Newspapers: The decline of print

 Part 1: Ofcom report into news consumption

Read this Ofcom 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 5 & 6. Pick three that you think are interesting and bullet point them here. Why did you pick those three in particular?  

• The BBC is still the most-used provider of news in the UK. 

• Despite online being the main platform for news, the more traditional providers are rated more highly for trust, accuracy and impartiality.

I picked these two in particular as I am interested in the part traditional news sources play in todays technological sphere, in a world where people can get their own news is traditional media still needed and or respected? 

2) Now look at the motivations for following news which differs by age on pages 7 & 8. What are the main reasons people gave for following news? What are the percentages? 

The main reasons people gave for following news:

• to know what was going on across the UK (47%)
• to know what was going on in their region (45%)
• to know what was going on around the world (45%)
• 16-24 yr olds reasons were ‘to pass the time’ (21%), ‘providing entertainment’ (18%), ‘to be knowledgeable for work/job/studies’ (18%) 
• News and current affairs as a topic of interest has been decreasing over time, declining from 48% in 2018 to 42% in 2025.
• 6% of UK adults said they did not follow the news, primarily due to the news being ‘too depressing’ (52% of those not following the news). Three in ten of those not following the news say they find it ‘too boring’ or ‘find it difficult to trust’
• 51% of adults in the UK now use social media as a tool to consume news 

3) Look at the platforms used, by age on page 9. What trends do you notice based on the platforms used and by the different age groups?

The more traditional forms of media a reserved more the older generation (75+), while the more modern forms of media a indulged in by the younger generation (16-54)

4) Look at how online news continues to be a key platform for receiving news on page 14. How does the internet enable audiences to access the news in different ways? Can you provide any examples of news organisations with percentages? 

The internet enables people to access news in numerous different ways to suit their needs and preferences, ranging form news publishers, including established brands such as the BBC or press titles, through to online intermediaries. These intermediaries include: search engines, which provide links to a plethora of online news outlets; news aggregators, which provide selected sources based on different algorithms; and also social media services, which include direct contributions from news publishers, reposted contributions from these sources and also views from individuals and lobby groups.

71% of adults now access their news online, with online intermediaries used by 60% of adults. For example BBC Online (59%) has the highest claimed use, while Sky News (21%), The Guardian (20%) and The Daily Mail (14%) take the next three positions.

5) Look at the news brands (print newspapers and digital offerings) on page 20. Can you provide percentages of readership of print vs. online?

% of readership of print vs. online:

The Guardian/The Observer -  print 9% , online 18%

Daily Mail/Mail on Sunday -  print 17% , online 13%

The Sun/Sun on Sunday -  print 14% , online 7%

The Times/Sunday Times -  print 12% , online 7%

The Metro -  print 10% , online 6%

6) Looking again at page 20 for news brands - how are print newspapers rated by their metrics - can you offer the different metrics with percentages? 

 

74% of regular users rate newspapers highly (7-10), 70% for impartiality and 73% for trustworthiness, younger readers rate newspapers highly on these metrics more commonly than older readers, with 84% of 16–24-year-old regular newspaper readers rating them highly for accuracy, compared to 69% of those aged 75+.

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?

In the last 30 years, print media was one of the main sources of information for audiences

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

The Independent newspaper died recently in its print form. The newspaper’s selling line was, until 2011, “free from political bias, free from proprietorial influence”, and the reporting somewhat reflected this; in the last decade of its publication the Independent became known for its unorthodox and campaigning front pages. its slogan was "It is. Are you?"

It was a broadsheet newspaper established in 1986 - 2016

3) What was the Independent newspaper famous for?

It was famous for its challenging approach to contemporary splash headlines of the time and its non-aligned approach 

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

In 2010, the company was purchased by Evgeny Lebedev for a nominal £1 and £9.25m over the next 10 months.

Evgeny Lebedev said 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?

Advertising

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

“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 2016 US Presidential election brought this issue to the forefront of people's opinion on the internet. It is now debated of the death of print is the cause for fake news. Online news sites are easy to set up, and the simple news format is easy to replicate. Unlike printed media, you do not need the money, publisher, or industry access to ‘sell’ or share your message. Together with this and the prevalence of social media, online news is now faster to produce and then share to a global audience. You also don’t always have a context when reading/sharing online content. For example, a report in a highly satirical print publication such as Private Eye may contain exaggeration for comedic purposes. This does not become an issue of ‘fake news’ because the source is clear you’re reading the printed copy – and most readers are familiar with the institutional values of the magazine.

Post-truth refers to circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion that appeals to emotion and personal belief 

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 when it comes to traditional news stations they should be free, so that information is accessible to everyone.