of news consumption habits. Some of the main findings summarized are:
- More people are paying for online news, especially in Nordic countries, though subscription numbers remain relatively low elsewhere. Many people are relying more on reputable news brands.
- Despite increased focus on quality brands, trust in news continues to decline globally. People report news overload and negativity.
- Social media engagement, especially Facebook, is declining slightly as people spend more time on Instagram, WhatsApp, and messaging apps.
- Podcasts and audio news are gaining popularity, especially among younger audiences who enjoy the portable
3. Methodology
RESEARCH CONDUCTED ONLINE IN JANUARY/EARLY FEBRUARY 2019
3
Country Sample Size
Internet
penetration
USA 2012 96%
UK 2134 95%
Germany 2066 96%
France 2106 93%
Italy 2042 92%
Spain 2087 93%
Portugal 2072 78%
Ireland 2096 93%
Norway 2055 99%
Sweden 2030 97%
Finland 2039 94%
Denmark 2063 97%
Country Sample Size
Internet
penetration
Belgium 2075 94%
Netherlands 2154 96%
Switzerland 2059 91%
Austria 2050 88%
Hungary 2058 89%
Slovakia 2101 85%
Czech Republic 2047 88%
Poland 2035 78%
Romania 2051 74%
Bulgaria* 2041 66%
Croatia 2043 91%
Greece 2052 70%
Turkey* 2019 68%
Country Sample Size
Internet
penetration
Japan 2017 93%
Korea, South 2035 93%
Taiwan 1005 88%
Hong Kong 2056 87%
Malaysia* 2101 78%
Singapore 2033 84%
Australia 2010 88%
Canada 2055 90%
Brazil* 2013 71%
Argentina 2006 93%
Chile 2004 78%
Mexico* 2015 65%
South Africa* 2085 54%
Polling by Supported by
4. Key findings
More people are
paying for online
news (in some
countries) but the
limits of
subscription are
becoming clear
Many say they are
relying more on
reputable brands and
less time with ‘less
accurate’ brands than
this time last year
Despite this, trust
in the news
continues to fall,
with people people
complaining about
news overload and
negativity
People in most
countries are
spending less time on
Facebook and more
time with Instagram
and WhatsApp
Podcasts (and
news podcasts)
are striking a real
chord with
consumers –
especially the
young
6. “ I now realize that good journalism requires
money. If I keep relying only on free news
stories, the quality of journalism I get will be
dumbed down and made much worse”
M, 52, USA
Some people are now paying for news
6
PEOPLE ARE REALISING THAT QUALITY COSTS
23%Average in Nordic
countries pay
16%Now pay for
online news in
the US
9%In the UK
But only
NORDIC
COUNTRIES LEAD
THE WORLD
Q7a. Have you paid for ONLINE news content, or accessed a paid for ONLINE news service in the last year ? (This could be a digital subscription, combined digital/print
subscription or one off payment for an article or app or e-edition)
7. With the exception of the US & Nordics the proportion
paying for news remains flat
7
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
USA UK Germany France Spain
Trump bump
Maintained
8. 8
Winner takes all environment?
HALF OF US SUBSCRIPTIONS GOING TO 3 PUBLICATIONS …
EVERYONE CHASING SAME GROUP OF EDUCATED, RICHER, INTERESTED IN NEWS
10. 10
Average (median) number of subscriptions is ONE
Q7a. Have you paid for ONLINE news content, or accessed a paid for ONLINE news service in the last year ? (This could be a digital subscription, combined digital/print subscription or one off payment for an article or app or
e-edition)
Base: All markets 2019 – USA: 2012; UK: 2023; Germany: 2022; France: 2005; Spain: 2005; Japan: 2017
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
1 2 3 4 5
Number of subscriptions/donations per person
UK
Includes all payments
• Donations
• Bundles
• Those paid for by
businesses
12. 12
News is competing on value with other options ….
15%If you could only have one subscription next year?
