1 00:00:09,050 --> 00:00:15,890 Welcome to The Future of Journalism, a podcast from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford. 2 00:00:15,890 --> 00:00:27,410 I'm Fredricka Cherubini. This is a special series of our podcast, and it's dedicated to regional news report. 3 00:00:27,410 --> 00:00:30,440 Twenty, twenty one over six episodes. 4 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:38,030 We are diving into the findings of the report, which is the most comprehensive piece of research on news consumption around the world, 5 00:00:38,030 --> 00:00:44,390 and the head of leadership development at the institute. And for this podcast, I'll be joined by the authors of the report. 6 00:00:44,390 --> 00:00:51,200 Our guest today is Dr. Anne Schultz, postdoctoral research fellow at the Reuters Institute and one of the authors of 7 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:57,560 the report and will help us understand more about how audiences value local news, 8 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:05,960 including what news topics drive audiences to local outlets and what alternative sources of local information people are turning to. 9 00:01:05,960 --> 00:01:09,680 And welcome and thank you for being with us today. Hello, Fredricka. 10 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:19,250 Thanks for having me. So local and regional news media have been under immense financial pressure in recent years, 11 00:01:19,250 --> 00:01:25,430 local newspapers in particular have been hit hard by a disruption to both consumer behaviour and business models. 12 00:01:25,430 --> 00:01:28,610 And the pandemic has only increased the pressure. 13 00:01:28,610 --> 00:01:36,500 And this is troubling because local and regional news media can play a critical role in informing citizens and underpinning democratic processes. 14 00:01:36,500 --> 00:01:42,710 As we've seen the value of a return to a service generally, specifically on local news during the pandemic. 15 00:01:42,710 --> 00:01:48,140 And you dedicated a chapter in the report to local news and looked at what topics matter 16 00:01:48,140 --> 00:01:54,470 most to audiences today and where they think they get the best information on each of them. 17 00:01:54,470 --> 00:01:59,060 Broadly speaking, what do people want to know when it comes to local news? 18 00:01:59,060 --> 00:02:04,600 What information about the area they live in? People actually care about? 19 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:11,470 Yes, so we asked our respondents which local topics they had access in the week ahead of taking the survey, 20 00:02:11,470 --> 00:02:16,900 and we offered them a list of 15 topics to pick from and out of this list. 21 00:02:16,900 --> 00:02:20,120 Two topics were accessed, most across countries. 22 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:27,010 That was the weather and also local information about coronavirus or how much the pandemic had affected the area. 23 00:02:27,010 --> 00:02:31,810 So around half across our sample set, they had access to either of these. 24 00:02:31,810 --> 00:02:37,690 For all other topics out of that list of 15, the self reported access rates were much, much lower than that. 25 00:02:37,690 --> 00:02:43,030 So local politics just to pick that one out, which ranged third in many countries, 26 00:02:43,030 --> 00:02:49,600 only around 30 percent of those who we've asked across markets set to have access to it in the week ahead of the survey. 27 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:54,400 So respondents didn't really seem to care so much about all of the other topics that we had listed. 28 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:59,590 Crime being exposed quite a bit in a few countries where this is sort of more of an issue, if you will. 29 00:02:59,590 --> 00:03:08,620 But information on the local economy or even schools and education when exposed by more than a fourth or fifth in our whole sample, 30 00:03:08,620 --> 00:03:13,940 this is quite striking. I would say also, if we compare this to last year's digital news report survey, 31 00:03:13,940 --> 00:03:19,600 we found that many actually say they are very are extremely interested in local news more generally. 32 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:26,410 But when asked about what types of local information people have actually access, these figures are much, much lower. 33 00:03:26,410 --> 00:03:35,920 So so there's sort of this interesting differences, difference between people's abstract interest and then they're basically practical engagement. 34 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:40,300 You mentioned different countries had a bit of a different result. 35 00:03:40,300 --> 00:03:48,550 Can you tell us more about some of this? How much how many of these findings are consistent across countries and how much they vary? 36 00:03:48,550 --> 00:03:56,730 We find quite a lot of variation between countries indeed. So even if we just compare amongst European countries, we see some notable differences. 37 00:03:56,730 --> 00:04:00,970 So we have Norway, for example, which I will refer to quite often in this case, 38 00:04:00,970 --> 00:04:06,490 probably where people are relatively interested in a range of different local topics, 39 00:04:06,490 --> 00:04:08,440 taking out local politics as an example, again, 40 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:15,430 43 percent of our respondents in Norway said to have access information about their local government in the week ahead of the survey. 41 00:04:15,430 --> 00:04:21,130 And although this is still below half, which we which we also have to acknowledge. 