In these unprecedented times, more and more people are flocking to various media sources.
How exactly is this pandemic changing the way we consume media? A study conducted by the Colling Media market research team revealed the following:
- 7% of consumers are watching more TV than they were this time last week.
- 16% of consumers are listening to less radio (at home or in the car) than they were this time last week.
- 46% of consumers are looking at more social media (such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn) than they were this time last week.
- 4% of consumers are seeing less out-of-home advertising (such as billboards and bus shelter advertising) than they were this time last week
- 40% of consumers are using their desktop or laptop computers more than they were this time last week.
- 3% of consumers are consuming websites on their mobile/cell phones more than they were this time last week.
Additionally, according to Nielsen data, total TV usage increased by nearly 60 percent in past crises that occurred in the United States.
Now that we see the effect that coronavirus is having on overall media consumption, how is it affecting news media, specifically?
On March 17, Vox reported that in the past week, Parse.ly data showed that coronavirus articles represented just 1 percent of articles published, but about 13 percent of all article views.
Evidently, coronavirus is on the brain for everyone and will be for the foreseeable future.
As we continue to practice “social distancing” and work from our homes, we will all continue to monitor news coverage from the comfort of our own couches.
Although there is a flood of uncertainty, one thing is for sure: the news media will continue to be there for you. Stay informed!