Global Shift to Social Media as Leading News Source

A new Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism report finds that, for the first time worldwide, social‑media platforms and video services have become the primary source of news, overtaking television, newspapers and traditional news websites. The annual survey of nearly 100,000 respondents in 48 countries shows 54 % of people got news in the past week from social media or video platforms, compared with 52 % from TV and 51 % from legacy sites. When AI tools such as ChatGPT are included, the figure rises to 56 %.

The shift is strongest among younger adults – half of those aged 18‑24 cite social media or video as their main news source – while TV remains dominant only for those over 45. Trust in news is at a historic low, with just 37 % of respondents saying they trust news content. Only 17 % pay for digital news, limiting revenue for traditional outlets, while advertising spend increasingly concentrates with tech giants like Google and Meta, threatening the financial sustainability of legacy journalism.

The report warns that the growing reliance on digital platforms and AI‑driven news feeds presents major challenges for media organisations and policymakers tasked with maintaining a viable and trustworthy news ecosystem.