The main way people get their news has changed, according to a new survey by Ofcom.
For the first time since the 1960s, online sites and apps are now more popular than TV news, according to the study, but TV and radio news are still more trusted as sources.
“Television has dominated people’s news habits since the sixties, and it still commands really high trust,” said Yih-Choung Teh, Ofcom’s group director of strategy and research. “But we’re witnessing a generational shift to online news, which is often seen as less reliable.”
The reach of TV news has gradually declined in recent years, and fell sharply from 75% to 70% last year.
Instead, an annual study by Ofcom shows 71% of adults now find their news online.
More than half of UK adults (52%) use social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to access news, up from 47% in 2023.
Going online is by far the most popular way for younger people to access news but older generations are also gradually adding online sources to their news diets.
More than half (54%) of people aged 55+ now find news online with most navigating directly to news websites. Only 28% access news via social media.
Despite the shift to online news, people still trust TV and radio more. Some 69% of people rated TV channels as “trustworthy” compared to 53% when it came to online sources.
In response to the survey, Ofcom is now launching “a review of the public service media that help underpin the UK’s democracy and public debate”.
The first phase of the review will look at how well public service broadcasters have delivered for UK audiences, including how public service news is made available to audiences online.
The second phase will consider potential options for changes in regulation or legislation to support public service media in the future.
