Hold onto your smartphones, because the news industry is now a digital-first world where 86% of U.S. adults get their information from a screen, a third of young Americans rely on social media, and over half of global online news videos are watched on platforms like TikTok.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, 86% of U.S. adults get their news from digital devices including smartphones, desktops, and tablets
- Globally, 47% of people used online news platforms as their main source in 2023, up from 40% in 2022
- 33% of U.S. adults under 30 primarily get news from social media in 2023
- U.S. local TV news viewership declined 12% among under-50s in 2023
- Number of U.S. journalists employed fell to 38,000 in newsrooms by 2023
- AI tools used by 12% of U.S. journalists daily in 2023 survey
- 73% of fake news stories in 2023 originated from social media platforms
- 64% of U.S. adults believe fake news causes confusion about facts in 2023
- Global detection of deepfakes in news rose 300% in 2023
- U.S. digital ads revenue for news reached $30B in 2023
- Global news subscriptions hit 550 million in 2023
- U.S. newspaper ad revenue fell to $9.5B in 2023, down 5%
- 37% of U.S. adults under 30 from non-white backgrounds in 2023
- Women make up 52% of global news avoiders in 2023
- 18-24 year olds comprise 25% of TikTok news users worldwide 2023
News consumption rapidly shifts online, driven by social media and mobile devices globally.
Global News Audiences
137% of U.S. adults under 30 from non-white backgrounds in 2023
Verified2Women make up 52% of global news avoiders in 2023
Verified318-24 year olds comprise 25% of TikTok news users worldwide 2023
Verified4Urban dwellers 2x more likely to consume online news than rural in India 2023
Directional555% of U.S. Republicans distrust mainstream media in 2023
Single source6College-educated adults 40% more likely to pay for news globally 2023
Verified762% of Africans prefer radio for news due to access 2023
Verified8LGBTQ+ individuals 15% more likely to use social media for news U.S. 2023
Verified9Seniors over 65 represent 28% of TV news audience in Europe 2023
Directional10Low-income households 3x more reliant on free TV news U.S. 2023
Single source1148% of Asian Americans get news from ethnic media 2023
Verified12Rural U.S. audiences down 20% for local news since 2019 to 2023
Verified1370% of Gen Z women prefer video news formats 2023
Verified14Immigrants 35% more likely to use WhatsApp for news in Europe 2023
Directional1541% of high-income U.S. households subscribe to news 2023
Single source16Muslims in UK 25% more engaged with Al Jazeera 2023
Verified1757% of Latinos in U.S. use Univision for news 2023
Verified18Baby boomers 60% of print news readers remaining 2023
Verified1966% of Australians in cities trust ABC news 2023
Directional20Disabled adults 20% less likely to access digital news U.S. 2023
Single source2152% of French youth trust Le Monde over social media 2023
Verified22Evangelicals 45% prefer conservative news outlets U.S. 2023
Verified2339% of global middle class uses news apps daily 2023
Verified24Veterans 30% more reliant on cable news in U.S. 2023
Directional2571% of Japanese women aged 20-29 avoid politics news 2023
Single sourceGlobal News Audiences Interpretation
The news landscape in 2023 reveals a fragmented, distrustful, and deeply unequal media diet, where your age, income, location, identity, and politics don't just influence what you watch but fundamentally fracture the very idea of a shared public square.
