Social media and video platforms have become the most widely used source of online news worldwide for the first time, surpassing news organizations’ own websites and apps, according to the Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report 2026. The annual study surveyed nearly 100,000 people across 48 markets and points to a continued shift toward platform-based news consumption.
The report found that 54% of respondents used social media and video networks for news during the previous week, compared with 51% who accessed news through publishers’ websites and apps. Television remained close behind at 52%, but all three figures illustrate the continued decline of traditional and direct news consumption. When AI chatbots are included, third-party platforms account for 56% of weekly news access.
The rise of platformized news
Researchers said the change reflects the growing “platformization” of news consumption. While social media has overtaken news websites in some countries before, 2026 marks the first time it has done so across all 48 markets included in the survey. Social media and video platforms are now more popular than publishers’ own digital platforms in 30 markets, while websites and apps continue to lead mainly in parts of Europe and several Asian countries, including Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan.
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The report also found that 30% of respondents now consider social media and video platforms their main source of news, up from 22% five years ago. Meanwhile, the share of people relying exclusively on these platforms for news has doubled from 6% in 2020 to 12% in 2026, suggesting that more users are encountering news primarily through social feeds rather than visiting news outlets directly.
Younger audiences are leading the shift
Younger audiences are driving much of the shift. Among people aged 18 to 24, more than half (52%) now say social media, video platforms and AI chatbots are their primary source of news. News websites and apps are no longer the leading source for any age group globally, while television remains dominant only among people aged 45 and older.
Creators gain influence as video consumption grows
The report links the transition to the rapid growth of video-first platforms. Weekly online news video consumption reached 77% across all surveyed markets, with more people now watching news online than on broadcast television in 45 of the 48 countries covered. TikTok and Instagram recorded the fastest growth in news use, while YouTube remained a major source. Facebook continued to be the single largest social platform for news, used by 43% of respondents.
The rise of individual creators is also reshaping the news landscape. Around 27% of respondents said they get news from news-focused creators or influencers, while 46% consume news from creators of any kind. Although respondents described creators as more entertaining, relatable and easier to understand than traditional media, they generally viewed them as less trustworthy and less impartial. Most users still consume creator content alongside established news organizations rather than instead of them.
Trust declines as platform use rises
Despite social media’s growing role, trust in news continues to fall. Overall trust declined to 37%, the lowest level recorded since the Reuters Institute began tracking the measure in 2015, and fell in 29 of the 48 markets surveyed.
Researchers noted that the growing reliance on social media and other third-party platforms, which audiences generally trust less than traditional news organizations, is contributing to the broader decline in confidence. Concerns about misinformation also increased, with 62% of respondents saying they worry about distinguishing real from false information online.
