It comes as no surprise to anyone that digital media is more popular than print media – in fact it seems like a no brainer. In a world ruled by gadgets, people no longer place importance on nipping to the local corner shop and purchasing a copy of their favourite newspaper or magazine. Instead, all it takes is a simple Google search and it’s all there in front of you, in the comfort of your own home.
The decline in newspaper circulation
Yes, print circulation is in decline. In the early 20th century, television represented a huge blow to the print industry but, if that was bad, the internet has been a cataclysmic blow. As a result, the industry is suffering sector-wide decreases in circulation and some of the nationals are taking the biggest hit.
For example, The Mirror, Daily Star and Daily Record all saw double digit declines in both weekday and Saturday newspaper circulations in September 2025. The Daily Express saw the biggest year-on-year decline in weekday circulation and the Daily Mirror saw the biggest fall in Saturday circulation.
This isn’t simply constrained to the output either – it impacts the workforce too. This is seen in the number of journalists in the UK having dropped dramatically. In 2007, regional newspapers employed around 13,000; this figure fell to an estimated 4,000 by 2022 due to cost-cutting and digital restructuring.
So, what happened? By the mid-20th century, people simply didn’t have to rely on newspapers as their only source of news anymore, especially breaking news – the constant connectivity in the digital age simply negates the need for this. But is print dead? Or does the term ‘dead’ simply represent an opportunity for marketers to take a new approach to print?
Generational differences & effects of print media
Younger generations aren’t engaging with print media to the same extent as previous generations. And why would they? Online platforms and social media are far more prevalent ways to access news content for young people, with 81% of 16-24s using online sources, 75% using social media and just 10% using newspapers. This is no surprise when apps such as TikTok offer young users a dynamic, constantly shifting experience that responds to, and often actively shapes, news and trends in real time.
By contrast, the older generation are more likely to stick to more traditional platforms for news such as radio and newspapers. Radio is used the most by people aged 45+ and newspapers are used the most by people 75+. And this isn’t conjecture – these figures come from a news consumption survey.
However, it isn’t fair to blame the decline of print on the younger generation. Among the 75+ age group, news consumption via TV is almost universal, with 90% of people accessing news this way. So it seems that the older generation isn’t too keen on print media either. However, print is not dead – it has simply shifted models.
Television and the Internet
Television and the Internet are the most used platforms by UK adults for accessing news. Online news consumption has increased from 64% in 2018 to 70% in 2025 and is now on par with TV and on-demand at 68%. It’s estimated that UK adults spend 61 minutes a day, on average, consuming news – of this time, online accounts for 42% and TV accounts for 31%.
And of course, social media opens a whole new can of worms. It is a significant element of online news consumption and 51% of UK adults now use it for their news. Facebook continues to be the most-used social media service for news, while TikTok has been growing – now reaching 11% of UK adults, up from just 1% in 2020.
Print is dead. Long live Print.
In reality, is print dead? Take a look in any newsagents or corner shops – the truth is an undeniable and resounding ‘no, print is not dead’. Despite the fact that print has become less popular, there are still many who would argue that sticking to traditional news sources is the way forward.
Reading newspapers and magazines is a tangible, tactile experience; you make an effort to go out and buy them, and then the experience of reading them is more sensory than sitting in front of a screen. It can also be argued that print media is often more reliable and credible than online; it’s rigorously checked before going to print and isn’t just uploaded at the click of a button before facts have been verified.
In reality, print still represents an unrivalled source of in-depth news, and if it disappears entirely, other outlets will have a challenge to fill its boots and take its place.
Advantages of print advertising: Subscribing to the future
Could the ‘fake news’ controversy turn people away from online and social media news, and lead them to look for quality print journalism? Many have criticised social media news for being unreliable and not up to standard, including News Corp CEO Robert Thomson. He described Facebook news as a platform for “the fake, the faux and the fallacious” (…and as head of the company that once owned The News of the World, he should know all about that.)
If people have assurance that what they’re reading online has passed the same checks as print news, then why wouldn’t they choose that over paying for a newspaper? People want trustworthy news and if they can now get this for free on social media, print journalism may have an even bigger challenge on its hands than first anticipated.
And let’s not forget, print is only half of the equation. When it comes to cohesive, platform-wide news dissemination, digital subscriptions are the way forward – and they are growing. For instance, The Economist’s digital edition sees robust global numbers, despite a slight decline in recent years, and platforms like Readly offer subscription models that attract younger audiences.
To learn about what we do at Carrington (including getting our clients print coverage!) and to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of print advertising, get in touch today.
