Overview
- The Reuters Institute’s 2026 Digital News Report, published on June 16, shows social media and video platforms are now the most-used global gateways to news, reached by about 54 percent of respondents.
- Global confidence in 'most news most of the time' has dropped to its lowest level since 2015, with many readers saying they worry about misinformation and avoiding news more often.
- Australia stands out for paying audiences, with about 23 percent of people subscribing to online news and younger cohorts driving that growth — 41 percent of 25–34-year-olds and 27 percent of 18–24s report paying for news.
- Use of AI chatbots for news has risen to roughly 9–10 percent of respondents globally and is higher among under-25s, but trust in AI-delivered news remains very low compared with traditional outlets.
- The shift toward platforms and creator-driven video is squeezing legacy business models, prompting policy moves such as Australian bargaining incentives, calls for stronger media literacy, and renewed focus on fact-checking and funding for local journalism.