Social Media Overtakes Traditional Media as Top News Source, Reuters Study Finds

Key Points

SOCIAL MEDIA AND VIDEO NETWORKS  — such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube — have emerged as the leading source of news, even surpassing the websites and apps of established news organizations. A new study has warned that news consumers around the world are turning away from traditional media outlets, posing a risk to old-style business models.

As per the 15th edition of Reuter’s Institute Digital News Report 2026, trust in news globally is at its lowest since 2015. At the same time, consumers display a preference of using third-party platforms such as social media apps and other video networks to get access to news rather than through websites and television channels of established news brands.

The Digital News Report 2026 is a collaborative study between Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism and the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, which analyzed over l lakh people across 48 markets worldwide using an online survey to assess their news consumption patterns and preferences.

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Reuters Report Highlights Shift in Global News Consumption 

The study reveals that the global consumption pattern has seen a shift, marked by audiences' increasing withdrawal from news consumption. However, trust in established news brands and support for the idea of impartial news still exists. Despite all this, social media and video networks such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have emerged as the most widely used means for accessing news, even ahead of news organization's own websites and apps. 

54% of the respondents said they get news from social media and video platforms, which rose to 56% if AI chatbots like ChatGPT were included. That surpassed the 52% who picked TV news, 51% for newspaper apps or websites, and 21% for radio.

The trend of using social media and video networks as the primary source for news is more evident among young people, however the study found that the same is prevalent across all other age groups as well. It was also reported that young consumers are more likely to mimic the news consumption patterns of their parents, such as reading a newspaper. The older generations are, in place, adopting the consumption habits of the younger generation (using social media and video networks).

AI Chatbots Emerging as a New Source of News 

The study also found a starting statistic that points out the correlation between Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots and news consumption. 10% of the study’s respondents, who are below 35 years of age, reported to use AI chatbots to access news.

Paradoxically, as the credibility of traditional news outlets decline amid the rise of social media and video platforms, users also reported to be concerned about misinformation and put less trust in the news they come across.

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Online Video News Consumption Continues to Rise 

Consumption of video-based news has also seen a marked shift, the study stated. 77% of the respondents reported consuming online news videos every week. This consumption of online news videos is happening on third-party platforms like YouTube and Facebook, and not on the websites and apps of traditional media outlets.

Influencers Play a Growing Role in News Distribution 

The study also highlighted the role digital content creators and influencers play in the news ecosystem, with 27 % of respondents revealing them as their news sources. Influencers have not wholly replaced traditional media, instead, they complement them. 

While influencers reported to have less credibility in their news dissemination ability, they were able to compensate for that by being interesting and entertaining in the way they present news, making them easier for the audience to comprehend as well. The study stated that these findings mean users are not wholly shying away from consuming news from traditional media outlets, instead they want news presented to them in an accessible and relatable manner.

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