Did you know that 47% of UK adults now use social media for news? We’ll let that sink in for a moment. 

THE HEADLINES

For many people, gone are the days of waiting for the six o’clock news to be broadcast on TV for their daily fix. News is now available any time, anywhere. Plus, in terms of expectations from a PR and communications point of view, a double page spread in a glossy weekend supplement will reach some of your audience, but, the impact for some brands can be the same, if not greater, by landing an editorial piece on a brand’s Instagram page or TikTok profile, for example BBC Science Focus. 

It’s hard to know where to begin – as individuals who read and watch the news, but also as communications experts deciding on who to pitch which brand story to, when, why, and most importantly, which platform will drive the biggest impact.

The print and digital news media landscape continues to evolve, and we’ve seen a recent rise of a new category, a space we call social news. They are non-traditional outlets that sit somewhere between traditional media, and influencers. Social news journalists such as The News Daddy (aka Dylan Page) have grown in popularity in recent times, capitalising on this new media type.

NEWS IN BRIEF

It’s not a new notion that now more than ever, people are consuming news on social media, but it’s still not a one size fits all approach. Facebook continues to be the most used social media source (reaching 30% of UK adults), with TikTok growing in popularity now reaching 10%.

The nuance goes deeper than this though, as people use different social media platforms to consume various types of news. Twitter is the nation’s go-to for breaking news (61%), whereas on Facebook people are most likely to consume local news (59%). Instagram (53%), TikTok (55%) and Snapchat (50%) are all main sources of celebrity news.

Another element to consider is the age of your target audience. Social media is the most consumed media channel amongst those aged 18-24 (34%), and ranks third by those aged 25-39 (33%) according to the 2024 YouGov UK Media Landscape report. So if your brand is trying to earn attention from anyone within those age brackets, then social news needs to be a key component of your strategy.

Week on week, social news continues to gain momentum as social media is the only news source to see an uplift in users between 2020 and 2023 (YouGov Profiles+). All other categories remained flat or were in decline, showing that now is the time to get people scrolling and tapping about your brand news.

It’s no surprise that The Independent (who stopped publishing print editions in 2016) is moving their efforts online by making a ‘digital supergroup’ with their recent announcement to take over Buzzfeed UK, HuffPost and Tasty, along with their social counterparts. 

So as a brand trying to reach the right audience, where do we begin? We need to be aware of these nuances and adapt communications strategies to suit. 

YouGov April 2024

THE DEMOCRATISATION OF NEWS REPORTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Whilst television remains the most popular news source more generally, according to the 2024 YouGov UK Media Landscape report, social media is the only platform to continue to show an increase in usage year on year. Specifically, under-40s are now more likely to use social media for news, highlighting the importance of these platforms for distributing news content for brands​​.

We believe that Vice and UniLad were both ahead of their time. Creative, innovative and pushing the boundaries of what journalism is, whilst trying to compete with legacy news outlets. 

Social media platforms like TikTok are revolutionising how we consume news. With millions of followers, individuals like Dylan Page and Marcus Di Paola provide context and facts around global stories that are often underreported. While Dylan adds context and takes on international events, Marcus presents the facts in a simple piece-to-camera fashion that reminds us of radio. 

These social media personalities are changing the traditional media landscape by providing unbiased news reporting, making it engaging and accessible to a wider audience.

READ ALL ABOUT IT (AKA WHAT DOES THIS MEAN)

The rise of social news is a great new way to connect with your target audience and a space which remains relatively untapped by brands. 

A vital part of any modern press office and campaign at Alfred is to think about the diverse range of news outlets at the planning stages to ensure you have the right content and the right assets to reach your audience where they are. Social media editors need fit for purpose engaging assets (a square photo for the grid, with some B roll for a Reel and a portrait image for Stories for example) accompanied by a short snappy pitch versus a detailed two page press release. It’s often hard to crop content at a later date, so thinking multi platform and investing time on this at the start is crucial for success. 

The rise of social news cannot be ignored. Habits are changing and preferences will only get stronger over time. For continued relevance and to ensure you’re speaking to and connecting with your audience, it is imperative for brands to embrace social news.