Revealed: The consumer’s real opinion of UK reporting and news uncovers shocking need for improvement.
- The Sun is the publication most avoided by UK consumers, with 31.9% claiming to actively avoid or no longer read it.
- Gen Z are the least trusting of UK reporting and news (22.69%), followed by those aged 55+ (20.05%).
- Over a quarter of UK adults (26%) want to see greater filtering and moderation of comments on news articles.
British reporting is predominantly described as ‘misleading’, ‘untrustworthy’ and ‘biased’ by UK consumers, with only 22.45% of those asked describing it as ‘factual’.
The study, conducted by organic digital marketing agency Builtvisible, surveyed 2000 UK consumers to uncover their current perception of British reporting and news.
One in five consumers describes British reporting and news as ‘untrustworthy’
When asked, only 22.45% of consumers described British reporting as ‘factual’, with the most common attributes being ‘misleading’ (20.60%), ‘untrustworthy’ (19.45%) and ‘biased’ (19.30%).
Gen Z are the least trusting of UK reporting and news (22.69%), followed by Boomers, those aged 55+ (20.05%). Cardiff is the city where most people describe reporting as ‘untrustworthy’ (28.17%), followed by Plymouth (27.94%) and Belfast (25%).
Privacy scandals, such as the ‘Phone Hacking Scandal’, still influence public opinion
Insights suggest UK consumers don’t forgive and forget, with over one in five (22.15%) stating that privacy scandals such as the ‘Phone Hacking Scandal’ back in 2011 still influences their perceptions of British reporting and news.
Similarly, 20% of consumers perceive reporting and news as sharing opinions rather than objectively reporting on events.
The data indicates people may be more observant to spotting sensationalised or ‘clickbait’ headlines designed to attract attention, not convey fact, with nearly one fifth (18.95%) stating these instances had impacted their perception too.
The Sun is the publication most avoided by UK consumers
Despite The Sun being the most widely read commercial news brand in the UK, according to the industry audience body Pamco[1], almost a third (31.90%) of respondents claimed to avoid or no longer read the publication.
This number rises to 38.69% of those aged 55+ who no longer read The Sun, while only 25.38% of Gen Z claimed to actively avoid it.
The Sun was followed by The Daily Mail (22.35%), The Daily Star (20.90%) and The Daily Mirror (19.40%) as the publications that data reveals people have turned their back on.
Over a quarter of consumers think reporters do not carry out robust due diligence
Over a quarter of the British public (28%) think reporters do not carry out robust due diligence such as fact checking.
The over-55s are the most sceptical about UK reporters’ due diligence, with 30% saying they do not think they carry out robust checks.
Despite this, almost half (41.80%) of UK consumers don’t know how new stories are regulated, suggesting they wouldn’t be able to spot incorrectly reported or fact-checked news.
Consumers call for better filtering and moderation of comments on articles
Over a quarter of UK adults (26%) want to see greater filtering and moderation of comments on news articles, suggesting it’s not just publications and reporters causing the issues, but consumers themselves.
2 in 5 UK adults want to see greater transparency and accuracy in the British media and almost one quarter (23.58%) want to see more diversity and inclusion in the content and representation to ensure a broad and inclusive perspective.
At least 2 million, or 1 in 16 (6.3%), UK adults do not read or watch any British news.
