UK news website readership rises by a fifth amid Covid-19 crisis
Readership of UK national news websites has jumped by a fifth as Brits flock to trusted sources for updates about the coronavirus crisis.
The number of daily readers rose by 3.7m year on year to hit 22m in June, according to the latest figures from audience measurement body Pamco.
Across print and digital, national news readership is 28m, which equates to 43m readers a week and 46m per month.
Industry body Newsworks said the latest figures showed the “ongoing demand for trusted news amidst a global coronavirus pandemic, a rise in disinformation and attacks on free speech”.
However, digital news readership slipped from highs of 25m in the first quarter of the year.
This was largely due to a surge in demand for trusted news at the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown and the subsequent onset of news fatigue as the crisis continued.
“The latest Pamco data shows readers’ increasing appreciation of journalism as a trusted source of information and news,” said Jo Allan, managing director at Newsworks.
“Across the total news sector we reach 49m people every month and 38m people a day, and with strong growth across our digital audiences we continue to see demand for high quality journalism.”
It comes after leaked figures revealed The Sun has regained the top spot for daily sales.
The Mail surpassed its red-top rival in June, but unpublished figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulation, first reported by Guido Fawkes and confirmed by City PM, showed the Murdoch paper regained its spot and is now the only daily newspaper selling a million copies.
Digital data from industry-watcher Comscore also showed The Sun remained the most-read online newsbrand, with 37 million unique visitors across all platforms. The Mail is in second on 34 million.
But the Saturday Mail remains the best-selling individual, outselling even the top Sunday editions.
The data shows newsbrands are retaining readers despite shifting behaviours and mounting competition from social media rivals.
Figures released last month by regulator Ofcom revealed the number of Brits using social media to access news has fallen over the last year amid declining trust in the major online platforms.