The original version of this article was published in Italian by the same author on 26 May 2025.
The 2025 edition of the Digital News Report by the Reuters Institute at the University of Oxford has once again cemented its place as one of the most anticipated publications in the media industry. Newsrooms and media professionals devoured the findings – some confirmed old suspicions, while many raised new, urgent questions.
While traditional journalism continues to face existential challenges, public trust in news has remained relatively stable at 40% over the past three years.
Spanning 48 markets across six continents, the report reveals how global trends are increasingly shaped by social media. Yet, a notable divide is emerging across the Atlantic.
In the United States, political and cultural polarization is intensifying. A key flashpoint? The very definition of free speech. While Americans remain deeply divided, Europeans tend to take a more restrictive stance on this foundational concept.
Celeste Satta, a sociologist of communication and collaborator with the University of Turin’s journalism master’s program—which now partners with the Reuters Institute – helped interpret the report’s often contradictory signals from within today’s complex information ecosystems.
The most-watched content creators among respondents in the United States. Chart: Digital News Report 2025.
News that endure in a shifting landscape
Social media’s role as a source of news has surged—what some have dubbed the “Trump effect,” a nod to the media magnetism of the current US president—before settling into a new normal.
Roughly a third of respondents say they get news via Facebook, with YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp following closely behind. Fewer than one in five use X – formerly Twitter –, though its male user base has grown since Elon Musk’s acquisition.
“I anticipated TikTok’s rise, and that’s been confirmed,” Satta noted. “As for X, we expected a drop in engagement, but the platform has remained surprisingly stable, even post-Musk.”
Video continues its rapid ascent, threatening to erode traditional TV and radio audiences. Yet, Satta urges caution in overestimating this trend.
“It’s still a niche phenomenon, catering to users who want quick updates to stay in the loop on major events. In Italy, especially, where the population skews older, this shift is more subdued.”
National broadcasters like the BBC—and their Italian counterparts—still command the public’s trust, serving as primary reference points for verifying information.
“People no longer turn to X for news. They’re there, if at all, for the spectacle – waiting to see what its owner might say next,” Satta added. As for competitors like Threads and Bluesky, she said, “they remain fringe platforms, populated mostly by lurkers who monitor rather than engage.”
Replicating the runaway success of platforms like Joe Rogan’s influential podcast is no easy feat. Even Hugo Décrypte, a widely followed French journalist with numbers rivaling legacy networks, sees limited engagement: only one in five French youth reported watching one of his videos in the past week.
Perceived threats to the credibility of news, according to respondents. Chart: Digital News Report 2025.
Publishers, courage and persistence – and a business model
Publishers are treading carefully, the report finds – cautiously optimistic but very much in survival mode.
They are being nudged to invest in proprietary apps (with less intrusive notifications), as well as video and podcast content. Independent productions like the UK’s The Rest Is Politics show that high-impact journalism can be achieved on modest budgets.
Still, Satta warns, publishers can’t rely solely on advertising or branded content. The long game is converting trust and loyalty into digital subscriptions.
Globally, subscription rates remain flat, with notable exceptions in Northern Europe, where readers are more willing to pay for quality news.
Meanwhile, the specter of AI looms. As generative tools siphon off traffic, 7% of respondents now use chatbots – especially ChatGPT – as a source of news.
Paradoxically, Satta sees opportunity in this shift. AI, she argues, can help customize and even enhance storytelling, as long as transparency is maintained.
“Platforms that allow journalists to showcase their methodology can build trust. In this sense, AI is an opportunity – to reinforce fact-checking and transparent communication.”
But there’s a catch. The real risk lies in editorial shortcuts: sensational headlines, overuse of automation, and commercial pressures that threaten impartiality.
A sobering figure: 32% of respondents blame journalists themselves for the quality of information, a perception that’s even more pronounced in fragile democracies or authoritarian regimes.
Journalists must walk a fine line – not posturing as arbiters of truth, nor morphing into “influencer-reporters.” Instead, Satta says, they must work to rebuild trust from the ground up.
“The crisis of credibility is undeniable. Journalists need to learn not just how to report, but how to present themselves as professionals.”
That requires bold, accountable news organizations – outlets willing to invest in field reporting and investigative journalism.
Politician-influencer
Donald Trump continues to dominate global headlines. His omnipresence underscores a broader phenomenon: the politician as influencer, turbocharged by social media.
“Populism is a style of communication,” Satta said. “It isn’t fueled by Trump alone. Like other populist figures, he feeds off the sense of alienation and political abandonment.”
Two under-the-radar insights from the report deserve more attention.
First, political orientation shapes information habits. Conservatives are less likely to engage in fact-checking or seek diverse sources. “I’m not sure why we expect so much from fact-checking,” Satta mused. “People inclined to question information are often already inoculated against misinformation.”
Even more concerning is the decline of local journalism. Politics begins with the local management of public life, yet local outlets are vanishing. On social media, users mainly seek updates on events and crime.
Picture: Canva.
The Italian paradox
The media landscape defies easy answers. Young people seek out sources they perceive as relatable—yet local journalism continues to wither.
At the same time, influencers are seen both as threats to truth and as key references—particularly among the under-35s—for verifying facts.
Italy presents a striking case.
“We’re stuck,” Satta said. “Skeptical, slow to innovate. Few respondents even raised concerns about AI—except for younger, more informed users who see its potential.”
And yet, media literacy often produces an unexpected effect. In countries and among youth with higher education in critical media skills, people rely more on peer validation than institutional sources.
“There’s a strong filter of selectivity. Falling for misinformation isn’t about ignorance—it’s about lacking the instinct to double-check, let alone seek out fact-checkers.”
Still, these shifts are reshaping everyday life. The transformation of the public information space is sweeping. Digital tools are now embedded in daily routines, reshaping how people manage time and attention.
Half the respondents said they feel overwhelmed by the negativity in the news, particularly political coverage.
“In Italy, there’s a paradox,” Satta concluded. “Interest in news is collapsing, yet people still consume it. News avoidance is actually low.”
Aldous Huxley once wrote in Brave New World, “How nice it would be if we didn’t have to think about happiness.”
Today, the real shift is in our relationship to discomfort, dissent, and difficulty.
“My advice to journalists? Think of the digital ecosystem as the extroverted sibling of the news. The communication space and the news space are deeply entwined – but the news story must prevail, even if it’s harder to make the quieter sibling heard.”
In the end, this is a collective effort – “to keep humans in the loop,” as the Reuters Institute puts it.
