Social media overtakes traditional outlets as leading global news source

A Reuters Institute study of almost 100,000 respondents in 48 countries found that 54 % of people got news from social‑media or video platforms in the week before the survey, outpacing television (52 %) and news‑app/web sites (51 %). Among 18‑24‑year‑olds, half relied on these platforms for news. When AI chatbots such as ChatGPT were counted, the share rose to 56 %. The shift is driven by younger users and the growing role of generative AI, challenging legacy revenue models; only 17 % of respondents said they pay for online news and trust in traditional media fell to a historic low of 37 %.

In Slovakia, the same report highlighted the impact of a 2024 law that transformed the public broadcaster RTVS into STVR and placed its leadership under a board dominated by coalition allies. Following the appointment of a new director in May 2025, programming cuts and the removal of political‑satire and fact‑checking shows led to a 7‑point drop in weekly viewership and a 10‑point decline in trust, with one‑third of Slovaks believing the outlet harms the country. Trust in other news sources remains higher, with private TV channel TA3 at 54 % and radio Expres at 49 %.