Social Media and Video Platforms Overtake Traditional Media as Top News Source

The Reuters Institute’s 2026 Digital News Report reveals that social media and video platforms have overtaken traditional media as the leading source of news worldwide. The report is based on a comprehensive YouGov survey that gathered responses from nearly 100,000 people across 48 countries.

According to the data, 54 percent of participants reported using social media and video platforms for news during the previous week. Including AI chatbots in the calculation brings this usage rate to 56 percent. Television remains a close second with 52 percent of respondents turning to it for news. Newspaper websites and news apps were used by 51 percent, while radio attracted 21 percent.

The survey further shows that three in ten individuals consider social media and video platforms their primary news source. Among younger users aged 18 to 24, nearly half rely on these platforms as their main source of information.

Trust levels in news are notably low. Only 37 percent of those surveyed said they trust most news most of the time. Willingness to pay for online news is also limited, with just 17 percent expressing readiness to subscribe. Meanwhile, the adoption of AI chatbots for obtaining news has risen from 7 percent to 10 percent.

These changes reflect a broader transformation in media consumption habits. The increasing preference for digital platforms, particularly among younger demographics, is creating difficulties for conventional news organizations struggling with subscription models and advertising revenues controlled by large technology firms.