1. UK newsbrands hit record highs on social media @Telegraph @MailOnline @guardian @DailyMirror @Independent @EveningStandard @thetimes Analysis of data fromDecember 2014

2. Headlines UK newsbrands drove 445.4 million social media actions* during the year 2014 Facebook: 224.2 million article likes, 87 million comments, 86 million shares 44.1 million Twitter shares 2.7m LinkedIn shares 1.4m pins on Pinterest 79% increase in monthly social media interactions from January - December 2014 Facebook is the most important social medium for sharing stories for all UK newsbrands – interactions increased by 19% since January *Direct activity from newsbrand URL. Excludes likes etc for newsbrand Facebook pages, Twitter following, favourites & re-tweets. Global data.

3. Global social media interactions* from UK newsbrand articles have grown by 79% during 2014 Source: Newswhip UK Newsbrands: dailymail.co.uk, theguardian.com, independent.co.uk, telegraph.co.uk, mirror.co.uk, express.co.uk, standard.co.uk, metro.co.uk (from March 2014), thetimes.co.uk (May 2014), dailystar.co.uk (May 2014) *Facebook likes, shares & comments; Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest shares

4. Newbrands have more social media interactions than Buzzfeed Source: Newswhip UK Newsbrands: dailymail.co.uk, theguardian.com, independent.co.uk, telegraph.co.uk, mirror.co.uk, express.co.uk, standard.co.uk, metro.co.uk (from March 2014), thetimes.co.uk (May 2014), dailystar.co.uk (May 2014)

5. UK newsbrand article shares experienced steady growth during 2014 Source: Newswhip *UK Newsbrands: dailymail.co.uk, theguardian.com, independent.co.uk, telegraph.co.uk, mirror.co.uk, express.co.uk, standard.co.uk, metro.co.uk (from March 2014), thetimes.co.uk (May 2014), dailystar.co.uk (May 2014)

6. Facebook and UK newsbrands

7. Facebook is the most important social media brand for newsbrands Source: Newswhip UK Newsbrands total interactions Jan-Dec 2014: dailymail.co.uk, theguardian.com, independent.co.uk, telegraph.co.uk, mirror.co.uk, express.co.uk, standard.co.uk, metro.co.uk (from March 2014), thetimes.co.uk (May 2014), dailystar.co.uk (May 2014)

8. Total Facebook interactions for UK newsbrands have doubled since January 2014 Source: Newswhip UK Newsbrands Jan-Dec 2014 : dailymail.co.uk, theguardian.com, independent.co.uk, telegraph.co.uk, mirror.co.uk, express.co.uk, standard.co.uk, metro.co.uk (from March 2014), thetimes.co.uk (May 2014), dailystar.co.uk (May 2014)

9. …And UK newsbrand articles’ Facebook likes have also more than doubled in the last year Source: Newswhip UK Newsbrands Jan - Dec 2014 : dailymail.co.uk, theguardian.com, independent.co.uk, telegraph.co.uk, mirror.co.uk, express.co.uk, standard.co.uk, metro.co.uk (from March 2014), thetimes.co.uk (May 2014), dailystar.co.uk (May 2014)

10. Guardian 119.3m Daily Mail 104.5m New York Times 109.4m W/ton Post 63.2m USA Today 62.1m Total Facebook interactions Jan-Dec 2014 Source: Newswhip Jan-Dec 2014 UK has two of the top three biggest English language newspapers on Facebook

11. UK newsbrands are less reliant on Facebook than US providers Source: Newswhip Jan-Dec 2014 UK Newsbrands: dailymail.co.uk, theguardian.com, independent.co.uk, telegraph.co.uk, mirror.co.uk, express.co.uk, standard.co.uk, metro.co.uk (from March 2014), thetimes.co.uk (May 2014), dailystar.co.uk (May 2014)

12. Pure players more reliant on very high numbers sharing each article, especially Upworthy UK newsbrand success more dependent on larger number of articles being shared BUT the most shared UK newsbrands also have highest ratio of shares to articles Optimising number of shares, particularly on Facebook is key to social media success

13. “We actually created that huge traffic jump in June producing fewer stories, not more. On the day-to-day operational side, the team has made dozens of changes that add up to the newsroom working better and more efficiently. Seemingly mundane things make a huge difference – things such as better planning, more creative story conferences, and using audience data to decide what to stop doing.” Jason Seiken

