The world of news is app-ified for the mobile-friendly generation

The habit of news consumption in India is engulfed in a rather strange paradox. While in many first world countries namely the US, traditional newspapers are taking a beating from digital media, in India the traditional newspaper industry is expected to rise.  This is because the demographic layout of India is diverse and print media in Hindi and other regional languages is a huge market. As per a KPMG report, the regional newspaper is expected to witness an annual growth of 12 to 14 % for the next several years.

At the same time, online news consumption is growing at an unprecedented scale.  India has become home to one of the fastest growing news market in the world, drawing more and more user traffic on information and news based website and mobile applications than ever before. As per a 2013 ComScore report, India’s readership of online media and daily news increased by 34% from the previous year.  This parallel rise of online digital media trends vis a vis traditional news medium is a direct outcome of the growth of electronic and IT segment in the country. Affordable broadband price coupled with greater penetration of Smartphone usage has changed the course of news consumption in India, paving the way for faster and alternate sources of news.

News based apps, in particular, have taken precedence that facilitates consumption of breaking news on the go. However, with so many news based apps in circulation, the competition is stiff and with time news agencies will have to think of smarter ways to engage users across digital platforms. News providers have to understand that the mobile generation is looking for the personalized, fast, reliable and continuous flow of information and news. Here are the five key trends to watch out for. 

# Click bait is to become such a passé

An outrageous title that often not justifies the crux of the main content is the unfortunate core of the click bait menace that seems to be working on the web today. Not only are they accused of killing the spirit of journalism, over time users will become fed up sensational headlines and instead want to read more quality stuff. To check this obnoxious trend, social media giant Facebook has been developing an algorithm where they identify a link as click-bait by considering the amount of time the user spent on the page upon clicking it. 

# Short and crisp is here to stay

Users today are looking for avenues that keep them updated about the latest happenings in a quick span of time. This has given rise to some news apps that provide information, news, breaking the news to users in fewer than 100 words. Inshorts is one such news apps that summarize news content in just 60 words. Launched in 2013, the app in a highly rated Indian news app registering more than 3 million downloads as of April 2016. 

# News apps in Regional Languages will be the next big thing

As stated in the opening of this write-up, one of the major reasons for the booming of the traditional newspaper industry is India is the regional news market. While the scope and space of the English news app segment may seem exhausted, the regional news market looks plum and ready for news applications in regional languages.  In fact, well -known news curators and applications like Inshorts are capturing the regional news market by releasing apps in Indian vernacular languages. On Inshorts, breaking news is available in short news format of 60 words, which quickly updates you with all the latest news and happenings.

 # News for different Screen Size

Cross platform presence is going to be the key in news or content consumption. As per an EY analysis, the source of information will span through different medium and screen sizes. That will vary from different parts of the day and the time consumed.

# Social media to rule the roost

Social media will remain to be the greatest new sharing platform.  It is not an exaggeration that Social media is the biggest medium to share any kind of information or breaking news. Twitter, Facebook are some of the most noted social media platforms that news agencies rely upon to break the latest news on the web. There will be upscale in the trend, with new social media platforms like Pinterest, Buzzfeed news, Instagram, etc. to take the lead.

To summarize, the convenience to consume news on the go is going to be the biggest attraction for average users. At the moment, several news websites have embedded videos that automatically start playing once the user visits the web page. Many users find this extremely invasive and annoying. This is one of many reasons, why several users prefer a new based application that pushes news on the phone in a convenient and non-disrupting manner. They provide a quick update and one can easily scan the news in a discreet and comfortable manner.