The decline in print media

 Part 1: Ofcom report into news consumption 2022

Read this Ofcom 2022 report on the consumption of news in the UK and answer the following questions (bullet points/short answers are fine):

1) Look at the headlines from the report on page 6. Pick three that you think are interesting and bullet point them here. Why did you pick those three in particular?  

• TikTok’s reach for news has increased from 2020 (1%) to 2022 (7%).
• Social media is overtaking traditional channels for news among teens.
• Five of the top six TV channels (including BBC One which remains the top news source across platforms) saw decreased reach from 2021 among online adults.

2) Look at the overall summary for adults on pages 7-8. What are the key points on newspapers? 

• Reach of print/online newspapers decreased from 2020 (47%) to 2022 (38%)
• The differences between platforms used across age groups are striking
• Reach of print/online newspapers decreased from 2020 (47%) to 2022 (38%)
• The BBC remains the news organisation with the highest cross-platform audience reach (76%)
• BBC One remains the top source by reach for adults (53%)
• BBC One remains the most selected for ‘single most important’ news source

3) Look at the statistics on page 13. What do you notice about newspapers and how has it changed in recent years?

Newspapers have significantly decreased over time and is currently the lowest out of all the platforms.

4) Now look at the age demographics for news consumption on page 16. What age demographic groups are most and least likely to read newspapers and what are the percentages? 

75+ are most likely to read newspapers with 59%

16-24 are least likely to read newspapers with 30%

5) Look at the newspaper-specific data on page 36. Which are the most popular newspaper titles? 

Daily Mail, The Sun, The Metro

6) Now look at the total newspaper reach of print and online on page 39. How has this decreased over the last three years?

The total reach is decreasing year by year and has dropped from 47% in 2020 to 38% in 2022.


Part 2: Factsheet - The death of print media

Go to our Media Factsheet archive and open Factsheet 165: The death of print media. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets or you can find it online here - you'll need to log in using your Greenford Google login.

Read the Factsheet and complete the following questions/tasks (bullet points/short answers are fine):

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

Print media was one of the main sources for information since 1660.

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

The print form of The Independent has recently 'died.'

3) What was the Independent newspaper famous for?

For being free from political bias and proprietorial influence.

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

Lebedev claimed that the deceasing of a printed version was a bold transition to a digital-only future. “The newspaper industry is changing, and that change is being driven by readers. They’re showing us that the future is digital. This decision preserves the Independent brand and allows us to continue to invest in the high quality editorial content that is attracting more and more readers to our online platforms.”

5) How do online newspapers make money?

In February 2016, the Independent had 15.8m unique users rising to 21m in June 2016 (in the lead up to the referendum on EU membership), falling to 16.2m in August 2016 (ComScore). This, the company claimed, validated their decision to go online-only as it was the first time the Independent had turned a profit in 20 years, with advertising revenues growing 45% year on year. This means that the online newspaper makes money from views and users.

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

Simon Kelner, the paper’s longest-serving editor said, “For me, the power of the Independent came from the variety of voices, the originality in its design and the iconoclastic feel of the paper. It is very difficult to replicate that in digital form. And it is even more difficult to do that with a paper like the Independent.”

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

The concern over the impact of the Internet news reporting is not new, but 2016’s US presidential election brought the issue into sharp focus. The terms ‘fake news’ and ‘post-truth’ are now familiar in the contemporary vernacular.

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?

I think news should be free as everyone should be entitled to know what happens in the world around them. Newspapers like The Daily Mail have successfully made revenue off of views and advertising.