Journalism and Media Trends
1U.S. local TV news viewership declined 12% among under-50s in 2023
Verified2Number of U.S. journalists employed fell to 38,000 in newsrooms by 2023
Verified3AI tools used by 12% of U.S. journalists daily in 2023 survey
Verified4Global investigative journalism funding grew 15% via nonprofits in 2023
Directional576% of news leaders plan to increase video content in 2024 per 2023 WAN-IFRA
Single source6Diversity in U.S. newsrooms reached 27% people of color in 2023
Verified7Podcast production by news outlets up 25% year-over-year in 2023
Verified865% of European newsrooms adopted data journalism tools by 2023
Verified9Layoffs in U.S. news industry hit 2,700 jobs in 2023
Directional10Mobile-first news design implemented by 82% of top 50 U.S. sites in 2023
Single source1144% of journalists report burnout as top issue in 2023 API survey
Verified12Personalized news feeds used by 58% of digital news sites in 2023
Verified13Growth in freelance journalists in UK rose 18% to 2023
Verified1470% of newsrooms now train on misinformation detection in 2023
Directional15Digital ad revenue for news grew 8% globally but print fell 15% in 2023
Single source1631% of U.S. news stories now include multimedia elements in 2023
Verified17Community news outlets shuttered 300 in U.S. in 2023 alone
Verified1852% of global news execs prioritize audience revenue models in 2023
Verified19Use of newsletters by journalists for direct audience grew 30% in 2023
Directional2067% of newsrooms integrated social media monitoring tools by 2023
Single source21Female journalists in leadership roles hit 40% in Europe 2023
Verified22Live video streaming for news events up 40% in 2023
Verified2325% of news content generated with AI assistance in pilot programs 2023
Verified24Collaborative journalism projects increased 22% globally in 2023
Directional2548% of U.S. news sites offer comment sections moderated by AI in 2023
Single source26Training in climate journalism reached 35% of newsrooms worldwide 2023
Verified2759% of digital news revenue from subscriptions in mature markets 2023
VerifiedJournalism and Media Trends Interpretation
The news industry is frantically remodeling its burning house, installing video bars and subscription locks while the local rooms collapse and the AI assistants unpack their tools.
Misinformation and Fake News
173% of fake news stories in 2023 originated from social media platforms
Verified264% of U.S. adults believe fake news causes confusion about facts in 2023
Verified3Global detection of deepfakes in news rose 300% in 2023
Verified452% of misinformation shared on WhatsApp during elections 2023
Directional5U.S. fact-checkers debunked 15,000 false claims in 2023
Single source641% of global users encountered fake news weekly on Facebook 2023
Verified7AI-generated misinformation accounted for 8% of viral stories 2023
Verified867% of Brazilians shared fake news unknowingly in 2023 surveys
Verified9Twitter (X) removed 10 million fake news posts in Q4 2023
Directional1055% of young adults can't distinguish fake from real news 2023
Single source11Election-related deepfakes surged 500% in India 2023
Verified1229% of U.S. news consumers flagged misinformation in 2023
Verified13YouTube demonetized 1.2 billion fake news views in 2023
Verified1462% of Europeans worry about AI fakes in news 2023
Directional15TikTok misinformation views dropped 70% after labeling 2023
Single source1648% of fake health news traced to influencers 2023
Verified17Instagram fact-check partnerships debunked 5 million posts 2023
Verified1871% of misinformation in Africa spread via SMS 2023
Verified19U.S. lawsuits against fake news sites up 40% in 2023
Directional2036% of global news feeds contained labeled misinformation 2023
Single source21Phishing disguised as news emails rose 25% in 2023
Verified2253% of Argentine users exposed to election fakes 2023
Verified23Google search manipulations for fake news hit record 2023
Verified2444% of climate denial stories were misinformation 2023
Directional25Snapchat removed 1.5 million fake news snaps 2023
Single source2660% of Poles believed at least one fake news story 2023
Verified27Global fact-checking orgs grew to 350 in 2023
VerifiedMisinformation and Fake News Interpretation
It seems the digital town square has become a funhouse mirror where truth is distorted at industrial scale, yet we are simultaneously getting better at spotting the cracks even as they multiply.
