Since its first publication in 2012, the Digital News Report by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism has established itself as one of the most comprehensive and influential studies on global news media consumption. The report analyzes the evolving trends and patterns in news consumption each year, providing valuable insights for media companies, journalists, researchers, and policymakers.
The Digital News Report is produced by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford. The project is supported by a wide range of global partners and sponsors, including the Google News Initiative, BBC News, Ofcom, the Irish Coimisiún na Meán, the Dutch Media Authority (CvdM), the Media Industry Research Foundation of Finland, the Fritt Ord Foundation, the Korea Press Foundation, Edelman UK, NHK (Japan), and the Reuters News Agency.
Continuous Expansion
Over the past twelve years, the report has continuously grown in scope and depth. The first edition in 2012 covered a handful of countries, while the 2024 report includes data from 47 markets across six continents, representing more than half of the world’s population. This is the largest edition of the report to date, with nearly 100,000 respondents providing a broad and representative data foundation.
You can find the summary of the report in English here. The full report as a PDF is available here.
Here are the key insights from this year’s report:
1. Decline in News Consumption on Facebook
In many countries, including Germany, there has been a significant decline in the use of Facebook for news, with an increasing reliance on alternative platforms such as private messaging apps and video networks. Globally, the use of Facebook for news has decreased by 4 percentage points over the past year, while platforms like YouTube, WhatsApp, and TikTok are becoming increasingly important.
2. Fragmentation of Online News Platforms
The use of online platforms for news is becoming increasingly fragmented. In addition to traditional news sources, private messaging apps and video networks are gaining importance, further intensifying the fragmentation of the news landscape.
Six networks now reach at least 10% of respondents, compared to only two a decade ago. YouTube is used by nearly a third (31%) of the global sample for news each week, WhatsApp by about a fifth (21%), while TikTok (13%) has, for the first time, overtaken Twitter (now X).
3. Increasing Importance of Video
Video is becoming an increasingly important source for online news, particularly among younger groups. Two-thirds (66%) of the sample access short news videos weekly, while longer formats attract about half (51%). The primary platforms for news videos are online platforms (72%) rather than the websites of publishers (22%).
4. Declining Trust in News
Global trust in news (40%) has remained stable over the past year but is still four points lower than at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finland remains the country with the highest trust levels (69%), while Greece (23%) and Hungary (23%) have the lowest. In Germany, trust in news has stabilized after experiencing a downward trend in recent years.
A concerning development in Germany is the growing hostility towards journalists, particularly in relation to coverage of far-right groups and protests against the Green Party.
5. Increasing News Avoidance
Around four in ten people (39%) worldwide report sometimes or often avoiding news—a 3 percentage point increase compared to the previous year. This trend is particularly pronounced in Brazil, Spain, Germany, and Finland. In Germany, about 39% of respondents also admit to sometimes or often avoiding news, reflecting a similar 3 percentage point increase from the previous year, indicating growing fatigue from negative news.
In open comments, respondents mentioned that unresolved conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East might be contributing to this trend.
6. Stagnating News Subscriptions
Growth in news subscriptions remains low, with only 17% of respondents in 20 wealthier countries paying for online news in the past year. The highest proportions of paying subscribers are found in Northern Europe, such as Norway (40%) and Sweden (31%), while Japan (9%) and the United Kingdom (8%) are among the lowest.
In Germany, only 13% of people paid for online news in the past year, which is relatively low compared to international standards. There is little growth in news subscriptions, indicating continued consumer reluctance to pay for news.
7. Spread of Misinformation
Concern over what is real and what is false on the internet has increased by 3 percentage points, with around six in ten people (59%) expressing worry. This concern is particularly high in South Africa (81%) and the United States (72%), two countries that held elections this year.
8. Distrust of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
There is widespread distrust regarding the use of AI in news production, especially for hard news topics like politics or war. The public prefers that humans always remain in control, even when AI is used to assist journalists. This distrust poses a challenge to media providers who aim to integrate AI into their processes.
Conclusion
The Digital News Report 2024 highlights that the news landscape is undergoing profound changes, driven by technological advancements, shifting consumption habits, and economic challenges. Publishers and media providers face the difficult task of adapting to this new reality while working to regain the trust of their audiences.
New digital platforms are increasingly outpacing traditional media providers, with more and more users getting their daily news from these platforms. However, this also leads to growing fragmentation. This presents both opportunities and risks for content and news providers.