Majority of UK Consumer Now Access News Online

Many online consumers are used to accessing the latest news headlines on their smartphone, or perhaps on a tablet PC on their commute; it would appear that they are in good company. According to a new UK study, the majority of UK consumers now consume at least some of their news content online.

According to the research by media advisors Oliver and Ohibaum, some 68 per cent of UK consumers now access some news content online. This still lags the percentage who use TV, which stands at 75 per cent, but comfortably exceeds the number who use newspapers, which is only just over half the population at 54 per cent, with 40 per cent using the radio.

On average, a newspaper reader reads two newspapers, whilst the average online news consumer casts a wider net, visiting just over five sites each.

With content providers increasingly having to weight business models between internet marketing and charging for content, comes the insight that just 3.8 per cent of news users actually pay for their online news. However, those using tablet devices are considerably more likely to pay, 19 per cent, to be precise.

Of course, tablet owners are more likely to have a higher income that the average user, which would explain their increased propensity to spend on online content; however, for news brands looking to increase revenue through subscriptions, tablets offer a ray of hope in an otherwise bleak landscape.