The increasing need for covid-19 coverage has boosted public service news but readers may soon start to turn away from the constant doom and gloom.
Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, director of research at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, explains how to avoid reaching the saturation point.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has seen a surge in demand from audiences for the latest news, advice and guidance to protect themselves from the virus.
The latest viewing figures reported by the UK Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board (BARB) show that between 16 and 22 March, the week that the UK government began introducing measures to slow the spread of covid-19, six of the top 10 most viewed programmes were news bulletins - all by the BBC.
Data from BARB
Six of the top 10 programmes broadcast in the UK from 16-22 March 2020 were news-related
This surge in viewership across all platforms is both a challenge and an opportunity for public service broadcasters at a time when they have been struggling, Nielsen explained.
"This situation has some parallels to the situation that’s facing the NHS, in the sense that the case for investing in a public resource and providing a public service is in part about the day-to-day routine provision.
"However, it is also about whether as a society we have the institutions in place to help it handle extraordinary situations. It seems to be the case that this crisis will remind much of the public that content providers like the BBC are institutions that can help society be resilient in the face of a crisis."
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