TV overtaken as most popular news source, finds Ofcom

TV has been the leading source of news in the UK since the 1960s, Ofcom said, but the regulator’s annual study into how the public accesses news found 71% get news online, compared with 70% on television.

The increasing use of social media for news was the biggest factor, according to Ofcom, with 52% of UK adults using platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and Instagram for news compared with 47% in 2023.

In contrast, television news consumption dropped from 75% to 70% in the past year, Ofcom found.

Younger people were especially accessing news online, with 88% of 16 to 24-year-olds using the internet for news, but 54% of over-55s were also using news websites, up from 45% in 2018.

Most older people were using news websites, with only 28% using social media for news, compared with 82% of 16 to 24-year-olds.

BBC One was the most popular individual news source, while news across all BBC platforms (TV, radio, news website, BBC Sounds and iPlayer) reached 68% of all UK adults. ITV1 is the second most popular individual news source.

However, use of the BBC (BBC One down from 49% in 2023 to 43%) and ITV (from 34% in 2023 to 30% on 2024 ) for news has gradually declined in recent years, and Channel 4 has fallen out of the top 10 rankings for the first time, with news usage down from 17% in 2019 to 14% in 2024.

Four of the ten most popular news sources are the social media services Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and X, and among 16 to 24-year-olds, these platforms plus TikTok occupy all top five spots.

YouTube is now as widely used to access news content as the Sky News Channel and more popular than the BBC News Channel and BBC News Online, Ofcom said.

However, online news sources – and social media platforms in particular – are rated much less favourably than traditional platforms such as TV and radio for accuracy, trust and impartiality.

Social media was seen as trustworthy by 43% – 37% of 16 to 24-year-olds – compared with 69% for TV, 68% for radio and 66% for printed newspapers.

Ofcom is reviewing the future of public service media, which will begin by looking at how public service broadcasters have delivered for UK audiences, and how this material is made available online.

The second phase will consider potential options for changes in regulation or legislation to support public service media in the future.

Yih-Choung The, group director, strategy and research at Ofcom, said: “Television has dominated people’s news habits since the sixties, 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 wants to secure high-quality news for the next generation, so we’re kicking off a review of the public service media that help underpin the UK’s democracy and public debate.”