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

The Reuters Institute at Oxford University’s 2026 Digital News Report, based on an online survey of nearly 100,000 people across 48 countries, shows that 54 % of respondents obtained news from social media or video platforms in the week before the poll. When AI chatbots such as ChatGPT are included, the share rises to 56 %, surpassing television (52 %), news‑website or app users (51 %) and radio (21 %).

No age group ranks traditional media websites or apps as its primary news source. Among 18‑24‑year‑olds, half rely on social platforms for news, while older groups still favour TV. The study notes that advertising revenues are now dominated by tech giants Google and Meta, leaving legacy outlets with severe monetisation challenges. It also highlights the growing use of AI chatbots for news consumption, which the report’s author Jim Egan describes as the biggest contemporary challenge for media leaders and policymakers.