Social networks, online video outweigh traditional media in 2026
The report said 54% of respondents now get news from social media or video platforms, while trust in news fell to 37%.
- On June 16, the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism reported that social media and video networks surpassed television as the leading global news source for the first time, reaching 54 per cent usage.
- Growing appetite for video content and individual creators has driven this shift, while traditional media outlets face a loss of public confidence and dwindling interest in news.
- Data shows 77 per cent of the global sample consume online news videos weekly, with total social media usage rising to 56 per cent when including AI chatbots like ChatGPT.
- Internet giants Google and Meta have captured a significant share of the advertising market at the expense of traditional media, while trust in news reaches an all-time low of 37 per cent.
- Responding to generative AI is the "biggest 360-degree challenge" for today's news leaders, Egan wrote, as younger generations are unlikely to adopt their parents' traditional reading habits.
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32 Articles
People around the world are now turning to social media and video platforms for news more often than traditional sources, according to a report released Tuesday, which also warned that old business models are under threat.
The Media Authority speaks of a paradox. "News on social media is not trusted, yet social media are of increasing importance for news consumption."
According to a study conducted by the Reuters Institute on 100,000 people in 48 countries, TikTok, Instagram and other YouTube are now ahead of radio, print media or television to inform.
The Japan Times
Social networks, online video outweigh traditional media in 2026
The report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found 54% of respondents said they got news from social media or video platforms in the week before the survey.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 40% of the sources are Center, 40% of the sources lean Right
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