The ratio of Kenyans consuming short-form online news videos per week stands at 94 percent, a new survey shows, beating all countries globally including the US at 60 percent.

A short-form video is audio-visual content that is typically five to 90 seconds in duration. This is the duration favoured on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, as it’s ideal for users’ shorter attention spans.

The Reuters Institute 2024 Digital News Report which sampled over 2,000 Kenyans highlights the changing consumer preference from text to short-form videos when it comes to online news.

Nigeria followed with 92 percent of its population consuming short-form video news content, South Africa (82 percent), while France reported 45 percent, and the United Kingdom (UK) (39 percent).

TikTok is one of the prominent social media platforms that Kenyans are getting news from despite its future being uncertain due to calls from the government to ban it. “The proportion that used TikTok for news in Kenya rose 7 points to 36 percent in 2024,” the survey said.

“TikTok remains most popular with younger groups and, although its use for any purpose is similar to last year, the proportion using it for news has grown to 13 percent (2023: 11 percent) across all markets and 23 percent for 18–24-year-olds,” said Reuters Institute in the report.

The government advised MPs against the ban over concerns about explicit content shared on the platform and instead recommended stricter oversight by regulators.

TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has been facing regulatory scrutiny in several countries, particularly in the West.

Online video news is gaining traction despite concerns over growing misinformation and credibility.