The Times They Are A-Changin’: How People Get Their News Is Shifting
How people access and consume news is of great interest to those of us working in communications, which is why the Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report, published last month, is always an anticipated read.
Published annually, the report provides a fascinating insight into how audiences around the world engage with news and how those habits are changing.
While 2025 was “characterised by relative stability” in the indicators tracked by the report, this year’s findings are particularly interesting as they point to “greater volatility”, with global news consumption continuing its shift towards social media, video networks and, more recently, AI.
Figures show that, for the first time, global audiences across all age groups are more likely to access news stories through social platforms and video networks (54% of all respondents) than via news organisations’ own websites and apps (51%).
In addition to this, AI is increasingly, albeit gradually, being used as a way to access news, with 10% of people globally using AI chatbots for news – up from 7% the year before. While this is still a small proportion of users, it is a notable relative increase in a short space of time.
Those who do use AI to access news particularly value the ability to ask follow-up questions (42%), reflecting the appeal of the interactive nature of these tools. They also appreciate the more in-depth explanation that AI provides.
This trend is particularly clear among younger audiences. Globally, more than half of 18-24-year-olds (52%) now say social media, video networks or AI chatbots are their main way of accessing news.
The picture in the UK is slightly more nuanced, however. We are not yet seeing the same level of AI adoption for news as some other markets. According to Reuters, just 4% of UK respondents say they use AI chatbots for news each week.
The UK also remains relatively attached to traditional news outlets, with many people accessing news directly from news websites (56%). So, while the global direction of travel is towards platform-led and AI news consumption, the UK has not followed suit to the same extent – yet.
It may be because users in the UK don’t trust AI for news provision. There is a correlation between trust and the use of AI for news, and only 6% of those in the UK trust news from AI chatbots.
But that does not mean things won’t change. It may just be that the UK is moving at a more gradual pace, and it will be interesting to see what next year’s report brings.
For communicators, the implications are far reaching. If, as the report says, there is a “growing ‘platformisation’ of news consumption” and that increasingly people are “experimenting with AI chatbots as a new means of access”, then our digital footprint matters more than ever. Particularly, organisations need to think carefully about how they appear online, what information is available about them, and whether that information enhances or damages their reputation.
Strong digital coverage in trusted publications can influence not only what people read directly but also what search engines turn up, what audiences share on social media and what AI tools may draw on when generating answers.
This highlights the importance of media relations as a driver of digital reputation. Organisations need to earn coverage in trusted publications, produce authoritative content and maintain a credible, relevant online presence that builds trust with its audiences as well as AI-powered search tools.
The UK may not yet be turning to AI for news in large numbers just yet, but the global trend is clear. Audiences are changing how they search for and consume news. For businesses, the challenge is to make sure that when people – or platforms – go looking for answers, they find information that reflects their brand accurately.
This column appeared in the Western Mail on 13 July 2026 and was written by our Director, Carolyn Pugsley.