42 00:04:21,130 --> 00:04:23,050 But if you compare this to the U.K., 43 00:04:23,050 --> 00:04:34,160 only 17 percent said to have access local political information so that that number in the U.K. appears really quite small compared to to Norway here. 44 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:44,120 Decir, you're also able to look at how a sense of attachment to one's local community influences the local news consumption. 45 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:48,140 What did you find out? Well, that's a very interesting topic. 46 00:04:48,140 --> 00:04:53,780 So if you feel connected to your local community in whichever way, whatever that means to you, 47 00:04:53,780 --> 00:04:57,740 you will also be like more likely to be interested in following local news. 48 00:04:57,740 --> 00:05:03,770 And this has been shown to be true in previous research on the individual level, in the way that I've just described. 49 00:05:03,770 --> 00:05:09,620 And with our country data, we can show that this also translates to the aggregate level. 50 00:05:09,620 --> 00:05:15,980 So in other words, in countries where we find higher levels of community attachment across the sample, 51 00:05:15,980 --> 00:05:23,150 people will also report people in that country will also report higher access rates of local topics on average. 52 00:05:23,150 --> 00:05:29,690 This in itself probably isn't too surprising, but it does make an interesting point about how local news in some markets might 53 00:05:29,690 --> 00:05:34,040 actually have it harder to create interest in their outlet and in their news provision. 54 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:40,250 So when you are a news organisation that tries to operate in a market with generally lower levels of community attachment, 55 00:05:40,250 --> 00:05:43,670 it will be more difficult to get people reading it compared to when you work in 56 00:05:43,670 --> 00:05:48,050 a market where people feel somewhat or more strongly connected to the area. 57 00:05:48,050 --> 00:05:54,170 And they might also then also just want to know more about what is going on and seek out local news more frequently. 58 00:05:54,170 --> 00:06:03,140 And you can if you want to, you can think about this as an as a sort of opportunity structure that that can help local news businesses to begin with. 59 00:06:03,140 --> 00:06:04,970 But just the final note on that, 60 00:06:04,970 --> 00:06:12,020 I think it's also important to recognise that we're talking about what I would refer to as an interdependency here, where, of course, 61 00:06:12,020 --> 00:06:17,030 community attachment can to some extent drive local news access, 62 00:06:17,030 --> 00:06:22,970 but where a well built local news business can also create community attachment over time. 63 00:06:22,970 --> 00:06:27,710 But indeed, I think in countries where where we have cultures where where someone's roots, 64 00:06:27,710 --> 00:06:32,480 so to say, are more important than just to offer a comparison, 65 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:42,320 that then being very cosmopolitan, so to say, it will be harder for local news to to build a strong business. 66 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:50,480 News organisations that provide local news also have several competitors to the service they provide, so to speak, could be social media, 67 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:57,880 specialised Web site and apps offering weather forecasting, for example, and local authorities, businesses, politician. 68 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:06,140 Many of these provide regular news of their own on local issues using their own website and social media pages. 69 00:07:06,140 --> 00:07:11,540 What did you find out about what alternative sources of local information people are turning to? 70 00:07:11,540 --> 00:07:16,160 Yes, so we asked our respondents which sources of local news they think are best for 71 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:19,460 each of the different local topics that they had selected in the beginning. 72 00:07:19,460 --> 00:07:25,550 So amongst those amongst amongst these sources were traditional local sources like the newspaper, local TV, 73 00:07:25,550 --> 00:07:32,630 but also all of these alternative alternative providers that you've just mentioned, like social media or also search engines. 74 00:07:32,630 --> 00:07:37,490 What we see is that for no topic, there is a single source that comes out as strong. 75 00:07:37,490 --> 00:07:42,830 So even for local politics, the local economy, our sample is basically split in half. 76 00:07:42,830 --> 00:07:50,060 So around 60 percent say that the traditional local news sources are the best source for getting information about local politics. 77 00:07:50,060 --> 00:07:56,300 What leads 40 percent saying to they prefer search, social media, other websites or, 78 00:07:56,300 --> 00:08:01,640 as you said, local politicians or governments direct communication with coronaviruses? 79 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:06,500 It is pretty exactly 50/50, 50 traditional, 50 non-traditional. 80 00:08:06,500 --> 00:08:12,230 And a majority then prefers to rely on social media and search when it comes to finding local jobs, 81 00:08:12,230 --> 00:08:18,470 housing opportunities or information on shops and restaurants. So this is where local where the where the local newspaper, 82 00:08:18,470 --> 00:08:25,820 radio and local television really have started to lose that battle against these alternatives. 83 00:08:25,820 --> 00:08:29,720 Once again, I'm curious and maybe our listeners will be, too. 84 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:33,540 What kind of differences have you seen country by country? 