Here’s good news for subscription news sites — for the first time, millennials seem to be consuming more news online or digitally than through television.
The new data was published by the Pew Research Center, and indicates an important cultural shift. Up until now, internet consumption of news topped radio and print, but television was beating them all.The shift is likely because Internet capabilities now make it possible to stream videos online on-demand and often for free, making it easier for consumers to find the news they want (and like). But social media has also played a big role. According to the Pew report, the percentage of Americans who said they had “seen news or news headlines on a social networking site yesterday” doubled from 9% to 19% since 2010.But don’t be fooled into thinking that social media is the last word on discovery. Email continues to be the silent but major player in distribution, with 16% of respondents saying they got their news yesterday from email.
Finally, print does look like its in a steady decline, despite efforts by newspapers to bundle digital access with print subscriptions. So if you want to stay viable, it’s important you maximize your digital and online subscription sales now.
