Social media and video platforms have become the most widely used global pathway to news for the first time, according to the Reuters Institute’s 2026 Digital News Report covering 48 markets.
The annual study found that 54 percent of audiences across surveyed countries now identify social and video networks as a primary news source, surpassing both television and news organizations’ own websites and apps. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook were among the platforms driving the shift.
Usage of TV news and publisher-owned digital properties has declined by double-digit margins since 2020 in many markets. The report described a second wave of platform disruption affecting outlets that had already lost ground to the internet’s first expansion.
Researchers noted that 77 percent of people globally consume online news video each week, but much of that viewing occurs on third-party platforms rather than on publisher sites. The milestone reflects how algorithmic feeds and short-form video have reshaped news discovery.
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Sources:
https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2026/dnr-executive-summary