We’ve heard time and time again that mobile content is on the rise, and now we have proof. The latest EMMA data shows time-strapped Australians are shifting the way they access news, moving away from print publications to the digital domain.
Consumers no longer have the time and patience to flick through newspapers in the morning. Instead, they’re scrolling through the latest snippets of news on their phone or tablet while they commute to work.
If the data from EMMA is anything to go by, this trend in mobile news isn’t about to change any time soon. Currently, almost three million people read news content via their mobiles, while total cross platform news media readership reaches 16.3 million people.
Digital news media readership is up 9 per cent on last year, rising from 9.9 million to 10.8 million users. It also points to a population shift: 61 per cent of Australians aged 14 and older (compared to 57 per cent from 2014) now use mobile devices to access news.
For Newspaper Works chief executive officer Mark Hollands, the growth of the digital domain for media is nothing to be feared - rather, it is an impressive feat. For him, it reflects a thirst to be delivered a constant feed of news as it happens.
Hollands explains, “Digital’s gains across all formats, but particularly mobile, reflect Australia’s sustained appetite for news media. More readers want this content where and when they want it and mobile news media delivers this.”
While there is no question that digital news is growing in presence and influence, those who prefer print have no need to panic just yet. Though it is on the decline (2 per cent across all newspapers), print news media continues to reach more readers than digital platforms.
