The 2025 “Digital News Report” by Reuters Institute reveals a continuing shift away from traditional news media toward social platforms and creator-driven content, with significant implications for how information reaches global audiences. Traditional media outlets struggle with declining engagement and stagnant digital subscriptions, while independent creators and video platforms are gaining prominence in the news ecosystem.
Platform Fragmentation Accelerates
News consumption across online platforms continues to fragment, with six networks now reaching more than 10% of users weekly with news content, compared to just two a decade ago. Approximately one-third of global respondents use Facebook (36%) and YouTube (30%) for news each week, while Instagram and WhatsApp each serve about one-fifth (19%) of news consumers. TikTok reaches 16% of users, ahead of X at 12%.
The report identifies X usage as stable or increasing across many markets, with the most significant growth in the United States (+8 percentage points), Australia (+6), and Poland (+6). Since Elon Musk's acquisition in 2023, more right-leaning users, particularly young men, have joined the platform, while some progressive audiences have departed or reduced usage. Rival networks, such as Threads, Bluesky, and Mastodon, have shown minimal impact globally, with a news reach of 2% or less.
Video Format Dominates News Consumption
Changing platform strategies drive continued growth in video as a news source. Across all markets, the proportion of consumers consuming social video has increased from 52% in 2020 to 65% in 2025, and the percentage of any video has increased from 67% to 75%. In the Philippines, Thailand, Kenya, and India, an increasing number of people now prefer to watch news rather than read it, encouraging a shift toward personality-led news creators.
The report highlights news podcasting as increasingly important for reaching younger, better-educated audiences. The United States has one of the highest proportions (15%) of people accessing one or more news podcasts weekly, with many now being filmed and distributed via video platforms such as YouTube and TikTok.
Creator Economy Grows in News Influence
Personalities and influencers play a key role in shaping public debates in many countries. In the United States, 22% of respondents encountered news or commentary from podcaster Joe Rogan in the week following the presidential inauguration, with a disproportionate number of young men in this audience. In France, young news creator Hugo Travers (HugoDécrypte) reaches 22% of under-35s with content distributed primarily via YouTube and TikTok.
The report identifies TikTok as the fastest-growing social and video network, adding a further 4 percentage points across markets for news consumption and reaching 49% of the online sample in Thailand (+10 percentage points) and 40% in Malaysia (+9). Simultaneously, users in these markets view the platform as one of the biggest threats to the spread of false or misleading information, alongside Facebook.
Trust and Misinformation Concerns
Over half of respondents (58%) express concern about distinguishing true from false information online, a proportion similar to last year's but four percentage points higher than in 2022. Concern is highest in Africa (73%) and the United States (73%), with the lowest levels in Western Europe (46%).
Online influencers and personalities are perceived as the biggest threat worldwide (47%) in terms of sources of false or misleading information, tied with national politicians (47%). Concern about influencers is highest in African countries, such as Nigeria (58%) and Kenya (59%), while politicians are considered the biggest threat in the United States (57%), Spain (57%), and parts of Eastern Europe.
Despite these concerns, the public remains divided on whether social media companies should remove more or less content that may be false or harmful but not illegal. Respondents in the UK and Germany are most likely to say too little content is being removed, while those in the U.S. are split along political lines.
AI Emerges as News Tool
AI chatbots and interfaces emerge as a news source as search engines and other platforms integrate real-time news. Weekly usage remains relatively small overall (7%) but is significantly higher among under-25s (15%).
Publishers exploring AI for news personalization face mixed reactions from their audience. Some users worry about missing important stories, while others show enthusiasm for making news more accessible or relevant. Popular AI applications include summarization (27%), translating stories into different languages (24%), better story recommendations (21%), and using chatbots to ask questions about news (18%).
Audiences across most countries remain skeptical about AI in news and prefer use cases where humans maintain oversight. Respondents expect AI will make news cheaper to produce (+29 net difference) and more up-to-date (+16), but less transparent (-8), less accurate (-8), and less trustworthy (-18).
Subscription Models Hit Ceiling
As publishers diversify revenue streams, digital subscription growth continues to stall. The proportion of people paying for online news remains stable at 18% across 20 wealthy countries, with most consumers being satisfied with free offerings. Norway (42%) and Sweden (31%) have the highest proportion of paying users, while 20% of users pay in the United States. By contrast, payment rates remain low in Greece and Serbia (7%) and Croatia (6%).
In the United States, The New York Times has extended its lead over competitors, partly through its successful all-access subscription, which includes games, recipes, audio, sports, and product reviews. Some publishers marketing bundled "all-access" subscriptions see growth, particularly in Norway, where +Alt from Amedia now reaches 16% of subscribers.
Importance of Trusted Brands Persists
Despite challenges, trusted news brands continue to be valuable resources when users seek to verify information. The largest proportion of respondents say they would first consult news outlets they trust (38%), official sources (35%), and fact-checkers (25%) rather than social media (14%) when checking potentially false information.
In the UK, Germany, and Japan, the majority—including those from both left and right—indicate they would turn to public service broadcasters or their websites (BBC News, ARD, and NHK) for verification, while in the United States, people prefer the news brand that aligns with their political views.
The report finds that overall trust in news (40%) has remained stable for the third consecutive year, even if it remains four points lower than during the coronavirus pandemic. This stability suggests that while consumption patterns evolve, audiences continue to recognize the value of established journalistic standards.
All images are credited to Reuters Institute. More information is available here.
David Adler is an entrepreneur and freelance blog post writer who enjoys writing about business, entrepreneurship, travel and the influencer marketing space.
