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Television has ceased to be the main source of news in the UK for the first time since the 1960s as Britons turn increasingly to online news and social media apps, according to research by the media regulator.
Ofcom said on Tuesday that viewing of TV news had continued to fall steeply, with online platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and TikTok and digital versions of broadcasters now slightly more widely used as a source of news.
In its annual study of audience habits, the watchdog said 71 per cent of adults obtained news online, compared with 70 per cent via TV — a finding it described as “marking a generational shift in the balance of news media”.
The reach of TV news has fallen from 75 per cent last year. More than four-fifths of people between the ages of 16 and 24 obtained their news from social media, Ofcom found.
The report underlines the pressure on more traditional linear broadcasters such as the BBC, Sky and Channel 4 to accelerate moves to digital platforms, which include their own streaming sites as well as social media apps such as TikTok.
Broadcast executives are investing in creating TV and audio content specifically for such digital channels; the BBC, for example, is focused on growing its services such as iPlayer and Sounds. But they also need to cater for the now diminishing number of mainly older people who watch traditional TV.
Ofcom said it was setting the framework for a new review of public service media, which will initially analyse how well broadcasters such as the BBC and Channel 4 have delivered for audiences, including online, before looking at options for changes in regulation or legislation to support the sector.
Yih-Choung Teh, Ofcom group director, strategy and research, said TV had “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.”
TV remained the leading platform for news among older age groups, serving as the main source for 85 per cent of people over 55, compared with only half of 16- to 24-year-olds.
Four of the 10 most popular news sources among all age groups include Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and X, formerly Twitter. With TikTok, they account for all top five spots among 16- to 24-year-olds.
BBC One remained the most popular individual news source, and ITV1 the second, while news across all BBC platforms still reached two-thirds of all UK adults. Channel 4 fell out of the top 10 rankings for the first time.
However, broadcast news is still rated much more highly for accuracy, trust and impartiality than online news sources.
