The rise and rise of video-based news platforms
A user holding a smartphone with icons of social media on the screen. Some of the interesting highlights from the 2023 Digital News Report include the waning influence of Facebook on journalism, the meteoric rise of video-based social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and Instagram and audience trust in news.
The 2023 Digital News Report (DNR), a research publication by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ), was released last week, against a global context of tough economic times, a declining media industry and a new era of social media. Now in its 12th edition, the report analysed data from six continents across 46 markets, including Kenya.
Some of the interesting highlights from the DNR include the waning influence of Facebook on journalism, the meteoric rise of video-based social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and Instagram and audience trust in news.
While Facebook still remains the most popular social media platform, it is declining in its influence in journalism owing to the tech giant’s pivot from news while TikTok continues to experience exponential growth. According to the study, TikTok is the “fastest growing social network…used by 44 per cent of the 18-24-year-olds for any purpose”. The study shows that 20 per cent of the 18-24-year-olds surveyed globally use TikTok for news.
It is also important to note that the gateway for accessing news has shifted from direct visits to news websites as now more people are accessing news through social media, search or mobile aggregators.
The study also found a declining interest in news, especially among women and young people. They also found that people avoided news in various ways; there are those that avoided news in a broader way, that is changing channels when the news comes on, and those that avoided news by checking the news less often and then there is the third group that avoids certain topics and stories that were deemed emotionally draining.
Consumption habits
Focusing on Kenya, the study was based on an online survey of English-speaking online news consumers. The respondents were mainly aged 18-50 years, live in cities and had high levels of formal education. Since the sample is only a representative of a larger, more diverse Kenya audience, it is important to note that these findings should not be assumed to be a national representative, but rather an indicator of digital news consumption habits within the previously described audience.
Kenya is among the countries with the highest adoption of TikTok use; with 29 per cent of the 18-24-year-olds surveyed using TikTok for news and 54 per cent using TikTok for news. The 29 per cent use of TikTok for news is a 14-percentage point rise from last year’s survey, meaning that perhaps local news organisations should pay more attention to TikTok for news.
Based on the data, trust in news was at 63 per cent, an increase of six percentage points from last year’s study, placing Kenya at number two out of 46 markets when it comes to overall trust in media. Some of the most trusted news brands include the Daily Nation at 89 per cent and NTV at 88 per cent. International news media such as BBC was also listed among the most news-trusted brands at 87 per cent.
Dr Chege is a media and technology researcher.
