How audience research is rebooting independent media in Central Europe 

Editor’s note: we are publishing a guest column by Giulia Magnani, a Research Manager at Zinc Network, that looks into the insights from Zinc Network’s research project and its applicability for Central European Media.

Representative national polling into media consumption preferences in Central Europe is empowering independent media outlets in the region to take a fresh look at strategic decision-making. The research, conducted by Zinc Network as part of the Central European Media Program (CEMP), has provided pivotal insights to newsrooms around audience preferences and willingness of audiences to pay for media. As outlets shift their strategies based on these audience-centric findings, they are not only experiencing audience growth, but also unlocking new revenue streams.  

Conducted across five countries – Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovenia – the polling leveraged psychological and behavioural science theory to delve deep into people’s media consumption habits, their attitudes towards specific media outlets, and their intentions to pay for content, specifically for news. On this last point, the research specifically explored current payment habits, how widespread other forms of funding (such as donations and merchandise purchase) are, what might drive future payment and, perhaps most crucially, why people stop paying to access news content if they were previously doing so. 

Based on nationally representative samples of more than 2,000 respondents per country, conducted in March-April 2023, the polling data comprises one of the most comprehensive datasets on media consumption habits and preferences in Central Europe. What emerged are three key insights that reveal exciting opportunities as well as some intriguing challenges, the responses to which will contribute to reshaping the landscape of independent media in the region. 

1. Identity- and values-based questions revealed the profiles of large untapped audiences that constitute an opportunity for independent media in the region 

The polling revealed a window of opportunity for independent media seeking to foster engagement beyond their existing target audiences. A similar pattern was found across all five countries: while independent media is successful at engaging its core target audiences (usually the most liberal, highly educated, and typically older segment of the population), two further potential, but overlooked, target audiences emerged from the data in each country. These two audiences were seemingly not engaging with independent media, but showed promising signs. These included cognitive openness (the willingness to accept different points of view and potentially change current media habits), dissatisfaction with current news sources they engage with, and placing importance on media being independent of government and political parties. 

These new potential audiences were identified through the approach of grounding segmentation in psychological and behavioural science, rather than simple demographics, enabling the research team to map specific media organisations as sources of trust for audiences. This exhibited new avenues of possibility for independent media, while identity-based questions allowed for the identification of groups that are more likely to feel aligned to independent media based on their values.

One audience segment, characterised by attitudes favourable towards western institutions, in particular the European Union, and a willingness to pay for media, has been identified as a remunerative revenue opportunity. These individuals, though aligned with the values upheld by independent media, have not yet been effectively engaged by independent outlets. By tailoring content and marketing strategies to resonate with this segment, outlets can expand their revenue streams significantly. 

Similarly, a second, younger and more centrist segment, has been identified as an opportunity for independent media to reach wider loyal audiences. With liberal social values and existing dissatisfaction towards media they know, this group represents a vast potential audience. By filling in the gap between their current media needs and the market, outlets can seek to engage this demographic, bolstering both their readership and revenue. 

As an example, after seeing the results of the polling, Slovenian outlet Večer has shifted its focus to younger audiences, enlarging their content proposition and post frequency on Instagram since January 2024 to resonate with this demographic. The result? A threefold increase in engagement in the first quarter of 2024, highlighting the power of targeted strategies. 

2. Willingness to pay for media is higher than expected 

The research has shown that although only a small percentage of individuals are currently paying for news content (approximately 10-20% depending on the country), a much larger share of the population expresses a willingness to pay for news in the future. This is particularly true for the identified target audiences, provided the content they pay for is unique (meaning it cannot be found elsewhere for free) and truthful. 

This willingness to pay might not always come to fruition in terms of taking out a paid subscription, but indicates that there is scope for media to raise finance in the form of readership donations, payments for exclusive content, or even for taxpayers to select non-profit media outlets as recipients of tax deductions when submitting their annual tax statements (such schemes exist in a number of countries, including Hungary, Poland and Romania). This presents a compelling opportunity for independent outlets to monetise content  by aligning it with their audience’s interests and by building trust. This is where the understanding of what drives audience trust, and the behavioural science behind this, become important. 

3. Audiences want content that goes beyond news, and value media independence 

Understanding audiences’ content preferences and their trust drivers is vital to boost both engagement and revenue. 

In terms of building trusted reputations, the research has shown that in addition to “honest reporting”, “independence from the government” is valued as a cornerstone of trust across all countries and target audiences. This represents a significant opportunity for independent outlets, which inherently possess an advantage over non-independent media. By effectively communicating their principles of transparency and integrity, independent media outlets can cultivate a reputation for reliability, further strengthening their audience relations. 

Target audiences often displayed a stronger sense of national identity than did existing core audiences, who had a stronger sense of European identity. In certain countries in the region that may have differing relationships with EU institutions, this can present challenges in building trust with more nationally minded potential target audiences, while not alienating existing, pro-European core audiences.

The research has shown that audiences across countries are interested in accessing more than just news-related content, with health, and science and technology, as the most frequently cited topics of interest.  

As an example, Romanian outlet G4Media has already capitalised on this insight, by introducing a new section entirely dedicated to the topic of health, which has resulted in an uptake in traffic and subsequent revenue-generating sponsorships. These have been so successful that within a few months of its launch the vertical was close to self-financing. G4Media has set the ambitious aim of securing a 62% increase in advertising revenue over the coming year, and has achieved 10% of that 62% already from the health vertical alone.  

The findings from this five-country polling are inspiring independent outlets in Central Europe to adopt data-driven strategies to expand their audience reach and drive reader revenue in environments where challenges persist to attract advertising (especially in certain countries where government pressure prohibits corporate advertising in independent media). 

To continue pursuing audience-centric approaches, Zinc Network has been supporting independent outlets in the region to build the skills to conduct their own audience surveys as a way to continuously monitor evolving audience preferences and needs. Findings are then used to inform their editorial decisions and engagement strategies, resulting in content that is perceived as relevant to their loyal audiences. Romanian outlet G4Media, for instance, is soon to introduce a text-to-audio feature for their articles, after learning that their readers want the possibility to listen to their written articles while on the go. CEMP is now making the analysis of the findings of the polling in Central Europe available for download for use by researchers, media development practitioners, and media outlets. The findings are accessible at cemediaprogram.com.

Source of the cover photo: Glenn Carstens-Peters via Unsplash

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