Social Media Sets the UK News Agenda

Social media is the news source of choice for Britain’s under 25-year-olds.

According to the first Reuters Institute Digital Report, 43% of people between 16 and 24 get their news from social networks such as Twitter and Facebook rather than search engines such as Google.

Over 45-year-olds’ use of social media for getting news pales in comparison to the younger demographic — just 11% say they get news from the social web. For 33% of British people over 45, search engines are the online method of choice.

Between different social networks, Facebook is the most popular place to share news. More than half (55%) of people share news on Facebook, beating email, where 33% of people share, and Twitter, where 23% of people share. Few people responded that they share frequently to Google+ or LinkedIn.

The report’s editor, Nic Newman, found that Europeans are generally less interested than Americans in sharing news or engaging otherwise digitally.

As far as what they like to read goes, UK readers are more interested in science and technology news (23%) than business and financial news (19%).

This clearly makes for interesting reading for organisations in which news distribution is key. All news outlets will have to find new ways of reaching their audiences to keep up with consumer behaviour. It's a move from news as a product to news as a process. Where traditionally news has been dictated by production and distribution within a one-size-fits-all methodology it is now an always-on, transparent and collaborative process.

This is not all bad news for traditional media companies. While there may now be a need to change workflows to ensure that consumers are included in the process, there are benefits to the new news environments. Traditionally news content has had a short shelf-life. Now, value is being found in the archive as consumers find that timeliness isn't the key driver for conversation, but rather quality of content. Shareable, engaging, entertaining and interesting news remains that for a longer period.

There's an argument that being first is no longer the key objective - rather it's being the first credible and accurate source. News brands are becoming curators rather than creators and it's only once this transition has taken place that news organisations can make the most of the new news platforms.

Where do you get your news? Search engines, media outlets or social networks? Take part in my online poll here