The future of news is complicated. The Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2020 is a challenging read. There are no easy answers.

Print is down but digital is booming. There is a rise in payment for digital news but it’s focused on mainstream publishers. Local news is most valued but is on life support.

The report is based on data collected from a series of surveys of more than 80,000 people in 40 markets. Here are the main findings.

1. COVID-19 boosts news consumption across all mainstream media (except print)

The COVID-19 crisis has substantially increased news consumption for mainstream media. Television news and online sources have seen significant upticks against a trend of decline. Consumption of printed newspapers has fallen as lockdowns undermine physical distribution. This is likely to accelerate the shift to an all-digital future.

2. Social media and messaging also grew during COVID-19 lockdown

The use of online and social media substantially increased in most countries. WhatsApp saw the biggest growth in general with increases of around ten percentage points in some countries, while more than half of those surveyed (51%) used messaging to connect and share information.

3. Trust in media high, politicians low

Trust in the media’s coverage of COVID-19 was relatively high in all countries, at a similar level to national governments and significantly higher than for individual politicians. Media trust was more than twice the level for social networks, video platforms, or messaging services when it came to information about COVID-19.

4. Misinformation remains critical concern

Global concerns about misinformation remain high. Even before the coronavirus crisis hit, more than half of citizens said they were concerned about what is true or false on the internet when it comes to news. Domestic politicians are the single most frequently named source of misinformation.

5. Increase in paying for digital news

There has been a significant increase in payment for online news in several countries, notably Norway 42% (+8) and the US 20% (+4). However, it is important to note that across all countries most people are still not paying for online news, even if some publishers have since reported a ‘coronavirus bump’.

6. Winner takes all in paid digital news race

In countries with higher levels of payment between a third and half of all subscriptions go to just a few big national brands – suggesting a winner-takes-most dynamic. But in both these countries a significant minority are now taking out more than one subscription, often adding a local or specialist publication.

7. Newspapers and web sites remain primary media for local news

In most countries, local newspapers and their websites remain the top source of news about a town or region, reaching four in ten (44%) weekly. Facebook and other social media groups are now used on average by around a third (31%) for local news and information, putting further pressure on publishers and their business models.

8. Distribution challenged for news publishers

Access to news continues to become more distributed. Across all countries, just over a quarter (28%) prefer to start their news journeys with a website or app. Those aged 18–24 (so-called Generation Z) have an even weaker connection with websites and apps and are more than twice as likely to prefer to access news via social media.

9. Publishers rebuild direct relationships via email

To counter the move to various platforms, publishers have been looking to build direct connections with consumers via email and mobile alerts. In the United States one in five (21%) access a news email weekly, and for almost half of these it is their primary way of accessing news. Northern European countries have been much slower to adopt email news channels.

10. Podcasts boom: Spotify emerging as new leader for distribution

The proportion using podcasts has grown significantly in the last year, though coronavirus lockdowns may have temporarily reversed this trend. Across countries, half of all respondents (50%) say that podcasts provide more depth and understanding than other types of media. Meanwhile, Spotify has become the number one destination for podcasts in several markets, overtaking Apple.

11. Broadcast boom for news

In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s address telling Britons to stay at home was one of the most-watched broadcasts in UK television history, with 27m tuning in live (excluding live streams via news websites and apps). Nightly viewership of BBC TV bulletins was up by around 30% in March while the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) reported daily viewing increases across countries of 14% in the early stages.

12. COVID impact on news industry: more of the same?

It is too early to predict the full impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the news industry but it is almost certain to be a catalyst for more cost cutting, consolidation, and even faster changes in business models. While some publications report growth in digital subscriptions, some publishers say advertising revenue has fallen by up to 50% and many newspapers have cut back or stopped printing physical copies and laid off staff.

13. Local news on life support

The COVID-19 disruption is likely to hit local news providers hardest, given their continuing dependence on both print and digital advertising. Commercial local newspapers in particular are a key component of democracy in many countries, employing the majority of journalists, highlighting local issues, and holding politicians to account. In Denmark, Sweden, and some other countries the government has stepped in to provide subsidies and short-term relief for the sector.

Methodology

This study was commissioned by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism in 40 markets to understand how news is being consumed in a range of countries.

Research was conducted by YouGov using an online questionnaire at the end of January and the beginning of February 2020.

Two further surveys were conducted in Norway, the UK and US about misinformation and paying for online news.