14. November crowned an amazing year of growth for the Mirror “They shot up the ranks right to number nine overall […] increasing their total interactions by almost 4m in a single month. The Mirror are the first ‘legacy’ media outlet that we’ve seen break into the top ten in a long time.” Newswhip blog “At the digital first Mirror.co.uk, the four main weekday peak times, with devices, are as follows: 7am - Mobile Midday - Desktop 4.30pm - Desktop and Mobile 8pm - Mobile and Tablet To respond to these surges in expectant visitors, the Mirror’s newsroom has big refreshes of content at each of these times. Posting new stories on Facebook at these times is part of that strategy.” Newswhip sharing guide Source: Newswhip Jan-Dec 2014 Exceptional growth for the Mirror saw it become the biggest UK newsbrand in Facebook in November

15. UK newsbrands prompt more Facebook interactions than the BBC, led by Guardian, MailOnline and the Mirror Source: Newswhip Jan-Dec 2014 UK Newsbrands: dailymail.co.uk, theguardian.com, independent.co.uk, telegraph.co.uk, mirror.co.uk, express.co.uk, standard.co.uk, metro.co.uk (from March 2014), thetimes.co.uk (May 2014), dailystar.co.uk (May 2014)

16. Some top Facebook stories October 2014, The Guardian 118,327 interactions, 23,627 shares November 2014, telegraph.co.uk 233,018 interactions, 33,586 shares November 2014, independent.co.uk 134,657 interactions, 19,181 shares October 2014, mirror.co.uk 246,780 interactions, 30,953 shares December 2014, The Guardian 258,551 interactions 72,640 shares December 2014, dailymail.co.uk 477,446 interactions, 86,805 shares

17. It’s not just trivia, lists and snippets Biggest UK newsbrand stories, Facebook December 2014: 25 UK and world news, current affairs and comment 4 sport 3 showbiz 2 video/gallery links 2 science and just 1 list/quiz The most shared story was from theguardian.com…

18. It’s not just trivia, lists and snippets… These stories created incredibly high numbers of Facebook interactions in the last 3 months of 2014… December 2014, theguardian.com 85,798 Facebook interactions October 2014, telegraph.co.uk 225,089 Facebook interactions

19. It’s not just trivia, lists and snippets Story length is no barrier to sharing Analysis of top 10 most shared stories for 5 big publishers on Facebook showed that long form, high quality writing and interesting editorials make up the bulk of the big hits (except BBC) The Guardian’s top stories averaged 1,740 words and included a six- part multimedia feature on NSA revelations, totalling 4,000+ wordssix- part multimedia feature Source: Newswhip blog December 2013

20. Twitter

21. UK newsbrand Twitter shares similar to BBC UK Newsbrands: dailymail.co.uk, theguardian.com, independent.co.uk, telegraph.co.uk, mirror.co.uk, express.co.uk, standard.co.uk, metro.co.uk (from March 2014), thetimes.co.uk (May 2014), dailystar.co.uk (May 2014)

22. Some top Twitter shares November 2014, telegraph.co.uk 3,450 shares October 2014, independent.co.uk October 2014, independent.co.uk 3,996 shares November 2014, dailymail.co.uk 4,803 shares October 2014, theguardian.com October 2014, theguardian.com 2,307 shares December 2014, The Guardian 4,935 shares December 2014, independent.co.uk 16,064 shares

23. Top 10 most shared UK newsbrand stories each month on Twitter are almost all in top 35 of Facebook shares – usually with higher interactions on Facebook But top Facebook stories are not always big on Twitter: timing of story? demographics? Twitter more biased towards quality sector and serious news Source: Newswhip Jan-Dec 2014

24. What’s the best time to post a story on Facebook? Source: Newswhip blog. Times are GMT. Based on data from MailOnline, BuzzFeed, Huffington Post, Upworthy, The New York Times, Elite Daily, MTV and Fox News The most shared stories were published between 4pm and 10pm. % of Top 100 stories shared at this time

