Social media, video platforms surpass traditional outlets as leading news sources: report

While interest in news is decreasing, trust in news is at its lowest level globally since 2015; At the same time, more people around the world are accessing news through third-party platforms such as social media and video networks, rather than through the websites and television channels of established news brands, according to 15.^he Edition of the Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report.

The report, prepared in collaboration with the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, is based on an online survey of nearly 1 lakh people across 48 markets across the world.

The research found that consumption patterns are changing as viewers become less interested in news; Despite this, trust in established news brands and support for the idea of ​​unbiased news continues. But globally, social media and video networks (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube) have surpassed news organizations’ own websites and apps as the most widely used means of accessing news.

The proportion of people using social media and video networks as their main news source has also increased; The research found that although this trend was more pronounced among younger viewers, it was common across all age groups. It also turns out that younger generations are less likely to pick up their parents’ news habits, such as reading newspapers. The research revealed that older viewers are actually moving towards the consumption habits of younger viewers.

Using artificial intelligence for news

The research also found that there has been an increase in the use of AI chatbots as a means of accessing news, with 10% of respondents worldwide now using them. This is especially true for viewers under 35. Paradoxically, as traditional news sources decline with the emergence of platforms, people are also becoming more concerned about misinformation and less trusting of the news they encounter.

Increase in video consumption

There has been a significant increase in the consumption of online news videos. The research found that 77% of the global sample watches online news videos every week. But they consume them not on news sites or apps, but on third-party platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

The research also highlighted the role of content creators in the news ecosystem: About 27% of respondents get their news through content creators, but these have not necessarily replaced traditional media outlets, only complemented them. While creators score lower for trust and objectivity, they are seen as more entertaining and easier to understand than traditional media. This shows that the popularity of creators and online videos doesn’t mean people don’t want news anymore; This just shows that they wanted it to be more accessible and relatable, the study said.