Traditional media – the comeback kid

News consumption continues to change at pace. In recent years, we’ve seen print’s continuing decline, the rise, fall and then rise again of podcasts, and new media sites change the ways in which we engage with news via quizzes, “edgier” news reporting and more.

Ofcom’s latest report was particularly revealing when it came to online news consumption. Scrolling news: The changing face of online news consumption found that, for most respondents, online news simply meant consuming news on their smartphones, rather than a desktop or laptop.

Around three-quarters of the sample accessed online news primarily through smartphone devices, driven mainly through habit and convenience.

The report also found that we’re all slaves to our newsfeed – a format that has become ubiquitous thanks to social media. The infinite scroll we all know so well gives the impression of an endless supply of new content to consume, keeping us hooked for longer.

Credibility is king

Alongside this, we’ve seen uncertainty and arguably a lack of trust in news develop. Fake news has captured the imagination of people across the world as it has been drawn into debates around election results, celebrity gossip and more.

As a result, traditional media is having a bit of a comeback. In an uncertain world, with questionable news sources, credibility is becoming king.

And this is reflected in what we’re seeing from our clients at Harvard too. They are coming to us with a clear desire to reach their audiences through credible media outlets.

It doesn’t matter if you’re talking tech, business, economics or across verticals, whether it’s a feature in the Financial Times, a comment in a Computer Weekly, or a customer story with Marketing Week – it’s about being seen as an authority in a trusted media outlet.

Competition and innovation

Of course, competition for our eyeballs, clicks and money remains fierce, and being able to offer readers the best experience and the content they want is more important than ever. Media outlets continue to spend on getting this right.

A genuine giant in the world of news and information, Reuters recently revamped its news app to target professionals.

Building on the infinite scroll, it allows readers to explore content from 5,000 feeds across industries, companies, people and more. It essentially allows people to curate their own news feed in an extremely refined way.

That sounds like a lot of options, which might turn some people off. But, when you think that Reuters produce 5,500 stories a day, there’s a lot to filter through.

Traditional media FTW

As news continues to evolve and we see even more competition and innovation, and new trends emerge, traditional media looks to set to come out on top. Everybody loves a comeback.

 

Image sourced: Flickr