Traditional media in most countries are losing the battle to social networks, podcasts, and other forms of communication with the audience, which particularly benefits populists in politics who bypass “institutional journalism” with the help of friendly media, personalities, and influencers, according to the new and 14th report by the Reuters Institute.

This year’s research is especially significant because, for the first time, it included Serbia.

Key findings of the study:

1. Interest in traditional media (television, print, news portals) continues to decline, which is especially noticeable in the United States during the first two weeks of Donald Trump’s new administration.

2. Influencers and digital media creators have taken on a key role in shaping public opinion, and as many as one-fifth (22%) of Americans, particularly young men, encountered some news or commentary by podcaster Joe Rogan.

3. One-third of respondents use Facebook (36%) and YouTube (30%) weekly as news sources, followed by Instagram (19%), WhatsApp (19%), TikTok (16), and X (12%).

4. Usage of the social network X for news remains stable or rising in certain countries. After Elon Musk purchased the platform in 2023, a large influx of right-leaning users, especially young men, was observed, while some liberal and left-leaning users left.

5. Video continues to grow in importance as a news source, with consumption of socially engaged videos rising from 52% to 65%, and any kind of video from 67% to 75%.

6. TikTok remains the fastest-growing social network, but users also recognize it as a serious platform for spreading false and misleading information.

7. More than half (58%) of respondents are worried about their ability to distinguish between true and false content online. In the U.S. that number is 73%, while the lowest level of concern is in Western Europe with 46%.

8. As potential sources of false and misleading content, users identify influencers and politicians equally (47%). The highest level of concern regarding politicians was noted in Serbia (59%).

9. Despite these concerns, opinions are divided on whether censorship online should be increased or reduced. Respondents in the U.K. and Germany mostly believe too little content is removed, while in the U.S. right-leaning respondents think too much content is removed, an opinion not shared by left-leaning respondents.

10. The appearance of chatbots and AI interfaces as news sources has been noted, though still at a small percentage, 7% of the general population, but 15% among those under 25.

11. Although audiences are wary of broadcasters and publishers increasingly using AI to personalize news content, about one-quarter of respondents see clear advantages in such a model.

12. Skepticism about the use of artificial intelligence in journalism continues to dominate globally.

13. Reliable journalistic brands, especially public broadcasters, as well as official government channels, remain the go-to places when audiences want to verify the truth of a story.

14. Overall trust in news remains at 40%, despite a four-point decline since the COVID-19 pandemic.

15. The majority of audiences still prefer free online news distribution, with subscription options holding steady at 18%. At the bottom of the list are Serbia and Greece (7%) and Croatia (6%).

Regarding the importance of podcasts, YouTube, and the X platform, it is notable that both U.S. presidential candidates gave interviews on online platforms during last year’s campaign. Among the top online content creators who managed to reach audiences were popular podcaster Joe Rogan (22%) and former Fox News journalist Tucker Carlson (14%).

It was observed that since Musk’s purchase of Twitter (X), the number of right-leaning users of the network has grown significantly, nearly doubling in the U.K.

Details of the report Reuters Institute.