Netflix etc Spotify etcSpotify etc
Netflix etc
Spotify etc
Netflix etc Spotify etc
13. 13
Consumers don’t always like this interruption ….
“I prefer it if they flag
premium/paid-for content
up before they make me
click any links to content”
(M, 50)
“It is an understandable way
to raise revenue but I prefer
the Guardian model, which
doesn't limit access to just
those who can afford it.” (F,
43)
“I do not always agree
with it as I believe we
should all have access to
news for free..” (F, 26)
Barriers to content are growing ….
21. 43%
34%
11%
3%
2%
News website or app
Social media
Homescreen links
Email
Aggregator
Other/Don't know
Q9d You mentioned that your FIRST contact with news in the morning is using smartphone, in which ONE of the following places do you typically find your first news?
Base: All using internet via smartphone first thing for news UK: 516 ; USA: 460
In the UK Almost half go first to a news app
20%
43%
10%
8%
11%
News website or app
Social media
Homescreen links
Email
Aggregator
Other/Don't know
In the US social is the first destination for most
Facebook 17%
Twitter 11%
Instagram 3%
Facebook 25%
Twitter 11%
Instagram 2%
Where do people first find news on smartphone?
24. SPAIN
UK
24
FRANCE
GERMANY
USA
access news
via smartphone
across all
38 countries
66%
64%
57%
59%
56%
+4
8b Which, if any, of the following devices have you used to access news in the last week?
Base: Total sample in each market
15%
25%
35%
45%
55%
65%
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
63%
Weekly smartphone usage for news 2013-19
selected countries
30. Pivot to private and ephemeral messaging
8%
Q12a/b. Which, if any, of the following have you used for any purpose/for news in the last week?
Base: ‘Main’ 12 market average: UK, USA, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Australia, Brazil & Japan (10 market average for 2014 exl Australia & Ireland)
36%
16%
9%
10%
3%
64%
45%
32%
37%
21%
12%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Weekly use for news
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Facebook algorithm
changes
Weekly use for any purpose
Facebook and Twitter are flat. Attention and time is shifting to newer networks
31. Net difference in time spent with each social network in
last year - UK
31
32. Proportion of Facebook and Whatsapp users that used
each type of group in the past month – selected markets
32
34. 34
Q12B. Which, if any, of the following have you used for news in the last week? Showing WhastApp code
Base: Total sample in each country.
*India poll conducted Jan 2019 with English-speaking, online news users in India – a small (but important) subset of a larger, more diverse, and very complex Indian media market
WhatsApp for news
Brazil 53% (+5)
India 52%
Malaysia 50%
WhatsApp Groups used very differently in Brazil,
Malaysia, Turkey. More likely to be big groups with
people don’t know
With greater potential for misinformation
Proportion that used Instagram and Snapchat for news –
Selected Markets (DNR 2019 + India)
207. More at : digitalnewsreport.org
@risj_oxford | #DNR19
ReutersInstituteDigital
NewsReport2019
Hinweis der Redaktion
Delighte to present this year’s report
I should also say (as I do every year) that as this is an online poll – so it is representative of those who are online but not of national populations. As such it will tend to underrepresent traditional news behaviour such as TV, print and radio when we talk about cross platform behaviour. Polling conducted by YouGov on our behalf – and we used robust samples of around 2000 in each country including the UK
We are grateful to wide range of sponsors ranging from the Thomson Reuters Foundation who are the core sponsor of the Reuters Institute to the 14 organisations that support this particular report – and as well as Edelman they include Google, BBC, Ofcom, 2 other media regulators, industry organisations and a number of universities around the world
Moving on to the business issues and in terms of paying for news we are seeing more people subscribing or donating to news organisaitons
Moving on to the business issues and in terms of paying for news we are seeing more people subscribing or donating to news organisaitons
Moving on to the business issues and in terms of paying for news we are seeing more people subscribing or donating to news organisaitons