25. How many follow UK newsbrands Source: You Gov January 2014 Base: All UK Twitter Users (1266)

26. Gossip/Banter I want to relax and enjoy myself Twitter has a unique humorous side to news stories. It’s a backstage pass into the lives of celebrities and allows me to be part of the gossip. Knowledge I want to be the first to know Twitter gives me instant access to the news and is where news stories tend to break first. It’s the best place to follow news stories as they develop during the day. Community I want to find out about things I care about Twitter gives me the chance to engage with stories relevant to me with a community of like-minded people. Discovering people with shared interests I wouldn’t otherwise meet through shared news interests. Opinion I want to know what people think Twitter is a way of discovering different points of opinion and commentary on news stories. More personal opinions of celebrities/writers. Interaction with the news on Twitter Twitter adds four core benefits as a news platform for users… Source: #NewsOnTheTweet 2014

27. Gossip/Banter Witty and celebrity columnists Newsbrands are responsible for some of the most popular individual tweeters. Individual journalists are key contributors to the humour content on Twitter. Knowledge Trusted instant updates Newsbrand handles provide legitimacy and authority when news is breaking on Twitter. They also provide journalists that offer quicker, more accurate instant updates on stories as they happen. Community An opportunity to connect with like-minded content and people Through their sub-section handles and the overarching strength of newsbrand identities newsbrands offer users the opportunity to discover more content that is relevant to them and engage with other people through these communities. Opinion Honest and expert opinions and debate Newsbrands offer expert opinion pieces and the individual journalists offer honest and frank opinions as well as engaging with followers. Interaction with the news on Twitter Newsbrands underpin these 4 key benefits Source: #NewsOnTheTweet 2014

28. Newspaper brands provide an authoritative viewpoint and offer verified news in a user generated content world. Twitter helps newspaper brands to become part of breaking news in people’s minds through instant updates Newspaper brands provide detailed analysis behind 140 character Tweets Twitter provides opportunities for users to engage with newspaper brands that they wouldn’t normally read in other formats. Newspaper brands offer content and recognisable brands that can bring people together through shared interests Twitter enables newspaper readers to connect with newsbrands and content in a more direct dialogue The whole is stronger than the sum of the parts

29. http://www.newsworks.org.uk/newsonthetweet For further information see:

30. Newsbrands are also big content providers for LinkedIn and Pinterest UK Newsbrands: dailymail.co.uk, theguardian.com, independent.co.uk, telegraph.co.uk, mirror.co.uk, express.co.uk, standard.co.uk, metro.co.uk (from March 2014), thetimes.co.uk (May 2014), dailystar.co.uk (May 2014)

31. @Telegraph @MailOnline @guardian @DailyMirror @thetimes 307,670 likes 335,199 followers* *excluding sub-brands and journalists @standardnews 328,248 likes 163,510 followers* 4,170,596 likes 3,132,990 followers* 1,333,286 likes 292,079 followers* @Independent 2,875,095 likes 989,947 followers* 2,399,692 likes 829,206 followers* 2,049,169 likes 792,113 followers* @TheSunNewspaper 1,745,728 likes 678,301 followers*

32. Summary and implications UK newsbrands are highly influential social media activators, driving 445.4 million social media actions during the year 2014 Massive shared audiences on a daily basis Facebook sharing is increasing audiences to UK newsbrands and is vital to social media velocity Wide range of stories to tap into for advertisers

33. methodology What Are NewsWhip’s Social Rankings? Each month, NewsWhip publishes lists of the top social publishers of the previous month, covering Twitter, Facebook and sometimes LinkedIn and Pinterest. The rankings are based on the number of shares, tweets, comments and other interactions accrued to content published by each site in the relevant month. What content is covered? For Facebook, NewsWhip combines the total number of likes, shares and comments on content published during that month alone. For Facebook, if someone on a site uses an on-site share button to share an article to their timeline, that action counts as one share. If someone copy-pastes the link directly to Facebook, that share will count in the exact same way. The rankings have nothing to do with the number of people who ‘like’ a publication’s Facebook page that month, although that may have some effect on how engaged the audience is with the content. A publisher with many “likes” has better audience access and may have access needed to drive more activity around their content. For Twitter, NewsWhip counts the total number of tweets that include links to each publisher’s articles (that includes re-tweets) from that month. Twitter favourites are not currently included. For all sites, the figures relate solely to content published during the month in question alone. Older content that continued going viral, or archived material posted without a new URL is not taken into account. Where does the data come from? All the data comes from Spike, which monitors about 50,000 publications in 12 languages, categorising content from each one by country, topic and publisher, and gathering data on topics, authors, and videos associated with each story. Spike tracks the speed at which each story spreads on Facebook and Twitter.