look news india
Google Converter: The tastes and preferences of news readers in India are changing rapidly. Now they want credible, in-depth and unique content. They are also willing to pay for such desired content.
Launched in 2023, Google Konnatar aims to target India's digital news consumer who understands Indian languages. According to this, one in 7 users is ready to subscribe to online news. This figure is 1.5 times higher among users who access news publisher websites or apps.
What type of content does the reader want?
The study shows that 67 percent of readers want to subscribe to online news for quality and reliable content. Apart from this, 58 percent of readers want to get complete information about the news. Apart from this, they also want detailed data related to the news.
51 percent of readers want to pay for specific content. For example, if there is an article about health, readers would like the information given in the article to be taken from a health expert, i.e. a doctor. Similarly, they want references to SEBI registered analysts in news related to the stock market.
Get rid of fake and sensational news
A 30-year-old woman from Delhi says that during the Corona epidemic, she subscribed to an online news platform to get updates on health-related news. I liked their news and continued to subscribe even after the epidemic. About 60 percent of the readers want to subscribe for detailed reports of major events like epidemic or war.
Also, 43 percent of users are willing to pay news publishers to fact-check fake news. Recently, news of extension of deadline for filing ITR returns was spread on social media. Readers wanted to check the news platform and verify whether the news is true or not.
What news do readers want to pay for?
A report by Google-Kantar shows that readers mostly want to subscribe for news related to politics, national events and sports. If we talk about the gender of those interested in subscribing, the ratio between men and women is 60:40. Their age is between 25 to 55 years.
Converting free readers into subscribers is a big challenge
The Google-Kantar study also mentions the challenges that online news publishers face in converting free users into subscribers. The biggest challenge is setting the subscription price. Even with budget and reasonable prices, news subscription becomes expensive compared to other platforms. Because many news apps are ready to provide content for free.
Along with this, the lack of individual subscription option is also a big problem for the users. Most news websites offer subscription for their entire content. Some users want to pay only for the news they like. Also, users want their subscription to be flexible and they can cancel it whenever they want.
