Full Breakdown
Global Trust in News Hits Record Low as Audiences Turn to Social Platforms and AI
6/16/2026, 10:02:19 PM
Record Low Trust in News Worldwide
The Reuters Institute’s fifteenth Digital News Report shows that confidence in news has fallen to its lowest level since the series began in 2015. Global trust stands at 37 %, down three points from the previous year. In the United Kingdom it is 30 %, a five-point drop, while the United States records 25 % overall and only 15 % among right-leaning respondents. The steepest national declines are in the Philippines (-10 points) and Ireland (-9 points). Hungary registers the lowest trust at 17 %, followed closely by Greece at 18 %.
Shift Toward Third-Party Platforms
For the first time, social media and video platforms have overtaken news-organisation websites and apps as the primary online news gateway. 54 % of respondents now access news via third-party platforms compared with 51 % who use news sites or apps. Video consumption is especially strong: 77 % of the global sample watch online news video each week, and the share that cites social or video networks as their main news source has risen to 30 % from 22 % five years ago. Among 18-24-year-olds, 52 % rely on these platforms, while 44 % of 25-34-year-olds do the same.
AI chat-bots are emerging as a niche source: 10 % of all respondents use them for news, up three points from 2025, with usage climbing to 16 % among those under 35 and 17 % among 18-24-year-olds. Trust in AI-generated answers remains low at 20 %, well below the overall 37 % trust in news.
Key Data Highlights
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Global news trust | 37 % |
| UK news trust | 30 % |
| US news trust | 25 % (15 % right-leaning) |
| Hungary trust | 17 % |
| Greece trust | 18 % |
| Audience using third-party platforms | 54 % |
| Weekly online news video viewers | 77 % |
| Main source: social/video (all ages) | 30 % |
| AI chatbot news users (global) | 10 % |
| Trust in AI chatbot answers | 20 % |
| News influencers providing some news | 27 % (news-focused) / 46 % (any creators) |
| Respondents paying for online news | 17 % |
Why the Decline Matters
The erosion of trust coincides with heightened concerns about misinformation: 62 % of participants cite fake-news worries. In Greece, a majority believe media are subject to “undue political and business influence,” reflecting broader scepticism about the information environment. Lower confidence in traditional outlets may encourage reliance on less-vetted sources, amplifying the risk of misinformation and undermining democratic discourse. At the same time, creators are perceived as more entertaining and easier to understand, yet they rank lower on impartiality and trust, highlighting a trade-off between accessibility and credibility.
Official Statements & Responses
The Reuters Institute attributes the slump to a mix of anxiety, disengagement and cynicism toward coverage of long-running issues such as immigration, inflation and international conflict. Lead author Jim Egan notes that “news audiences deal each day with relentless competition for their attention online,” acknowledging both disengagement and the continued belief in the value of impartial journalism. The report also stresses that creators “complement rather than replace” traditional media, and that perceived trustworthiness is a key barrier to broader AI-chatbot adoption.
Criticism & Opposition
Critics point to the prevalence of fake news and the perception that social platforms are less reliable, a view echoed by the 62 % of respondents concerned about misinformation. In Greece, the belief that media are heavily politicised fuels news avoidance, with 60 % of Greek respondents saying they sometimes or often skip news altogether. The rise of AI-generated content has already produced “unverified or erroneous” stories in Greece, despite the Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers adopting an AI code of ethics in 2025; disclosure of AI involvement remains rare.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Our data points to a mix of anxiety, disengagement and cynicism from audiences, many of whom don't like the way publishers are covering long-running news stories such as immigration, inflation and international conflict,” — Reuters Institute
- “The popularity of creators and online video is not evidence that people no longer want news, but it suggests they want news to feel more accessible, more understandable, and more relevant to their lives.” — Reuters Institute
- “News audiences deal each day with relentless competition for their attention online. We shouldn’t be surprised that some choose to disengage, others opt to rely on whatever their feeds bring, and many are unsure what to trust. But people still believe in what news at its best can be and continue largely to trust news providers they are most familiar with – the mandate for news remains, even as the context of the news and information environment becomes more challenging.” — Jim Egan, lead author
- “One factor likely to be affecting adoption of AI chatbots for news is perceived trustworthiness,” — Reuters Institute
- “Greeks overwhelmingly believe that the country’s media are subject to undue political and business influence,” — Reuters Institute
- “politicians going direct to audiences as news creators,” — Reuters Institute (referring to former Polish president Andrzej Duda launching a show on Kanal Zero)
What’s Next
The report anticipates continued growth in AI-chatbot usage, especially among highly engaged news consumers, while creators are likely to expand their role in news discovery without supplanting legacy outlets. Payment for online news remains flat at 17 %, suggesting monetisation challenges persist. Policymakers and platforms may face increasing pressure to improve transparency around AI-generated content and to address the credibility gap that fuels reliance on less-trusted sources.
