These are some of the key findings from the latest Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism’s Digital News Report – the ‘bible’ for news about the news.

So far, 2026 has been marked by uncertainty: political instability, economic pressures, changing media habits, and growing questions about where people can get information they trust. That uncertainty is reflected throughout the report.

People around the world describe feeling anxious, cynical, and, frankly, exhausted by the news. However, the report also points to something more complicated: people are not abandoning the news entirely. They are just finding it elsewhere – through social platforms, video, creators, and, increasingly, AI chatbots.

Missed the report? Don’t worry, Clear Europe has you covered. Here are our key takeaways:

Social media and video networks are the most widely used ways of accessing online news

For the first time, social media and video networks – like YouTube and TikTok – have overtaken TV, radio, newspapers, and news websites for media consumption.

According to the report, 54% of audiences globally use social media and video to access news online, compared with 52% for TV and 51% for news websites.

Social media is by far the most popular gateway to online news for under-35s, but also the most widely used means for over-35s. 42% of young people use Instagram to access the news, and 36% use TikTok.

However, this does not mean traditional news organisations are disappearing from the picture. When people consume news on social media and video networks, they are often still seeing content from established news providers, highlighting the importance for news organisations to expand their digital presence.

Trust and interest in news are at historic lows

The drift away from TV, radio and news websites is not only due to changing technology, but also because people are simply less interested in news altogether.

Since 2021, the proportion of people saying they are ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ interested in the news has fallen by 13 percentage points. This is concerning because a less engaged audience is harder to reach, harder to inform and harder to involve in the political process.

Trust is also moving in the wrong direction. In 2026, global trust in news dropped to 37% – the lowest figure since the Reuters Institute began measuring it in 2015.

Many people are simply avoiding the news altogether. 42% of people surveyed said they often or sometimes avoided the news. This is up from 29% in 2017.

For news organisations, these developments reveal a deeper challenge behind the platform shifts. People are not only changing where they get their news. They are also questioning whether they want it – and whether they even believe it.

The rise of AI news chatbots

Another trend worth noting is the growing use of AI chatbots to get news. The institute describes this phenomenon as a “fast increase” rather than a “sharp one,” but the reasons people are using these tools are just as important as the growth itself.

The report shows that AI chatbot users are drawn to the ability to ask follow-up questions, get faster answers, summarise complicated stories and pull together information from different outlets.

This is where the finding becomes especially important for news organisations. People are not just looking for more news. They are looking for news that is easier to understand, quicker to access and more useful in the moment.

The report says that news organisations can respond to some of these needs directly. There is a clear demand for simpler, more digestible writing. Clearer articles, summarised formats, explainers, and newsletters can all help anticipate what time-poor audiences are looking for.

The Reuters Institute also warns that trying to replicate generic AI tools may not be the way to go. Instead, news organisations may be better served by focusing on what makes their own journalism harder to replace: trusted sourcing, original reporting, clear explanations and work that adds value beyond what AI can quickly summarise.

The big picture

The 2026 Digital News Report shows that news organisations must work harder to gain the public’s trust and rekindle their viewers’ interest in news. This means addressing many concerns that the news is dominated by negativity, bias and constant crisis coverage.

At the same time, publishers need to meet people where they actually are. Increasingly, that means social media and video networks. News organisations must work to make journalism clearer, more useful and more trustworthy in the places where people now get their news.

Below, we break down the five key insights from the report – and what they mean for organisations trying to reach younger audiences.

1. Social platforms have overtaken traditional news gateways

A decade ago, young people actively sought out news on websites and apps. Today, news finds them – usually while they’re scrolling for something else.

Young audiences now encounter news more incidentally and less intentionally. They rarely go directly to news websites, and their connection to specific news brands is weaker as a result. This shift means communicators can no longer rely on audiences coming to them. Instead, content must be designed to meet young people where they already are in feeds, not on homepages.

2. Instagram, YouTube and TikTok dominate the news diet

Visual platforms have become the new front page. Instagram, YouTube and TikTok now play a central role in how young people access news, overtaking platforms like Facebook that once dominated their attention. TikTok’s rise is especially striking, reshaping expectations around tone, pace and storytelling.

These platforms reward short, visual, personality-driven content. For communicators, this means thinking in video, not text, and creating content that feels native to each platform rather than repurposed from traditional formats.

