Social Media Tops TV as World’s Main News Source

Social media and short-form video platforms have overtaken television as the world’s most-used source of news for the first time, according to the Reuters Institute’s 2026 Digital News Report. The shift comes as public confidence in news sinks to its lowest level since the institute began tracking trust in 2015.

Global shift in how people get news
The report, which surveyed audiences across 48 markets, found that 54% of respondents used social media or video platforms for news in the week before the survey. That share rises to 56% when AI chatbots such as ChatGPT are included. Television use for news fell to 52%, while newspaper websites and apps reached 51%. Radio accounted for 21% of weekly news use.

Younger people are driving the change. Three in 10 respondents named social or video platforms as their main news source, and among those aged 18 to 24, half said platforms were their primary source.

TikTok, AI reshape the news diet
TikTok was the fastest-growing platform for news, used by 17% of respondents worldwide, up four percentage points from last year. The use of AI chatbots for news also rose sharply, particularly among people under 25, who adopt these tools at roughly double the rate of the general population.

But the move to platforms and AI has not brought greater confidence. Trust in news fell in 29 of the 48 markets studied, reaching the lowest overall level recorded by the Reuters Institute. Many survey participants voiced concern that AI-driven news and platform algorithms could reduce transparency and accuracy.

The trends have direct relevance for Filipino audiences and local media. Newsrooms in the Philippines already face economic pressure and audience fragmentation, and the global pivot toward algorithm-led platforms risks further weakening traditional revenue and editorial models. For readers, many of whom rely on social media and mobile platforms for fast updates, the shift underscores a trade-off: easier access to breaking news but greater exposure to unverified content and algorithmic echo chambers.