News: It's For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Way

An evolving approach for an evolving audience

By Jason Philips , VP, Paramount Advertising, CBS News

News always happens. It’s consistent that way. But how we consume the news? That’s as inconsistent as ever.

Sure, we may all read and watch the news, especially with it being an election year. But how, where and when we’re reading and watching evolves, and that has a significant impact on how news today is reported, packaged and distributed. At CBS News, we’re paying close attention to these changes and developing solutions for our audiences and advertising partners that uphold our legacy while building for the future.

In 2023, audiences spent 766 billion minutes viewing our content across CBS News and Stations, CBS Media Ventures.* That’s 84% higher than the combined total time spent watching original content on Apple TV+, Hulu, Max, Prime Video, Peacock and Disney+.

In 2024, we’re already seeing steady growth in that viewership, backed by three key strategies: packaging and repackaging, extending live hours, and employing a human-centric approach to reporting the news.

Our story coverage is rich and in-depth, and we serve stories to viewers whether they have five minutes or five hours by packaging and repackaging for different platforms. Take our recent interview with Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman and the first former federal public defender to serve on the Supreme Court, who discussed the court’s ruling on presidential immunity with Norah O’Donnell, anchor and managing editor of CBS Evening News.

The interview bite first aired on CBS Evening News on August 27. The same bite aired the next morning on CBS Mornings. The full interview aired on CBS News Sunday Morning that Sunday. Jackson did a live interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings the following Tuesday, and the full-length interview with O’Donnell aired on our streaming platform CBS News 24/7 that following Thursday.

We’re leveraging our stories, channels and products to respond to the always-on, 24/7 media ecosystem, focusing on the audience’s expectations at every touchpoint and forging deep and lasting connections to create a sense of community. And we continue to grow our shows like 60 Minutes, CBS Sunday Morning, and 48 Hours beyond broadcast to expand their reach and bolster consumers’ faith in journalism.

Speaking of repackaging, we’ve transformed our trailblazing CBSN streaming platform into CBS News 24/7, now with more live hours during the week (+66% since the shift**), lifestyle content on weekends, and marathons of our most popular shows including 60 Minutes and CBS News Sunday Morning.

Finally, among an endless digital sea of clickbait, we prioritize a human-centric take on journalism. It’s about focusing on in-depth, facts-forward reporting by trusted journalists that amplifies the voices of people at the heart of the issues. Our brand provides a guidepost for viewers looking for trustworthy, sober fact-finding.

This renewed and reinvigorated style of news is also an opportunity for marketers. Our commitment to accuracy and fact-finding creates a halo of trust around a brand, and high-quality outlets like CBS News have been shown to increase brand favorability and purchase intent.*** Not to mention, news attracts a highly engaged audience with a higher-than-average household income.

By reshaping how we deliver news, offering more live hours for more in-depth coverage, and telling stories for audiences across multiple screens, CBS News continues to stake its claim as a trusted pioneer now and beyond.

*Source: Linear: Nielsen, Live+35 Days, (2023) CBS All News Programming and CBS Media Ventures originator; Local Linear: Nielsen Live + Same Day; NLTV Program Custom Report (Genre (Local News); All M-SU 3a-3a Local News Programs; 27 CBS O&O Stations (CBS/IND).

**Source: CBS News internal data sources

***Source: Forbes - Advertising In Reliable News Sources Provides Stronger Brand Effectiveness