After surveying 100,000 individuals in 48 markets, the Reuters Institute 2025 Digital News Reportsuggests a new media order is emerging: fragmented, personality-driven and fuelled by tech.

While trust in news is holding steady at 40%, two major shifts are emerging: the growing influence of alternative voices or personalities in news, particularly in the US and Global South, and the rise of AI chatbots as an alternative news source, especially among younger audiences - 12% said they had used them to get information about a current event.

While these developments offer new ways to engage users, they also raise concerns about the integrity of information. Podcasters, YouTubers and politicians are often partisan, and are seen as key sources of false content. AI-generated news, meanwhile, is viewed as potentially less trustworthy.

Nic Newman, lead author of the report, says these concerns could offer opportunities for publishers, as audiences continue to turn to established news brands when checking facts.

Audiences are increasingly relying on social media and video platforms for news, with 44% of 18- to 24-year-olds naming these networks as their primary news source. Overall consumption of social video has risen significantly - from 52% in 2020 to 65% in 2025. In countries like the Philippines, Thailand, Kenya, and India, a growing number of people now say they prefer watching the news over reading it, further driving the popularity of news creators.

Newman says "The rise of social video and personality-driven news represents another significant challenge for traditional publishers that are struggling to adapt their content and tone to these very different environments. Online video may be a good way to engage younger audiences, but there is very little commercial upside for publishers, with most news consumption mostly taking place via platforms rather than owned and operated news websites. Publishers also face a loss of influence, with populist politicians increasingly looking to bypass scrutiny by working with sympathetic influencers instead."

The full report can be downloaded on the Reuters Institute website.

WAN-IFRA Staff

executivenews@wan-ifra.org