Reuters Report: Platforms Overtake News Sites, AI Chatbots Add to Pressure

The Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026 indicates a significant shift in news consumption towards platforms, with social media and video networks becoming the primary source for news on 48 surveyed markets. On average, 54 percent of respondents used these platforms in the past week, surpassing the 51 percent who used news providers' websites and apps.

When AI chatbots are included, the share of third-party platforms rises to 56 percent. This development puts pressure on publishers concerning reach, engagement, and revenue, as direct access to their own offerings continues to decline.

In Germany, the shift towards platforms is more moderate but visible. The proportion of people citing social media and video networks as their main news source increased by four percentage points to 18 percent. However, TV news continues to reach more people than online news videos in Germany, placing the country among the top three markets for this metric. AI chatbot usage for news in Germany stands at five percent and has not increased year-on-year.

News interest has declined in Germany, with 51 percent describing themselves as very or extremely interested in news, a drop of 23 percentage points since 2015. Despite this, trust in news in Germany has remained more stable compared to the global trend, where trust in news reached its lowest point at 37 percent.

The percentage of people paying for online news remains at 17 percent globally, while Germany is at 11 percent. Alternative news sources, such as creators and influencers, have gained traction worldwide but are used less in Germany. The report positions these sources primarily as a supplement rather than a replacement for traditional news organizations.