Full Breakdown
Global Trust in News Hits Record Low as Social Platforms Overtake Traditional Sources
6/17/2026, 9:21:32 PM
Core Findings: Trust at Historic Low and Platform Shift
The Reuters Institute’s 2026 Digital News Report, based on an online survey of nearly 100,000 respondents in 48 markets, shows global trust in news at 37 %, the lowest level recorded since the series began in 2015. Trust fell in 29 markets, with double-digit drops in the Philippines (-10 pts), Ireland (-9 pts), Thailand, Peru and Poland (-8 pts each). In the United States only 25 % say they trust most news most of the time, and just 15 % of right-leaning Americans do so. The United Kingdom’s figure slipped to 30 %, five points lower than a year earlier.
Simultaneously, 54 % of audiences now access news primarily through third-party platforms (social media and video networks), overtaking news-website and app usage (51 %). Online news video is watched weekly by 77 % of the global sample, outpacing broadcast TV in all markets except Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands.
Background & Context: Decade-Long Decline and Digital Evolution
Since the Institute began measuring trust in 2015, confidence in news has eroded steadily, driven by “anxiety, disengagement and cynicism” over coverage of immigration, inflation and international conflict. The rise of algorithm-driven feeds and the proliferation of creators have reshaped how audiences discover news, a shift the Institute describes as a “drift” rather than a sudden migration.
Data & Statistics: Global and Country-Level Trust Figures
- Global trust: 37 % (record low)
- US trust: 25 % (right-leaning 15 %)
- UK trust: 30 % (down 5 pts)
- Ireland trust: 42 % (down from 51 %); local radio trusted by 71 %; news avoidance 47 %
- Greece trust: 18 % (down 4 pts); AI chatbot use 12 %
- Hungary trust: 17 % (lowest among surveyed markets)
- AI chatbot usage for news: 10 % globally (? 3 pts), 16 % among under-35s; trust in chatbot answers 20 %
- Fake-news concern: 62 % of respondents
Key Figures & Groups: Lead Authors, Institutes, and Regional Voices
- Jim Egan, lead author of the Digital News Report, highlighted the “relentless competition for attention” facing news audiences.
- Joanna Webster, Reuters global editor for agency news strategy, warned of a gap between audience expectations and delivered journalism.
- Prof Jane Suiter (DCU Institute for Media, Democracy and Society) emphasized the importance of local radio in Ireland.
- Stacey Wood, Chief Executive of New Zealand’s Broadcasting Standards Authority, linked low trust to heightened bias perception.
Why It Matters: Implications for Journalism, Politics, and Public Discourse
Declining trust threatens the legitimacy of democratic debate, fuels news avoidance (global 42 %, UK 50 %), and encourages political actors to bypass traditional media, as illustrated by Poland’s former president launching a YouTube show. The shift to less-trusted platforms also amplifies concerns about misinformation and “information slop,” prompting calls for AI-labeling regulations and public investment in quality journalism.
Official Statements & Responses
Egan noted that audiences “deal each day with relentless competition for their attention online” and that “people still believe in what news at its best can be.” Webster described the central challenge as “closing the gap between what audiences believe journalism should be and what they feel they’re getting.” Suiter highlighted that “the strong trust in local outlets also speaks to the importance of a continuing robust regional news offering.”
Criticism & Opposition
Stakeholders warn that fake-news concerns (62 % of respondents) and the perception that news is biased—especially in New Zealand where low trust correlates with higher bias complaints—undermine democratic discourse. In the United States, right-leaning audiences exhibit the lowest trust levels, while major broadcasters such as CBS and Fox have each lost ten points of trust year-on-year.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Trust figures vary sharply: global average 37 % versus Hungary’s 17 % and Ireland’s 42 %. AI chatbot trust is uniformly low (20 %) but usage differs—12 % in Greece, 6 % in the United States—leaving gaps in understanding regional adoption drivers.
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
- “The challenge, of course, is closing the gap between what audiences believe journalism should be and what they feel they're getting,” — Joanna Webster, Reuters
- “One factor likely to be affecting adoption of AI chatbots for news is perceived trustworthiness,” — Reuters Institute
- “The strong trust in local outlets also speaks to the importance of a continuing robust regional news offering in the country,” — Prof Jane Suiter
What’s Next: AI Labeling, Public Investment, and New Strategies
South Korea’s AI Act now requires labeling of AI-generated news, while Australia has launched a AU$180.5 million News Media Assistance Program. The Institute warns that without “new ways to meet audiences where they are,” trust may continue to erode, prompting media organisations to experiment with creator collaborations, subscription models, and transparent AI tools.
