News Consumption Habits in Southeast Asia: What Drives the First Click?

Understanding the news consumption habits of audiences is crucial for media organizations to deliver content effectively, especially in today’s times wherein grabbing the ever-shortening attention span of readers is a challenge that even AI cannot solve! In Southeast Asia, where diverse cultures and preferences coexist, it is important to identify the factors that drive the first click of Southeast Asian media consumers.

Our recent Blackbox-ADNA study, conducted with more than 9,000 respondents across Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia, delves into these issues and provides valuable insights into the preferences and tendencies of Southeast Asian audiences.

Softer News Preferred, With a Focus on Entertainment  

When asked what kind of news they generally prefer to consume, 42% of Southeast Asians went with “Soft News”, a broad category encompassing human interest and offbeat stories, gossip and scandals, and the like. Not too far behind was “Hard News” (38%), and the remaining 20% opted for “commentary, opinion and advice from people” they trust or follow. However, interesting regional differences emerge. Over half of Singaporeans (54%) in our survey prefer hard news while Filipinos and Vietnamese have a clear-cut preference for soft news at 52% each.

Entertainment, Sports, and Food Often Attract the First Click of the Day

When asked to indicate the kind of news they prefer to browse first every morning (multiple answers were allowed for this question), the survey revealed clear preferences. Entertainment and celebrity-related news topped the list, with 30% of Southeast Asian respondents selecting this category as their first choice. Sports emerged as the next preferred news category, with 25% of respondents indicating their interest in this area, and food-related news was selected by 24% of the sample. These results not only speak to the enthusiasm Southeast Asians have towards these categories, but also suggests that media consumers tend to be drawn to the lighter side of the news first thing in the morning.

Some of the heavier news categories such as national politics and current affairs (local at 19% and international at 17%) and business and economy were relatively popular choices, but still lagged behind the lifestyle and entertainment categories in morning browsing habits. However, national and local politics is a much hotter subject for Singaporeans than elsewhere in Southeast Asia, with 44% of Singaporeans looking to this section of the news before anything else, compared to the 19% overall Southeast Asia response.

It is interesting to note that despite the rise of AI and tech’s increasing influence in our daily lives, only 10% of respondents chose that option, while crime stories (perhaps understandably!) are saved until later in the day when the coffee has kicked in.

As a final observation, woe betide the poor weatherman/woman! Southeast Asians seem like they just pack an umbrella as default and don’t even bother checking the weather before heading out for the day anymore — none of our respondents chose this option.

News Consumed Most Often in Morning and Evenings

Our survey also sought to discover the preferred time slots for news consumption in Southeast Asia. The results shed light on distinct patterns across the region. For instance, 33% of Southeast Asian respondents reported starting their news consumption before 9am.

Only 14% of respondents indicated that they first read the news between 9am and 12 noon while 21% of respondents reported starting to consume news between 12 noon and 6pm.

The most striking finding, however, was that 32% of Southeast Asian respondents stated they don't start consuming news until after 6pm. This indicates a considerable portion of the audience prefers to catch up on news later in the day, potentially after work or other daytime commitments.

Delving deeper into country-specific preferences, it becomes evident that Filipinos strongly favour evening news consumption, with 52% indicating their preference for reading news after 6pm. On the other hand, Singaporeans displayed an early-morning news consumption habit, with 42% selecting the before 9am slot. These figures indicate the importance of tailoring news delivery strategies to the preferences of each country's audience for effective reach and engagement.

Conclusion: Implications for Media Organizations

The valuable insights obtained from this survey hold significant implications for media companies operating within Southeast Asia. To effectively captivate and involve audiences in the region, media outlets must carefully incorporate these preferences while devising their content and distribution strategies. Utilizing this data can aid them in aligning their content output with audience interests, thus enabling them to strike a balance in newsroom costs and readership engagement. Employing a data-driven approach, media organizations can optimize their offerings to cater better to their target audience's preferences, leading to enhanced connections and increased reach across the Southeast Asian market.

Recognizing the popularity of entertainment, sports, and food-related content, for example, media organizations could dedicate a significant portion of their coverage and output to these categories to attract and engage their audience.

Understanding the regional differences and varying levels of interest in national and local politics across Southeast Asia allows media organizations to tailor content based on the preferences of different countries. For instance, focusing more on political analysis and in-depth coverage in Singapore could cater to the heightened interest of the Singaporean audience.

Considering the diverse time preferences for news consumption, media organizations can strategically release content at different times throughout the day to maximize reach and impact. This may involve publishing morning updates, afternoon highlights, and evening digests to cater to various audience segments.

By understanding and catering to the particular preferences of Southeast Asian audiences, media organizations can establish stronger connections and deliver news content that resonates with their target audience. Furthermore, the digital era has brought about significant disruption in the media sector, with structural forces driving immense changes. Competition and consumer preferences are now unrecognizable from what they were even a decade ago.

In response to these transformative shifts, media organizations must constantly strive to grasp the ever-evolving landscape and the dynamic interests of their audience. By staying attuned to these evolving trends, they can proactively adapt their strategies and offerings to meet the demands of today's rapidly changing media environment in Southeast Asia.

This is the first of a new content series on media consumption habits and preferences in Southeast Asia. For assistance in devising a strategic vision that aligns with your media outreach goals, reach out to us at connect@blackbox.com.sg