{
  "id": 2712363,
  "title": "Mediawatch: Are we getting more ‘media mature’?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/mediawatch-are-we-getting-more-media-mature",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-23T03:59:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RNZ Business",
    "slug": "rnz-business",
    "url": "https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/media-technology/1083409/mediawatch-are-we-getting-more-media-mature"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "For years, a global trend has seen people shifting away from traditional media like TV, radio, and publications, gravitating towards the seemingly endless supply of digital content on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok. In tandem, subscription-based video on demand (SVOD) services have offered premium access to high-quality shows and movies. A worldwide news consumption survey found that social media and video platforms have overtaken news organizations' own channels as the most popular source of information.\n\nThis shift has been particularly pronounced among younger demographics. In New Zealand, according to the UK's Ofcom, less than a quarter of home viewing time for 16 to 24-year-olds comes from broadcasters, with local media struggling to maintain relevance as generations grow up watching YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. A 2023 study by NZ On Air, which tracks media habits among people over 15, found that young New Zealanders often consider locally-made content \"cringe,\" but in many cases, they simply weren't aware of its existence.\n\nHowever, recent developments have given local media a ray of hope. The most recent WATA? 2024 survey shows a slowdown in the global expansion of media platforms in New Zealand, while the decline in local platforms may be stabilizing. While global and digital platforms continue to dominate, local media is still engaging audiences, and this trend has even been reinforced by the just-released WATA? 2026 report. According to this survey, established and emerging platforms increasingly coexist, rather than replacing each other.\n\nTV broadcasters have reached more New Zealanders each day, both live and on-demand, than global video platforms. Radio remains strong during morning hours, while online and streaming usage increases later in the day. TV broadcasts have seen a resurgence in traditional evening peak times. News articles, both online and in print, reach over half of New Zealanders. While Netflix adoption has waned, with only 38 percent of Kiwis using it in 2024, other SVOD platforms still have a significant presence. A majority of New Zealanders still watch New Zealand TV channels, either live or on-demand, at an average of three-and-a-half hours per day.\n\nThe cost-of-living crisis and rising subscription fees have accelerated SVOD's decline, with Netflix daily use dropping to 32 percent. However, YouTube remains the most widely used platform in New Zealand, reaching more than half of the population daily. Local content is generally viewed as high quality, and people who have watched local shows appreciate them more. Local broadcasters are increasingly seen as reliable sources of familiar fare and relevance through local programming, bolstering national pride in New Zealand's music and television shows.\n\nWhile global platforms retain a strong hold on younger demographics, local media is making a comeback and asserting its place in the media landscape.",
  "summary": "The latest edition of the biggest survey of Kiwi media habits says local outlets are clawing more of us back from YouTube, Netflix, Spotify and social media. Can it last? And what does it mean for NZ On Air spending our money on local content?",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}