Social media and video platforms are surpassing traditional sources as the main sources of news: the message
Social media and video networks — Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube — have overtaken news organizations’ own websites and apps as the most used way to access news. | Photo credit: Reuters
Trust in news globally is at lowest level since 2015 as interest in news declines; at the same time, more people around the world are accessing news through third-party platforms such as social media and video networks, rather than through the websites and television channels of established news brands, according to the Reuters Institute’s 15th Digital News Report.
Produced in collaboration with the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, the report is based on an online survey of nearly 1,000 people in 48 markets worldwide.
The study found that consumption patterns have changed as audiences become increasingly uninterested in news; even so, trust in established news brands and support for the idea of unbiased reporting persists. Globally, however, social media and video networks – Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube – have overtaken news organizations’ own websites and apps as the most used way of accessing news.
The proportion of people who use social media and video networks as their primary source of news has also increased; while the trend is more apparent among younger audiences, it is prevalent across all age groups, the study found. It also found that younger generations are unlikely to adopt their parents’ news habits, such as reading newspapers. In fact, older audiences are shifting towards the consumption habits of younger audiences, the study found.
Using AI for news
The study also found that the use of AI chatbots as a means of accessing news has increased, with 10% of respondents worldwide now using them. This is especially true for viewers under 35 years of age. Paradoxically, while traditional news sources are declining with the rise of platforms, people are also more wary of misinformation and less trusting of the news they encounter.
Increase in video consumption
There has been a significant increase in the consumption of online news videos. The study found that 77% of the global sample consumes online news videos every week. However, they do not consume them on news sites or apps, but on third-party platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
The study also highlighted the role of content creators in the news ecosystem: roughly 27% of respondents get their news through content creators, but they don’t necessarily replace traditional media and only complement it. Although creators are rated lower in terms of trust and impartiality, they are considered more entertaining and easier to understand than traditional media. This shows that the popularity of creators and online video doesn’t mean people don’t want news anymore; it just suggests they want it to be more accessible and relatable, the study said.
Published – 16 Jun 2026 04:35 IST