There is a strong appetite in the Middle East for high-quality news content and a desire to see trustworthy reporting from a range of different perspectives, according to a new survey conducted for the Associated Press (AP).
Entitled "Spring tide: the new era for video news in the Middle East and North Africa," the report reveals a thriving market where 97% of consumers regularly discuss news and current affairs in their daily lives.
The survey, conducted by Ipsos Mori, surveyed the views of people aged 18 to 45 in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Evidently, news is consumed by audiences in the three countries for an average of 72 minutes a day, longer than their counterparts in the UK, Germany and Japan.
But the research also shows that the Middle East audience is not always well served by the existing news suppliers, presenting a substantial opportunity for news organisations.
Trust is regarded as most important to the Middle East consumers, with almost a third of respondents identifying it as paramount when choosing a news provider. Previous survey respondents in Europe and Asia considered speed to be more significant.
Quality is also important. Although they indicate a preference for locally produced content, more than half of respondents like international TV content because of its better quality video clips.
As for content itself, 63% of consumers expressed a desire for increased coverage of regionally-focused stories.
The findings also suggest - unsurprisingly - that social media is increasingly popular and also changing consumers' behaviour, with 59% discovering the majority of news via social media.
But TV remains important for finding out more about a story once it has broken, with 43% accessing it first to get more information.
"The new study gives us a much deeper understanding of Middle East news consumers and how the industry needs to adapt to meet their needs," said Ian Phillips, Middle East director of news for AP.
"The demand for better quality video and more regional news also presents a number of opportunities, while the increased use of social media suggests the need for new and innovative strategies to drive audiences back to online news sites."
The report is produced by Deloitte. Its European head of digital strategy, Matthew Guest, said: "The findings highlight a series of exciting opportunities for news providers, particularly for local outlets that are in a position to produce a richer, more cultural output for audiences.
Source: Associated Press