3. Video and audio are rising – but reading still matters

Young people consume more video and audio than older groups, but reading hasn’t disappeared. Short-form video is now a core part of how they understand the world, and podcasts have become a regular part of their media routines. Yet reading remains important, especially for depth and context.

The key insight is that young audiences want choice. They move fluidly between formats depending on time, mood and context. Communicators need to think in multi-format storytelling, not single-channel output.

4. Trust and interest in news are lower among young audiences

This generation is not disengaged, but they are more selective and more sceptical.

Young people express lower trust in news than older groups and show less interest in traditional news topics. Many say the news feels overwhelming, irrelevant or difficult to follow. This isn’t apathy. It’s a signal that traditional news often fails to connect with their lived experiences. Communicators must prioritise clarity, relevance and tone – and avoid assuming that younger audiences will “age into” traditional news habits.

5. Young people are early adopters of AI for news

AI is not a future trend – it’s already part of how young people navigate information.

They use chatbots to simplify complex stories, check sources and make sense of issues that feel inaccessible. They are also far more comfortable with AI-assisted journalism than older audiences. For communicators, this opens new opportunities: AI-ready formats, clearer explanations and content that anticipates the need for simplification.

What this means for communicators

Reaching young audiences requires more than posting on new platforms. It demands a shift in mindset:

• Meet them where they are – on social-first, visual platforms.
• Design for speed and clarity – short videos, clean visuals, jargon-free language.
• Build trust through transparency – explain your process, show your sources, be human.
• Experiment with AI – both as a tool for production and as a format young people already use.
• Think multi-format – video, audio, text and interactive content working together.

Young people aren’t rejecting news, they’re redefining it. Organisations that adapt to their habits and expectations will be best placed to connect with the next generation of informed citizens.

The session was led by Danny Scheinmann, a bestselling novelist, actor and award-winning screenwriter whose career spans more than three decades. Danny has worked across theatre, film and corporate communication, and has trained organisations such as the WHO, World Bank, Airbus, Microsoft and Unilever. His broad experience shaped a session that was grounded, accessible and highly relevant for anyone looking to strengthen how they communicate.

The masterclass opened with an exploration of why storytelling remains such an essential skill in professional environments. Rather than treating stories as something reserved for creative industries, the session highlighted how they help people understand ideas more clearly, relate to messages on a human level and stay engaged for longer. Whether used in presentations, policy communication, brand narratives or everyday workplace interactions, stories offer a way to make information more concrete and easier to follow.

A central part of the evening focused on the key ingredients that make stories resonate. Drawing on his experience as a writer and performer, Danny outlined six ingredients that give stories structure and impact.

6 Key storytelling ingredients

•  Context – grounding the audience in time, place or situation
•  Imagery – helping people visualise what is being described
•  An unanswered question – creating curiosity and forward momentum
•  Emotion – making the message relatable
•  A timeline – providing structure and direction
•  An ending – offering closure or a clear takeaway

These elements can be applied to both personal anecdotes and professional communication. The goal is not to dramatise information, but to make it clearer, more human and easier for audiences to connect with. Participants were encouraged to think about how even simple messages can become more engaging when shaped with intention.

Another theme running through the masterclass was the responsibility that comes with storytelling. Because stories influence how people think and feel, they can be used constructively or misused. Or as Danny said: “Storytelling is like a hammer. You can build or destroy with it.” 

The discussion emphasised the importance of being intentional about the stories we choose to tell, the messages we highlight and the impact we want to create. In environments where accuracy and trust matter, storytelling requires awareness and care. Understanding the audience was also a key point throughout the session. Effective communication depends on knowing what the audience values, what they already understand and what they need clarified. Tailoring a story to the audience’s perspective helps ensure that the message lands in a way that feels relevant and meaningful.

Throughout the evening, Danny shared examples from his work across writing, acting and corporate training, illustrating how structure, emotion and clarity can transform even straightforward messages. The masterclass created space for discussion and reflection on how storytelling can strengthen communication in the Brussels environment, where messages are often technical or complex.

The session reinforced the idea that storytelling is not an optional skill, but an essential part of how organisations explain their work, connect with audiences and make complex ideas easier to understand.