News Consumption Habits
1In 2023, 86% of U.S. adults get their news from digital devices including smartphones, desktops, and tablets
Verified2Globally, 47% of people used online news platforms as their main source in 2023, up from 40% in 2022
Verified333% of U.S. adults under 30 primarily get news from social media in 2023
Verified4In the UK, 54% of adults accessed news via mobile phones daily in 2023
Directional571% of Americans say they read news online at least sometimes, with 31% doing so often, as of 2023
Single source6Video news consumption on social media reached 52% among global internet users in 2023
Verified724% of U.S. news consumers pay for online news subscriptions in 2023
Verified8In India, 62% of urban adults get news primarily from TV in 2023
Verified940% of global respondents avoid news due to it being depressing, per 2023 survey
Directional10U.S. podcast news listeners grew to 41% of adults monthly in 2023
Single source1155% of Brazilians use WhatsApp for news daily in 2023
Verified12Newsletter subscriptions for news rose 20% year-over-year to 2023
Verified1328% of U.S. adults got news from TikTok in the past week in 2023
Verified14In Germany, 48% prefer news apps over websites in 2023
Directional15Global average time spent on news sites/apps is 8 minutes daily in 2023
Single source1667% of Spaniards access news via Facebook in 2023
Verified17U.S. TV news viewership for evening news dropped 7% in 2023
Verified1835% of global youth (18-24) use YouTube for news weekly in 2023
Verified19Print newspaper readership fell to 14% in the U.S. daily in 2023
Directional2051% of Australians get news from ABC online platforms in 2023
Single source21Audio news via smart speakers used by 19% of U.S. adults weekly in 2023
Verified2242% of French use Instagram for news discovery in 2023
Verified23Mobile news alerts subscribed by 29% of U.S. adults in 2023
Verified24In Japan, LINE app used for news by 45% in 2023
Directional25Global news video views on social media hit 1.5 trillion in 2023
Single source2623% of UK adults pay for multiple news subscriptions in 2023
Verified27Reddit news engagement up 45% in U.S. 2023
Verified2860% of Italians rely on TV for main news in 2023
Verified29U.S. radio news listeners steady at 32% weekly in 2023
Directional3039% of global users share news on social media daily in 2023
Single sourceNews Consumption Habits Interpretation
The world's news diet is now overwhelmingly digital and on-demand, yet stubbornly national in its final course, with the public voraciously snacking on content while increasingly paying to avoid the indigestion of the free-for-all buffet.
News Industry Economics
1U.S. digital ads revenue for news reached $30B in 2023
Verified2Global news subscriptions hit 550 million in 2023
Verified3U.S. newspaper ad revenue fell to $9.5B in 2023, down 5%
Verified4Digital-only news revenue grew 14% to $15B globally 2023
Directional5New York Times added 10 million digital subs in 2023
Single source622% of U.S. newspapers closed since 2005, accelerating in 2023
Verified7TV news ad spend down 10% to $20B in U.S. 2023
Verified8Philanthropic funding for news reached $1.2B globally 2023
Verified9Washington Post digital subs stalled at 3M in 2023
Directional10E-commerce revenue for news sites up 28% in 2023
Single source11UK news industry print revenue dropped 18% to £1.2B 2023
Verified12Crowdfunding for journalism projects raised $150M in 2023
Verified13Events revenue for U.S. news orgs hit $2B in 2023
Verified14Global classifieds ad loss for news $50B since 2010, ongoing 2023
Directional15Spotify paid $100M to news podcasts in 2023 deals
Single source1645% of news revenue now non-advertising in U.S. 2023
Verified17Australian news bargaining code generated $200M AUD 2023
Verified18Mergers in local news reduced outlets by 15% in Europe 2023
Verified19Affiliate marketing revenue up 35% for news sites 2023
Directional20BBC commercial revenue £1.7B but license fee flat 2023
Single source21U.S. public media funding steady at $500M federal 2023
Verified22Newsletter ad rates averaged $50 CPM for news 2023
Verified2360 news orgs shuttered in Canada 2023 due to economics
Verified24Venture capital in digital news startups $800M 2023
Directional25Paywalls on 70% of top 100 news sites in 2023
Single source26Latin America news ad market grew 9% to $3B in 2023
VerifiedNews Industry Economics Interpretation
The news industry is in the midst of a brutal but cash-conscious identity crisis, where digital subscriptions and side hustles like e-commerce are offering a life raft as traditional advertising sinks, proving that while the public might be reluctant to buy a paper, they're increasingly willing to buy into the brand.
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