85 00:08:33,540 --> 00:08:39,470 Yeah, so we have some markets where things still look pretty good for traditional local media, as again, 86 00:08:39,470 --> 00:08:46,400 I'm referring to Norway as an example where the local newspaper is still considered the best source for for local politics, 87 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:54,950 with 71 percent actually of our respondents saying they go to the local newspaper as the best source for this type of information. 88 00:08:54,950 --> 00:09:01,550 In Germany, it's 48 drop below the half that say it's the local newspaper for them. 89 00:09:01,550 --> 00:09:05,930 And then another 25 percent say in Germany it's TV or radio. 90 00:09:05,930 --> 00:09:10,220 So there is this majority that still refers to traditional local news sources, 91 00:09:10,220 --> 00:09:17,930 sort of hard news topics in the U.S. It is often local television that comes out is really strong, 92 00:09:17,930 --> 00:09:24,900 with 30 around 30 percent saying it is the best source for local politics and only 24 percent going to the newspaper. 93 00:09:24,900 --> 00:09:31,190 But still, as I said, overall, it's traditional sources that are dominant here compared to social and search. 94 00:09:31,190 --> 00:09:35,870 And but then things look pretty, pretty difficult for for these traditional sources, 95 00:09:35,870 --> 00:09:41,780 for example, in the United Kingdom or also Japan, just to name another example for ones. 96 00:09:41,780 --> 00:09:47,960 Also, it's also important here, I think, to keep in mind these these low access rates that we spoke about earlier, 97 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:54,290 just to reiterate in the U.K. is only 17 percent told us that they had access to local politics. 98 00:09:54,290 --> 00:09:56,390 And of these 17 percent, 99 00:09:56,390 --> 00:10:05,390 only 30 percent say that the local newspaper is the best source for that topic compared with just to give you an example of non-operative providers, 100 00:10:05,390 --> 00:10:15,690 compared with 33 percent who go to find local political information anywhere else online, including search and social. 101 00:10:15,690 --> 00:10:21,950 Lastly, based on the research and your experience of working on this topic for a few years now, 102 00:10:21,950 --> 00:10:25,630 this is such a complex, of course, context for local news, 103 00:10:25,630 --> 00:10:30,180 also due to the small markets and willingness to pay by audiences where it's very 104 00:10:30,180 --> 00:10:35,670 difficult to build a sustainable models based on your research and experience. 105 00:10:35,670 --> 00:10:37,350 What should local news outlet, 106 00:10:37,350 --> 00:10:46,230 who really wants to stand out from this many alternative sources of information should focus on super, super difficult question. 107 00:10:46,230 --> 00:10:54,540 I think what I can say is that what we see in this data is what we also referred to in the report as the unbundling of local news. 108 00:10:54,540 --> 00:11:01,050 So while especially the local newspaper had traditionally performed many jobs for readers, and they still do, of course, 109 00:11:01,050 --> 00:11:09,490 and many users and are in many countries in our survey now find that other sources are better able to perform these these jobs. 110 00:11:09,490 --> 00:11:10,890 So against this backdrop, 111 00:11:10,890 --> 00:11:20,760 I think it will be very hard for local media to maybe even if not impossible actually to to drive demand for their product via these sort of topics. 112 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:26,730 So what they are left with to monetise their businesses on are only these few topics like local politics, 113 00:11:26,730 --> 00:11:30,300 health issues, the local economy, local businesses. 114 00:11:30,300 --> 00:11:38,280 So a way forward could be to double down on this rather than trying to provide information on all topics and in this sense, 115 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:45,930 try and channel the resources that they have. But of course, none of this will be easy in the current financial environment. 116 00:11:45,930 --> 00:11:55,860 But I think it's critically important to avoid a situation where local governments and local politicians are not subject to scrutiny from local media. 117 00:11:55,860 --> 00:12:00,810 So why? I think this might be less of an issue that the local paper is no longer considered 118 00:12:00,810 --> 00:12:05,370 the best source for the whether it will be crucial for local journalism and also, 119 00:12:05,370 --> 00:12:12,080 of course, local communities around the world not to lose the battle over political information. 120 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:16,580 Thanks. A very important point and thank you for joining us. Thank you, Fredricka. 121 00:12:16,580 --> 00:12:22,940 It's been a pleasure. Thank you for everyone for listening to the fourth episode of Digital News Report. 122 00:12:22,940 --> 00:12:25,490 Twenty twenty one podcast series. 123 00:12:25,490 --> 00:12:33,800 Our guest today was Dr. Anshul, postdoctoral research fellow at the Reuters Institute and one of the co-authors of the digital news report. 124 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:40,760 In the next episode will talk about what the public thinks about financing of the commercial news media. 125 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:46,730 Make sure to follow our podcast channel on Spotify or Apple podcast so you don't miss the next episode. 126 00:12:46,730 --> 00:12:49,310 And if you don't want to miss any news from the institute, 127 00:12:49,310 --> 00:12:55,280 subscribe to our weekly newsletter by clicking the link on our Twitter bio or on our home page. 128 00:12:55,280 --> 00:13:01,310 You can find a report online and digital news reports dot org slash twenty twenty one. 129 00:13:01,310 --> 00:13:15,768 This was Feature of Journalism, a podcast by the Reuters Institute. I'm Fredricka Cherubini and we'll be back soon.