Public confidence in traditional journalism has plummeted to an unprecedented low worldwide, according to a comprehensive global study surveying nearly 100,000 individuals across 48 markets. Global trust in news has fallen to just 37%, reflecting a growing disconnect between mainstream media outlets and the audiences they serve. In the United Kingdom, trust dropped to 30%, marking a steep 20-percentage-point decline over the past decade. Meanwhile, in the United States, overall trust stands at a mere 25%, with confidence dropping even lower—to 15%—among politically right-leaning citizens.

This erosion of trust is heavily tied to audience fatigue and skepticism regarding how major publishers cover polarizing, long-running issues such as inflation, immigration, and global conflicts. Consequently, major American networks have suffered significant reputational hits; trust in both CBS News and Fox News has dropped by 10 percentage points, while CNN experienced a six-point decline. Despite this skepticism toward traditional reporting, the public’s demand for impartial, objective news remains remarkably resilient, showing only a minor decline in support since 2020.

As traditional formats lose their grip, news consumption habits are undergoing a massive digital transformation. More than half of all consumers now turn to third-party platforms, including social media and video networks, to get their daily updates. Online news video has officially entered the mainstream, with 77% of global respondents consuming news in this format weekly. In almost every surveyed market—excluding Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands—online video has now surpassed traditional broadcast television as a primary news source.

Interestingly, while audiences are migrating to social media and video platforms, they remain highly skeptical of the information found there. Trust in news distributed via social media sits at just 22%, and only 10% of respondents feel that independent content creators and influencers fully meet their news needs. Furthermore, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence are failing to win over the public; only 20% of users trust news answers provided by AI chatbots, even though weekly usage of these tools has risen to 10% globally, and 16% among adults under the age of 35.

Key Takeaways

• Global trust in news has fallen to an all-time low of 37%, with the US and UK seeing particularly sharp declines in public confidence.
• Online video has become a dominant news medium, with 77% of global audiences watching news videos weekly, outperforming traditional broadcast TV in most markets.
• Despite growing usage of social media and AI chatbots for news, public trust in these platforms remains incredibly low at 22% and 20%, respectively.

Editor’s Analysis & Impact

The dramatic decline in media trust represents a systemic crisis for traditional journalism, but it also highlights a massive market opportunity for innovative publishers. The data reveals a paradox: while audiences are deeply cynical of mainstream coverage and are migrating to social media and online video for accessibility, they do not actually trust these alternative platforms. This ‘trust gap’ suggests that the public is not rejecting journalism itself, but rather the traditional formats and perceived biases of legacy media. To survive, media organizations must pivot toward highly engaging, transparent, and video-first storytelling without compromising on impartiality. Furthermore, the slow adoption and low trust in AI-generated news indicate that human editorial oversight remains a crucial asset. Publishers who can successfully bridge the gap between modern, accessible video formats and rigorous, objective reporting will likely lead the next era of digital media.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why is trust in traditional news outlets declining so rapidly?
A: Audiences are expressing growing anxiety, cynicism, and disengagement, largely driven by dissatisfaction with how mainstream publishers cover complex, ongoing issues like inflation, immigration, and international conflicts.

Q: Are social media influencers replacing traditional journalists?
A: No. While more people use social media for news, only 10% of respondents feel that influencers and independent creators meet their actual news needs. Most view them as a supplement to, rather than a replacement for, traditional reporting.

Q: How popular is AI as a source of news?
A: While weekly usage of AI chatbots for news has grown to 10% globally (and 16% among those under 35), public trust in AI-generated news answers remains very low at just 20%.