Recent Publications
- The Digital-Born and Legacy News Media on Twitter during the French Presidential Elections
- Pay Models in European News
- VR for News: The New Reality?
- Beyond the Article: Frontiers of Editorial and Commercial Innovation
- Journalism, Media and Technology Predictions 2017
- The Rise of Fact-Checking Sites in Europe
Overview
This year's report reveals new insights about digital news consumption based on a YouGov survey of over 20,000 online news consumers in the US, UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Finland, Brazil, Japan and Australia. This year's data shows a quickening of the pace towards social media platforms as routes to audiences, together with a surge in the use of mobile for news, a decline in the desktop internet and significant growth in video news consumption online.Key findings
Introduction
Mobiles and tablets
- The use of smartphones for news has jumped significantly in the past year, but tablet growth has slowed.
- Almost half of online news users across all countries (45%) use two or more digital devices each week for news and a quarter (25%) now say their mobile phone is their primary access point - up from 20% last year.
- Read more on new devices
Disruption to traditional media
- We see increased usage of digital-born brands that produce content for a mobile and social world. Buzzfeed has doubled its market share in the United States to 10% with the Huffington Post now neck and neck with Yahoo News.
- But three quarters (74%) still access a traditional newspaper in print or online each week. 89% access a broadcaster via TV, radio or online.
- Read more country based and comparative data
Business of journalism
- Sales of printed newspapers have continued to fall in most countries but we no discernible increase in paid online content – or in willingness to pay. Only 6% pay for news in the Uk, rising to 14% in Finland
- we find significant consumer dissatisfaction with online advertising, expressed through the rapid take up of ad blockers (47% in US and 39% in the UK) and disquiet over the blurring lines between editorial and advertising.
- Read more on paying for news
Social networks
- Facebook has increased its hold on news distribution over the past year with referrals to top news sites up 42%. Across all countries 41% use Facebook for news each week. Brazilians use it most (70%), Japanese least (11%).
- Younger generations are turning to newer networks like WhatsApp, Snapchat and Tumblr but take up is uneven. 27% use WhatsApp for news in Spain but only 1% in the United States.
- Read more on social networks
Interactive
Explore the data behind the report
Explore the data behind the reportExplore the 2015 data and build your own charts. Compare dimensions and data types between or within countries,
About us
The Reuters Institute Digital News Report aims to deliver useful and timely data about the transition to digital. Read more about our annual survey ...
Survey Methodology
The polling was conducted by YouGov in January 2015 using online samples in ten countries. Find out more about the methods involved.
Resources
You can view or download a Powerpoint presentation of all of the charts and tables in the 2015 report.
Comment & analysis
Digital strategist and Turkey specialist Esra Doğramacı and the report’s contributing author and researcher Damian Radcliffe examine some of the key issues for social media users in Turkey.
Emily Bell, Director of the Tow Center at Columbia University, explores the growing power of mobile and social platforms in news distribution
Mind the Gap
The Business Outlook: Constraints on Growth, But Some Hopeful Signs in Digital News Provision
Generational Gaps – UK News Consumption and the Impact of Age
Attitudes to Sponsored and Branded Content (Native Advertising)