New research into Britons’ news consumption habits reveals that we are a news-obsessed nation. The survey found that nearly half of adults (49%) watch the news in bed, 6% of adults watch the news after sex and 13% of adults watch the news in the bath.
Tickaroo, in collaboration with Opinium, commissioned a study on the changing landscape of digital media. 2000 adults in the UK took part in the study and the results showed a seismic shift in news consumption behavior between new and old media.
Is our future broadcast in the metaverse?
The UK public believes the future of news lies in the metaverse, according to a new report from Tickaroo, a live blogging solution that is revolutionizing the way media companies report live news. The report found that over a quarter (27%) of Brits believe news will be delivered via the Metaverse within the next 5 to 10 years, highlighting the global shift in digital media use.
In contrast, according to consumers, newspapers appeared to have a bleak future, with only 25% of respondents predicting their relevance in 10 years. However, the ever-ubiquitous TV is still considered a timeless foundation for news consumption, especially among the older generation, with people over 55 reporting the most news consumption via TV (39%), compared to just 16% using their phones. .
However, with digital news aggregators and social media platforms currently rife with fake news, the concept of news via the metaverse may be threatened by the general distrust of the British public towards the media. The survey found that 38% of Britons already harbor a lack of trust in the media, with skepticism more prevalent among the younger generations. While two-thirds (65%) of over-55s trust the news, only 56% of 18-34 year-olds say the same.
Politics peaks in interest: Brits predict WW3 approaching
When it comes to the topics chosen, politics was chosen as the most popular by 58% of the respondents. More than a third (37%) even predict that the third world war will be the biggest news story of the year, while 14% think we are in for a new variant of COVID. Overall, however, the majority of UK adults (70%) consider receiving the latest news very important, with half (49%) admitting that they even routinely check the news in bed. Habits like doom scrolling have become the norm when it comes to news consumption, with more than four-fifths (83%) of Brits saying they check the news daily. Interestingly, 3% of Britons never check the news.
Commenting on the findings of the study, Naomi Owusu, CEO and co-founder of Tickaroo, said: “Driven by rapid technological advancements, news consumption habits are evolving rapidly, forcing media outlets to find new ways to keep consumers engaged as we progress further. in this new digital age. With the UK public becoming increasingly tech-savvy, traditional media outlets risk being left behind if they don’t embrace technology in their quest for faster, smarter and easier ways to deliver news.”
Naomi Owusu continued: “The Covid-19 pandemic has also significantly impacted the way consumers interact with media. People have developed unhealthy habits, such as doom scrolling in bed. The endless scrolling for news, good or bad, can keep people sitting in front of their screens for hours. Consumers can still read the news, but instead watch live blog journalism to provide concise and engaging news content on topics they are interested in, and promote healthier habits when it comes to consuming news.
Summary of Findings:
– General confidence in media and news consumption habits shows generation gap
– Skepticism seems to be more common among younger ages – while two-thirds (65%) of over-55s trust the news, only 56% of 18-34-year-olds said the same
– Overall, more Brits say they trust the news (62%) than not (38%)
– Perhaps as a nod to younger readers, respondents said the ideal article length would be 368 words and they spend an average of 5 minutes and 42 seconds reading news articles
– Politics is the most popular news topic for UK consumers, highlighting the current political climate
– The most popular areas of interest of newsreaders are politics (58%), sports (33%) and technology (26%)
– There is a gender gap in the top three areas of interest, with both being politically the most popular (62% of men and 54% of women), women’s second choice is culture (29%) and celebrity/showbiz (25% ) come in third, while the second and third choices for men are Sport (51%) and Technology (39%) respectively
– More than a third (37%) predict that World War 3 will be the biggest news story of the year, while 14% think we are in for a new COVID variant
About Tickaroo:
Tickaroo (tickaroo.com) is a multimedia live blogging platform. Tickaroo’s “Live Blog” software solution is aimed at media houses, larger companies and professional sports reporters. With this product, the Regensburg-based company offers a live content software solution that combines professional digital storytelling and live reporting. Clients include Der Spiegel, Süddeutsche Zeitung and Mediacorp. More than 72,000 journalists rely on the digital publishing software, which is available as a native app and web application.
Naomi Owusu
The mother of four is Tickaroo’s Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for corporate strategy and product development. Before joining Tickaroo, she spent four years at what was then Kupferwerk AG, most recently in the Business Development division. As a freelance consultant, she created a range of digital products for companies such as Verivox, KKH and Bauer Media.
