Australians Among World's Biggest Online News Consumers
Under-35 Australians are leading paid digital news growth as 23% now pay for online news and 47% pay for digital-only brands, the report says.
- The 12th annual Digital News Report released on Tuesday reveals younger Australians are driving the nation's world-leading position in purchasing digital-only news brands, with 47 per cent of under-35s paying for subscriptions versus 34 per cent globally.
- Growing concerns about online misinformation drive this shift, with 77 per cent of Australians worried about what is real or fake on the internet—the highest globally. Young people distrust AI-generated news, preferring journalism perceived as credible and accurate.
- New data reveals 41 per cent of Australians aged 25-34 and 27 per cent of 18-24s now pay for news, starkly outpacing the 16 per cent of those aged 65 and older who subscribe.
- Instead of traditional broadcasts, almost half of this demographic chooses TikTok, where influencers act as news anchors. Over 59 per cent of under-35s find influencer-led content more entertaining and easier to understand than traditional media reporting.
- The Albanese government is finalizing the News Bargaining Incentive legislation to encourage Google, Meta, and TikTok to financially support Australian news providers. News organizations must adapt to these changing behaviors without compromising editorial quality and credibility.
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How younger Australians are reshaping the future of news
Young audiences are engaging with news in growing numbers, and for the first time, Australians under the age of 35 report greater interest in politics than older generations. The Digital News Report: Australia, a longitudinal study that has been tracking news consumption for more than a decade, shows a shift in how younger generations are accessing and making sense of news. However, it is not mainstream media they are turning to. Traditional new…
The Courier
Why even AI-savvy under-35s in Australia are paying for real news online
New data reveals 41 per cent of 25-34s pay for news, far exceeding older generations. Discover how they're reshaping media access amid AI concerns.
Well-educated young Australians are leading the trend of paid online news, with many abandoning mainstream media in favor of digital media platforms.
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- 93% of the sources lean Left
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