Online news readership beats print editions for first time in UK

The number of people in the UK using websites and apps to find the latest news has for the first time overtaken the number of those reading printed newspapers for the purpose, according to OfCom.

Britain's media watchdog said in its annual news consumption study released on Thursday that it was the first time that digital news consumption had beaten print.

According to Ofcom's latest 'News Consumption in the UK' report, 41 per cent of people in the UK use the internet to keep up to date with news, just ahead of the 40 per cent who continue to read news in print.

While television remains the most-used medium, with 75 per cent getting their news through TV, the internet is by far the fastest growing medium - up to 41 per cent from 32 per cent last year.

Radio was the only other news medium that witnessed growth - up to 36 per cent from 35 per cent last year.

The rise in digital news consumption has been partly driven by increased mobile and tablet use, particularly among younger people. Those between the ages of 16 and 24 are ten times more likely to access news on a mobile than those aged 55 or over; and twice as likely on a tablet.

The figure for newspapers was unchanged over the period covered by the study.