Young Audiences Increase Consumption of News Brands in Last Two Weeks

18 to 24-year-olds have increased their consumption of a number of key news brands - either in print or online - in the last two weeks, according to the latest Havas Media Group Covid-19 Media Behaviours Report.

The seventh iteration of Havas Media Group’s Covid-19 Media Behaviours Report, a research study into consumer behaviour and media consumption based on a survey of 1,496 UK respondents, reveals that there has been a 6% net increase in the last two weeks in the number of 18 to 24-year-olds claiming to read The Guardian more than they did prior to lockdown. The figure is the same for the Huffington Post. There has also been a 4% net increase wave-on-wave in the number of 18 to 24-year-olds saying they are reading The Mirror more than they did prior to the Covid-19 outbreak. The only news brand to have seen a fall in consumption amongst this age group is Metro, with a 3% net decrease wave-on-wave in those claiming to be reading it more than before the outbreak.

18 to 24-year-olds have also increased their consumption of Sky News wave-on-wave, with an 8% net increase in those claiming to be watching it more than they did prior to Covid-19 – representing the largest gain for any TV channel amongst any single age group in the last two weeks.

Conversely, there have been significant reductions in the consumption of all major news brands amongst 25 to 34-year-olds in the last two weeks, with a 5% net decrease wave-on-wave in the number of people in this age group claiming to be reading The Guardian more than they did prior to lockdown, with the same figure for the Huffington Post. There has also been a 4% net decrease wave-on-wave in the number of 25 to 34-year-olds saying they are reading The Telegraph more than they did before the outbreak.

Eva Grimmett, chief strategy officer, Havas Media Group, said: “While overall consumption of news has remained relatively stable in the last two weeks, we’ve seen quite significant increases for key brands amongst 18 to 24-year-olds. It’s possible that these gains are due to this age group’s appetite for news on the Black Lives Matter movement."