As the use of Internet grows in Singapore, more people are going online to consume the news, reveals the latest Nielsen Media Index Report.
The report finds that on average, more than one in two adults accessed news and current affairs online and on e-newspapers monthly, making news consumption one of the fastest growing online activities.
Among this group, 66.8 per cent also visited local online news platforms weekly.
The report is based on the survey of 4,691 people in Singapore that was conducted between July 2016 and June 2017. Nielsen says the results were weighted by age, sex and race to be representative of the Singapore population.
Commenting on the trend, Annette Kurst, managing director for media at Nielsen Singapore, said, “Digital disruption is transforming the way we operate, and Singapore is paving the way in developing the digital enablers and platforms for a Smart Nation.”
She added, “The flourishing ecosystem of connectivity has fuelled the appetite of consumers for media content, allowing them to consume what they want across multiple platforms at their own convenience. Local media players continue to innovate to address this shift and deliver great content and experience to the digital savvy consumer.”
The report also found that the combined readership of print and online newspapers reached more than one in two adults (55.9 per cent), with printed newspapers continuing to be the staple read for more than four in 10 adults.
According to the report, about seven in 10 adults also watched movies, TV or videos online.
Mediacorp’s digital entertainment service Toggle reached 10.8 per cent of Singapore adults each week, up from 9.5 per cent last year.
Anil Nihalani, head of connected media at Mediacorp, said, “Audiences have been consuming our content across multiple platforms for a while now. Viewership on Toggle continues to grow. In fact, Toggle had some 1.4 million unique video viewers in August 2016, many of whom were following the Olympics. We’re always striving to raise the quality of our productions and improve our engagement with audiences, including digital savvy consumers.”