Algorithmic feeds and AI-generated slop rapidly dominate the internet. But a silver lining exists for publishers. Australians actively seek out professional journalism as an essential antidote to unverified online noise.
The inaugural News Nation report from ThinkNewsBrands paints a fascinating picture of a highly discerning local audience. We might use social platforms for speed, but we rely heavily on established news brands for actual truth.
ThinkNewsBrands chief executive officer Vanessa Lyons says the comprehensive research proves the enduring power of news media.
“The research shows Australians’ appetite for news remains strong, what’s shifting is how and why they access it,” Lyons said.
The trust gap and the verification layer
Crucially for media buyers, this research thoroughly debunks lingering brand safety myths surrounding hard news.
As global concerns around misinformation peak, Australia actually leads the world in anxiety over the issue. A significant 74% of people state that fake news on social platforms is a primary concern. This fear highlights a cavernous trust gap.
A massive 78% of Australians view national news publishers as trustworthy. While only 36% of Aussies say the same of content creators. Further twisting the knife, 57% of Australians view influencers and celebrities as active misinformation risks.
Instead of abandoning social media entirely, audiences cleverly develop a hybrid news diet. Almost two in five people deliberately turn to news media to fact-check the wild claims they encounter on social platforms.
Lyons noted that social platforms simply direct audiences to news sites where readers slow down to absorb the journalism they actually value.
“Fact-checking social content through journalism is becoming a common Australian behaviour,” Lyons said. “This behaviour is even more pronounced when big stories break.”
Debunking the Gen Z myth
A persistent industry misconception suggests younger audiences completely ignore traditional news. However, News Nation reveals Gen Z consumers actually hunt down news voraciously.
Gen Z outpaces every other demographic in news subscriptions. More than half of them regularly curate and rely on five or more news sources, leaving the 45 to 64 demographic in the dust at just 39%.
Throw in the fact that almost one in three Gen Z consumers gladly pay for news, and the old narrative totally flips.
This willingness to pay extends beyond youth demographics. Despite cost of living pressures dominating headlines, Australian audiences actively open their wallets wider for verified information.
The average number of subscriptions has increased to 3.7 per person, up from 3.3 last year, pushing the total average monthly spend on information and subscription services to $78.
“Gen Z is not consuming less news, rather they’re curating more,” Lyons explained. “And, while engagement with news media looks different to older generations, their reliance on credible sources remains strong.”
The cost of the brand safety myth
For media agencies, the most pressing finding involves the unintended commercial consequences of aggressive keyword blocking. The report argues automated brand safety tools act as a blunt instrument. They fail to distinguish between genuinely unsafe content and credible reporting, which ultimately hurts the advertisers they supposedly protect.
Lyons provided a stark example from this year’s Australian Open.
The Alcaraz Djokovic 25-shot rally was a match highlight but the word ‘shot’ would have blocked ads. Source: YouTube
“Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic had a 25-shot rally, it was a match highlight,” Lyons said. “But that single word ‘shot’ would have immediately blocked thousands of ads from appearing in a very desirable high-attention environment, a missed opportunity for brands.”
The data backs up this massive missed opportunity. A US study of 50,000 people found zero meaningful difference in brand reputation or purchase intent between brands advertising next to hard or soft news.
Actually, 85% of Australians reported feeling greater confidence in a brand when they encountered it within a journalistic environment.
High attention equals high ROI
When Australians consume journalism, they lean in. Three in four readers slow down and focus their attention rather than passively scrolling. This focused environment pays massive dividends for brands smart enough to buy in.
Brands appearing in news environments see 6.4 times higher unprompted brand recall, hitting 32% compared to a dismal 5% for the rest of the internet. Consideration to act also jumps 3.5 times higher. Across all categories, news delivers an average return on investment of $3.90 for every $1 spent. This return skyrockets even higher for specific sectors, peaking at an impressive $7 for auto and $5.90 for travel.
ThinkNewsBrands chair and News Corp Australia state managing director for Queensland, Laura Maxwell, notes that while technology changes distribution, the core value of journalism remains untouchable.
“News media remains essential and is critical to how we understand events, each other, and the world around us,” Maxwell said. “In a climate of declining social cohesion and information overload, high-quality, trusted journalism has never mattered more.”