Reuters Report Finds Social Media Surpasses Traditional Journalism

The Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report 2026, released on 16 June, showed that for the first time more people in a sample of almost 100 000 respondents across 48 countries rely on social‑media platforms for news (54%) than on traditional news outlets (51%). The study warns that platform‑driven distribution filters and rewrites information, creating a “platformisation” of news that subtly steers public debate.

At the same time, the report notes a counter‑trend: journalists are increasingly launching their own newsletters. Platforms such as Substack host about 50 000 creators who collectively generate roughly US$40 million in annual revenue, offering audiences an alternative to algorithm‑driven feeds and reducing exposure to embedded advertising.