
Majority says ads should pay for news – only 17% willing to pay for news
A majority thinks advertising should be news organisations’ main income and only 17% say they can consider paying for news in the future. These are conclusions from a Gallup and Knight Foundation survey in the US. “The research underscores the urgency of developing revenue models that will support trustworthy journalism today”, the foundation says in what could be seen as an understatement.
When readers hit a paywall, 48% report trying to access the information somewhere else for free. 28% move on to something else or a different news story.
The top findings include:
- Most Americans believe news organizations prioritize their own business needs – over serving the public interest: More than three in four say news organizations are first and foremost motivated by their own financial interests, while just 12% of Americans say news outlets act as civic institutions first.
- Despite emphasis on the media’s commercial nature, seven in 10 say they have never paid for news. Only 17% of Americans said they would pay to access news in the future.
- 52% believe advertising should be a news organization’s largest revenue source, even though digital ad revenue fails to cover the losses many news organizations are seeing from other revenue streams.
- Americans, particularly Gen Z and millennials, do show an openness to public funding and reliance on private donations as a way to support the news. More than half of Americans are open to government funding and private donations for news organizations to ensure the news is free for everyone, under certain conditions.
- Events and newsletters could be a promising revenue source: 35% say it is reasonable for news organizations to charge people for in-person events and an additional 20% saying “it depends.” 27% say it’s reasonable to charge for newsletters, and 23% for exclusive content.
“Among the 26% who have paid for news, subscriptions are the most cited form of payment, followed by donations and memberships”, the report says.
“Certain segments of the American public are also more likely to have paid directly for news — including those with higher levels of income and education, Democrats, and White Americans. Although younger adults generally consume less news than older adults, millennials are more likely to have directly paid for it.”
“Americans who get their news primarily from printed newspapers and magazines report the highest levels of having paid for news (50%), followed by those who consume news mostly through radio (35%) and online (30%)”
“Those who primarily consume television news report the lowest levels of paying directly for news (16%), not accounting for any news already included in cable or streaming television subscriptions.”
“Thirty-three percent of Americans who hold favourable opinions of the news media say they have paid directly for news, compared with 24% of those with unfavourable opinions.”
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