The 2025 “Digital News Report” by Reuters Institute reveals a continuing shift away from traditional news media toward social platforms and creator-driven content, with significant implications for how information reaches global audiences. Traditional media outlets struggle with declining engagement and stagnant digital subscriptions, while independent creators and video platforms are gaining prominence in the news ecosystem.
Platform Fragmentation Accelerates
News consumption across online platforms continues to fragment, with six networks now reaching more than 10% of users weekly with news content, compared to just two a decade ago. Approximately one-third of global respondents use Facebook (36%) and YouTube (30%) for news each week, while Instagram and WhatsApp each serve about one-fifth (19%) of news consumers. TikTok reaches 16% of users, ahead of X at 12%.
The report identifies X usage as stable or increasing across many markets, with the most significant growth in the United States (+8 percentage points), Australia (+6), and Poland (+6). Since Elon Musk's acquisition in 2023, more right-leaning users, particularly young men, have joined the platform, while some progressive audiences have departed or reduced usage. Rival networks, such as Threads, Bluesky, and Mastodon, have shown minimal impact globally, with a news reach of 2% or less.
Video Format Dominates News Consumption
Changing platform strategies drive continued growth in video as a news source. Across all markets, the proportion of consumers consuming social video has increased from 52% in 2020 to 65% in 2025, and the percentage of any video has increased from 67% to 75%. In the Philippines, Thailand, Kenya, and India, an increasing number of people now prefer to watch news rather than read it, encouraging a shift toward personality-led news creators.
The report highlights news podcasting as increasingly important for reaching younger, better-educated audiences. The United States has one of the highest proportions (15%) of people accessing one or more news podcasts weekly, with many now being filmed and distributed via video platforms such as YouTube and TikTok.
Creator Economy Grows in News Influence
Personalities and influencers play a key role in shaping public debates in many countries. In the United States, 22% of respondents encountered news or commentary from podcaster Joe Rogan in the week following the presidential inauguration, with a disproportionate number of young men in this audience. In France, young news creator Hugo Travers (HugoDécrypte) reaches 22% of under-35s with content distributed primarily via YouTube and TikTok.
The report identifies TikTok as the fastest-growing social and video network, adding a further 4 percentage points across markets for news consumption and reaching 49% of the online sample in Thailand (+10 percentage points) and 40% in Malaysia (+9). Simultaneously, users in these markets view the platform as one of the biggest threats to the spread of false or misleading information, alongside Facebook.
Trust and Misinformation Concerns
Over half of respondents (58%) express concern about distinguishing true from false information online, a proportion similar to last year's but four percentage points higher than in 2022. Concern is highest in Africa (73%) and the United States (73%), with the lowest levels in Western Europe (46%).
Online influencers and personalities are perceived as the biggest threat worldwide (47%) in terms of sources of false or misleading information, tied with national politicians (47%). Concern about influencers is highest in African countries, such as Nigeria (58%) and Kenya (59%), while politicians are considered the biggest threat in the United States (57%), Spain (57%), and parts of Eastern Europe.
Despite these concerns, the public remains divided on whether social media companies should remove more or less content that may be false or harmful but not illegal. Respondents in the UK and Germany are most likely to say too little content is being removed, while those in the U.S. are split along political lines.
AI Emerges as News Tool
AI chatbots and interfaces emerge as a news source as search engines and other platforms integrate real-time news. Weekly usage remains relatively small overall (7%) but is significantly higher among under-25s (15%).
Publishers exploring AI for news personalization face mixed reactions from their audience. Some users worry about missing important stories, while others show enthusiasm for making news more accessible or relevant. Popular AI applications include summarization (27%), translating stories into different languages (24%), better story recommendations (21%), and using chatbots to ask questions about news (18%).
Audiences across most countries remain skeptical about AI in news and prefer use cases where humans maintain oversight. Respondents expect AI will make news cheaper to produce (+29 net difference) and more up-to-date (+16), but less transparent (-8), less accurate (-8), and less trustworthy (-18).
Subscription Models Hit Ceiling
As publishers diversify revenue streams, digital subscription growth continues to stall. The proportion of people paying for online news remains stable at 18% across 20 wealthy countries, with most consumers being satisfied with free offerings. Norway (42%) and Sweden (31%) have the highest proportion of paying users, while 20% of users pay in the United States. By contrast, payment rates remain low in Greece and Serbia (7%) and Croatia (6%).
In the United States, The New York Times has extended its lead over competitors, partly through its successful all-access subscription, which includes games, recipes, audio, sports, and product reviews. Some publishers marketing bundled "all-access" subscriptions see growth, particularly in Norway, where +Alt from Amedia now reaches 16% of subscribers.
Importance of Trusted Brands Persists
Despite challenges, trusted news brands continue to be valuable resources when users seek to verify information. The largest proportion of respondents say they would first consult news outlets they trust (38%), official sources (35%), and fact-checkers (25%) rather than social media (14%) when checking potentially false information.
In the UK, Germany, and Japan, the majority—including those from both left and right—indicate they would turn to public service broadcasters or their websites (BBC News, ARD, and NHK) for verification, while in the United States, people prefer the news brand that aligns with their political views.
The report finds that overall trust in news (40%) has remained stable for the third consecutive year, even if it remains four points lower than during the coronavirus pandemic. This stability suggests that while consumption patterns evolve, audiences continue to recognize the value of established journalistic standards.
All images are credited to Reuters Institute.
More information is available here.
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