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Young people abandoning traditional news for social media, report finds

From Confidencial · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Global news consumption is shifting away from traditional media like television and websites towards social media and video platforms, especially among young people.
  • A significant portion of young adults, particularly those under 25, are not engaging with traditional news sources like TV news or news websites.
  • Despite increased reliance on social media for news, trust in these platforms remains low, creating an ironic situation where people use sources they trust less.

The Reuters Digital News Report 2026 reveals a concerning trend in how people, especially the youth, consume news. The study, presented at Deutsche Welle's Global Media Forum, highlights a significant decline in the use of traditional news sources such as television and dedicated news websites.

The data from this year are worrying in many respects.

— Jim EganJim Egan, lead author of the Reuters Digital News Report, expresses concern over the current state of news consumption trends.

For the first time, social media and video platforms have surpassed traditional media as the primary news sources globally. While overall social media use hasn't dramatically increased, there's a noticeable drop in engagement with established news offerings. This shift is particularly pronounced among younger demographics, with over a third of U.S. individuals under 25 reporting they have never regularly used TV news or news websites.

We want to provide data and comparative analysis for a sector that is full of opinions, but doesn't always know exactly what's really going on.

— Jim EganJim Egan explains the report's objective to provide factual data in a field often dominated by speculation.

"They are not only abandoning them, but they are not even starting to use them," noted Jim Egan, the report's lead author. Ironically, as people increasingly turn to social media and video platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram for news, their trust in these sources diminishes. This creates a paradox where individuals rely more on platforms they inherently trust less.

The use of social media itself is not increasing particularly noticeably. What we are observing, however, is a decline in the use of other platforms, such as, for example, television news.

— Jim EganJim Egan highlights the shift in news consumption, noting a decrease in traditional media usage while social media's overall growth is not the primary driver.

The report also underscores the growing importance of video content, with three-quarters of respondents watching news videos weekly. However, traditional media outlets are not benefiting from this surge, as users often engage with videos on social platforms rather than directly on media company sites. This trend poses a significant challenge for the sustainability of traditional journalism in the digital age.

They are not only abandoning them, but they are not even starting to use them.

— Jim EganJim Egan describes the disengagement of young people from traditional news sources.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Confidencial in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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