Digital News Report 2021: What freelance journalists need to know
Every year, for the past 10 years, the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism has published its incisive, insightful and inimitable report on the state of media, journalism and news audiences around the world. The Digital News Report 2021 just dropped — it’s based on a YouGov survey of more than 92,000 online news consumers from 46 markets, featuring perspectives from India, Indonesia, Thailand, Nigeria, Colombia, and Peru for the first time.
DNR21 covers how audiences consume news, trust in news brands, interest and appetite for news journalism, where audiences are encountering misinformation and more. In good news, this year’s report suggests more people have sought out accurate and reliable information in the past year and that trust in the news has grown, on average, by six percentage points in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.
CEOs, editors and media analysts will pour over the report’s findings and forecasts, but how can freelance journalists best use its insights? Here are my highlights:
1. Addressing under-representation
The research found that media representations of young people, especially women, and people from minority ethnic groups are seen as less fair. Could this spur greater demand from publications for articles and reports that address this imbalance? Perhaps that’s wishful thinking, but worth keeping in mind when searching for stories.
This, from the report, feels pertinent:
Across much of Western Europe we find it is the 18–24 age group that feels least fairly represented by the media and also that there is too little coverage of the issues they care about. This may explain why this group tends to embrace alternative and diverse views it finds in social media, with four in 10 (40%) across markets saying this is now their main source of news.
Young freelance journalists: your stories and perspectives are needed. Those of us outside of that bracket (that’s me!): we can do better at representing these voices, their needs and stories in our work. Plus, if this is an audience you want to reach, cultivating a social media presence where they are is going to be crucial and could boost public service journalism in these spaces as well as your distribution network. More on this later.
According to the research, “radically different habits of under-25s” from the generation when it comes to news and media before them are emerging. This is likely to affect the skills we need and the stories most in-demand from outlets — greater interest in video storytelling formats, highlighted in the report, is a good example of attempts to meet changing habits.
Freelancers, just like media organisations, can do our best to keep abreast of these trends, keep ourselves relevant and check our own generational habits. Fortunately, there’s lots more in the DNR on this that can help us do just that.
2. Consider a different social network
Our data suggest that mainstream news brands and journalists attract most attention around news in both Facebook and Twitter but are eclipsed by influencers and alternative sources in networks like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram. TikTok now reaches a quarter (24%) of under35s, with 7% using the platform for news — and a higher penetration in parts of Latin America and Asia.
The use of social media for news is strong “especially with younger people and those with lower levels of education”. Consider building a social media presence to share and discuss your journalism that’s not just Twitter. Use the features and tone of different platforms to explore new ways to tell stories.
How could TikTok or Instagram help you connect with new audiences? What’s the most prevalent social media in different demographics in your market? Get inspiration from other journalists who have pioneered using emerging social platforms for news, like these TikTokking newsrooms or BBC journalist Sophia Smith Galer.
If building a social following isn’t for you, then consider upping your social newsgathering game to incorporate more of these networks, learning how people use, consume and share news on them. Then look at the titles that don’t cover this well enough where you could add value; or that aim to appeal to the audiences using these networks and would welcome a pitch from someone who understands these spaces.
And don’t forget:
“[A] social network that is incidentally used for news in Western countries might be a key news destination in countries in the Global South.”
3. The impact of COVID-19
The pandemic has affected the bottom lines of many media companies, in particular independent media houses, and expedited a shift towards a mostly digital future for media. The report highlights some specific business models facing additional challenges because of pandemic restrictions, such as freesheets typically distributed to commuters.
For freelancers, an awareness of where circulation or jobs are being cut and where changes are being made to news products can help us understand where budgets may be tighter, editors harder to access or stories tougher to land. Equally, identifying markets where there is better news on the business models front (such as Norway, Sweden, Netherlands and Switzerland) could encourage pitching to a different subset of international publications or opportunities for linguists.
4. Bringing local perspectives to national titles
The research asked local news users what medium or outlet they considered “best” for different topics, including local crime, local politics and COVID-19. For the first two subjects, local newspapers came out top in several markets, including the UK and Norway. A great sense of attachment to local news and local communities was also identified in some areas, including countries with greater population distribution and decentralised political systems.
I think there’s an opportunity here for freelance journalists to use knowledge of local stories, politics and communities to their advantage when pitching national titles. Show why your understanding and access makes the difference in those pitch emails. What local stories with national significance do you have the time and flexibility to cover?
5. Smartphone stories
This has grown at its fastest rate for years, according to the research, with the pandemic playing a part here too.
We need to think about how our stories might be consumed on the smaller screen and how best to write, film, edit and more for smartphones. Mobiles and smartphones as the main device for news was more prevalent in many countries in the Global South. If that’s true for the market where you are based or reporting in, what can you do to make yourself more accessible to sources on messaging apps? How can you conduct interviews over Telegram or WhatsApp? What in-built smartphone features might aid your networking or newsgathering?
This is just one reading of this extensive report and research. I’d love to hear what other freelance journalists have taken from it. For each of the 46 markets in the report, there’s an individual analysis, so if you’re working in or covering a region that’s featured, dive in for extra insight.
Disclaimer: I’m currently a freelance reporter for the RISJ. This post is written independently.
