Online overtakes TV as UK's favourite news source, Ofcom research shows
Ofcom research shows that the majority of people now get their news from online, as ITV News Reporter Sam Holder explains
Online has become the most popular news source by a small margin, as TV viewership continues to decline, according to an Ofcom news consumption survey.
Its report, which saw market research company Jigsaw Research conduct 5,466 interviews, found that 71% view news online, compared to 70% viewing news on television.
It follows a downward trend of TV news viewership over the years, with 79% of respondents saying it was their primary news source in 2018 while 70% said the same in 2024.
The top individual sources however remain Public Service Broadcasters, with BBC and ITV taking the top two spots.
However, both broadcasters have still suffered a decline in viewership over the years with 43% of respondents said they favoured BBC One in 2024, down from 58% in 2019.
ITV1 saw a similar decline, going from 40% in 2019 to 30% in 2024.
Online news has instead increased - up from 68% in 2023 to the 71% this year.
Among adults who directly access news online, the BBC website came out top at 59%, followed by Sky News (20%), The Guardian (20%) and The Daily Mail (19%).
Social media has also become a “significant component of online news consumption” according to the report.
Around 52% of respondents use it as a news source in 2024, compared with 44% in 2018. The most commonly mentioned websites were Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.
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Younger people increasingly rely on online news sources, with 88% of 16 to 24-year-olds using the internet for news, and only 49% using TV.
While those aged over 55 remain loyal to television, with 85% saying it's their main news source, while 54% they use online platforms.
Yih-Choung Teh, Ofcom group director, strategy and research, said: “Television has dominated people’s news habits since the 1960s, and it still commands really high trust.
“But we’re witnessing a generational shift to online news, which is often seen as less reliable – together with growing fears about misinformation and deepfake content."
Ofcom will now review all public service media to see how well they have delivered for UK audiences and will provide recommendations to help "secure high-quality news for the next generation."
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