​Major networks' news content quality continues to dip, while consumers head to social media resources for the latest current events.

​When consumers want the latest news content, they turn to the web. Whether with their smartphones or tablets, people understand that current events break online before they hit the national airwaves. News content marketing is an opportunity for brands to leverage fast-paced web publishing to provide commentary on new industry trends or market insights. In fact, consumers have even begun to notice declines in quantity and quality content from trusted networks as a result of today’s online news hubs. Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism released its latest report, finding that 31 percent of people have deserted a news outlet because it no longer provides them with up-to-date information when compared to other hubs.

However, Pew also discovered some promising trends for the news industry overall. Thirty-one percent of people spend more time with news, and another 31 percent turn to new sources for information. More, 43 percent are adding to the news they consume. Where are consumers going to check out the latest news? According to a 2012 Pew Research Center study, social media content may inform a higher percentage of Americans than ever before. Thirty-four percent of people aged 18 to 24 receive news headlines on their Facebook News Feeds daily.

Facebook recently announced its revamped user interface, calling its News Feed a personalized newspaper for its users. With more people using social networks to glean important facts about world (and industry) affairs, Facebook’s vision becomes even more clear. Brands that invest in news content marketing to fuel Facebook updates stand to win visibility on what could be the news hub of the future.

Ted Karczewski is an Executive Communications Associate at Brafton. He works to develop his own voice and apply his passions to the evolving world of SEO and content marketing, but he doesn't shy away from writing for fun. After graduating from Suffolk University, Ted used his Communications degree to test out Sports Journalism before Marketing at Brafton.