Why has trust in news fallen to its lowest recorded level?

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Trust in news has fallen because audiences are shifting to platforms and formats they generally trust less, alongside broader declines in trust in institutions and leaders.
The Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026 says trust in news has dropped in 29 of 48 markets, bringing overall trust to 37%, the lowest level recorded since measurements began in 2015. The report links this decline to changes in the news consumption mix, including a move toward social media, video networks, and AI chatbots, which are generally trusted less than traditional news media.
Trust has dropped across most markets and hit a 2015 low at 37%
The report states that trust in news fell in 29 of the 48 markets surveyed, and overall trust dropped to 37%, the lowest level recorded since 2015. It also notes that interest in news has fallen since 2021, with the share of people saying they are “extremely” or “very” interested in news down by an average of 13% across markets.
The consumption shift toward social media, video networks, and AI chatbots is tied to lower trust
A key factor identified is that social media and video networks have long been trusted less than traditional news media, so trust is prone to decline as more people get news from those channels instead of legacy sources. The report highlights growing use of AI chatbots for news, where 10% of people use AI chatbots for news (up from 7% last year), and it frames this as part of a broader drift away from traditional publishers.
News creators and influencers are gaining users, but are viewed as less trustworthy and less impartial
The report also points to the rise of independent news creators and influencers, with 27% of respondents globally getting some news from news-focused individual creators or influencers, and 46% getting some news from creators of any type. It says audiences describe creators as more entertaining, easier to understand, and more relatable than traditional outlets, while also believing creators are less trustworthy and less impartial.
Broader declines in trust in institutions and attacks on journalism are adding to the pressure
Beyond the media consumption shift, the report says wider anxieties are affecting trust, with trust in institutions and leaders widely declining. It also states that journalism is often under direct attack from high-profile politicians, and it links the overall reduction in trust in news to these broader trends.

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Why has trust in news fallen to its lowest recorded level?

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