Key findings: Audiences are shifting away from direct news websites and turning to video networks, social media, and generative AI chatbots for content, according to the 2026 Reuters Institute Digital News Report. For the first time globally, social media and video networks have overtaken news organizations’ own apps/websites as a source of news (54% and 51%, respectively).

• 77% of people globally consume online news videos weekly. YouTube led the pack at 34%, followed by Instagram (26%) and TikTok (20%).
• 10% of respondents now use dedicated AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Google Gemini for news weekly, driven mostly by younger "power consumers."
• Global trust in news fell to its lowest recorded level since tracking began in 2015, dropping to 37%; with extreme/very high interest in the news falling by 13 percentage points since 2021.
• Around 27% of global respondents get news weekly from independent creators or influencers. However, only 3% rely solely on creators for their information needs.

Zooming in: The report highlights a paradox regarding US users. While US reliance on third-party platforms for news continues to grow, so do explicit worries regarding misinformation. The data suggests that for most consumers, digital convenience ultimately surpasses these anxieties.

In the US, 65% of respondents agree that they are concerned about what is real or fake on the internet, making it a market with above-average worry behind higher-concern nations including Nigeria and Kenya. The UK and Australia also show above-average concerns.

This elevated concern directly intersects with the drop in overall news trust, which fell to 25% in the US. As more Americans drift toward social media channels where they frequently encounter suspected misinformation, overall trust metrics are pushed downward.

Implications for marketers: Audiences cite individual creators as more entertaining, relatable, and easier to understand than corporate entities. Because users naturally trust individual personalities over institutional brands, marketers should utilize influencer partnerships over traditional display ads to target hard-to-reach or younger demographics.

With 85% of US adults very or somewhat concerned about deepfakes per YouGov and 62% of global internet users also worried about AI slop and fake news, consumers are viewing digital channels with unprecedented skepticism, per the report. Marketers must ensure their brand campaigns are highly transparent, verified, and contextualized.