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The 2025 Digital News Report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford surveys trends in online news consumption across more than 40 countries, covering over half the world’s population. The research is led by Nic Newman, with input from a global team of journalists and media analysts. The report highlights large shifts in how people access and trust news, as well as the economic pressures facing publishers.
One of the most striking findings is that across major markets, less than a third of survey respondents say they trust most news most of the time. This figure is near historic lows for the Digital News Report, which has tracked trust for over a decade. The reason for this drop ties directly to the spread of misinformation and high levels of political polarization, especially in election years.
Social media has overtaken direct news site access in more than half the countries surveyed. Platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube are now the main gateway to news for a majority of users in countries such as Brazil, Nigeria, and India. This shift is driven by younger audiences, with 18- to 24-year-olds globally more likely to go to TikTok or Instagram for news than to a traditional brand’s website.
The percentage of people paying for online news remains stuck at around 17% in markets like the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The report finds that most digital news subscriptions are concentrated among older, highly educated, and wealthier users. This pattern is clearest in Nordic countries such as Norway, where over 30% pay for news, compared to less than 10% in southern Europe.
The economic environment for publishers remains challenging. Advertising revenue for digital news has grown more slowly than inflation in nearly every market covered, according to the report. The main reason is competition from global tech platforms, which draw a larger share of brand budgets each year. A small number of publishers, including The New York Times and The Guardian, now rely on a mix of digital subscriptions, live events, and philanthropic support to survive.
Concerns about misinformation are especially acute around artificial intelligence. The report notes that nearly 60% of all survey respondents say they are worried about what is real or fake on the internet. This anxiety is highest in countries such as the United States and the Philippines, where deepfake videos and AI-generated text have already influenced public debate.
News avoidance remains high, with around 40% of people in the United Kingdom and Australia reporting that they sometimes or often avoid the news. The reason most cited is that news is perceived as depressing or irrelevant to their daily lives. This pattern has been amplified by a constant cycle of crisis coverage, particularly around the economy and climate change.
The report also documents a rapid rise in the use of podcasts as a preferred news format. In countries like Sweden and Spain, more than 30% of respondents say they listen to news podcasts each week, up from just 12% five years ago. This growth is largely driven by young adults and is changing the economics of digital news, as publishers race to capture new advertising dollars and loyalty with audio content.