Conducted by OnePoll, a national survey of 2,000 UK adults, revealed 80% of UK adults say they trust the news and information they see in their local media, up from 73% in 2024.
A YouGov poll of MPs concurs with the findings, underscores the cross-party recognition of the value of local journalism. 67% of MPs believe their local paper plays an important role in supporting democracy, while 6% say it is vital for their local community. A similar proportion, 63% consider it an essential channel for communicating with their constituents. The research also found that 79% of MPs, from both major parties agree that local journalism makes a positive contribution to society.
Ofcom’s latest report on news consumption in the UK (July 2025), also found a notable improvement in the public perception of print newspapers, with ratings for trust, accuracy, and impartiality increasing from 60% in 2018 to 70% in 2025.
Owen Meredith, chief executive of the NMA, said: “This new research confirms what we in the industry have long known – local journalism is trusted, valued, and vital to communities and democracy alike.”
Marketing potential
Given the prevailing levels of trust, advertisers and consumers alike should embrace local. For the horticultural industry, which remains predominantly composed of small, family-owned enterprises, the increasing confidence in local media provides an effective, cost-efficient, and secure platform for marketing and advertising – offering a vital link to local communities.
Local news is also extremely prevalent in the UK, with 93% of UK individuals 16+ using at least one form of local news or information (Ofcom’s 2025 Local News and Media Survey). Most popular are local weather information (72%), local news and current affairs (64%) and local traffic and travel information (51%). Online is the most popular way to access local news and information (88%), followed by television (51%), social media (46%) and word of mouth (45%).
News consumption
In light of the escalating concerns regarding the pollution of the information ecosystem, exacerbated by the impact of artificial intelligence, the provision of fact-checked, accurate news has become paramount. Especially considering that 60% of UK adults (Ofcom) claim to use some form of online intermediary (social media, search engine or news aggregator) for their news. Meta (39%) and Google (34%) services being the most commonly used intermediaries.
The news landscape has undergone a profound transformation due to the increasing accessibility and utilisation of online news services. More people consume news online than through any other platform and a large portion of this is consumed through online intermediaries, including social media, news aggregators and/or search engines. Almost all adults watch, listen to or read news in some form (96%), though the way news is accessed continues to evolve. While the reach of online news (70%) is on a par with TV, including on-demand (68%), it is significantly higher than linear broadcast TV channels (63%).
Ofcom estimates that UK adults spend an average of 61 minutes daily consuming news. Of this time, 42% is spent online, with 31% via intermediaries and 11% directly from publishers. Television accounts for 31% of news consumption time, followed by radio at 18%. Print sources make up 5%, while podcasts account for 3%.
Not surprising, for young people, online platforms and social media are far more prevalent than more traditional ways for accessing news content with 80% of 16-24-year-olds using online. Social media services remain the main way to access news with 75% of all young people aged 16-24 using these services. TV and newspapers tend to be accessed more by older people, with 90% of adults aged 75+ and relying on TV (including on-demand) and almost 50% use newspapers (both print and online) while only 40% in use online providers with just 20% use social media for news (Ofcom).
