Traditional TV, Radio, And Newspapers Continue To Lose Audiences

A new report from the Reuters Institute finds that traditional media continue to lose news consumers at a significant rate, with television, radio, and newspapers all seeing double digit declines in weekly news use over the past decade. The study looked at 45 countries and found that social media and online video platforms have now become the most widely used sources of news for many consumers. 

The report found that television news still reaches more people than radio or newspapers, but younger viewers are increasingly abandoning it. While most adults have watched television news regularly at some point in their lives, many have stopped, particularly those under 35. Radio faces a different challenge. Researchers say relatively few younger people have ever developed the habit of listening to radio news in the first place, making it difficult to replace aging audiences. Newspapers face both problems, with low adoption among younger consumers and poor retention among existing readers. 

The findings raise concerns for broadcasters and publishers as they look to attract younger audiences. Researchers conclude that today’s younger adults are unlikely to adopt the same news consumption habits as previous generations. While social media and video platforms continue to dominate news discovery, the study also found that some former TV news viewers have stopped following news altogether.