German News Trust Remains Steady Amid Growing Social Media Use

According to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026, 46 % of adult internet users in Germany say they generally trust the news they receive. The share has held steady compared with 2025 and is slightly higher than in 2023‑24, making Germany one of the few countries where news trust has not declined.

The report finds that while social media are increasingly used for news – 36 % of adults and 60 % of 18‑24‑year‑olds encounter news on social platforms each week – trust in these sources remains low, with only 13 % of users saying they usually trust news on social media or AI chatbots. Trust in news delivered via search engines is higher, at 24 %. Traditional news outlets continue to command the majority of public confidence, and experts say the rise in social‑media news consumption does not pose a major concern because most users treat these platforms as complementary rather than primary sources.