Five key news trends coming from the latest Reuters Digital News Report
It’s no secret that the way we find, engage and consume our news is changing rapidly. The Reuters Institute's Digital News Report is always a useful benchmark for how brands should consider their content vehicles, channels and platforms to ensure they are reaching their audience in the most effective way. In a world where news consumption can come from any number of competing avenues, here are five trends that should form part of any PR plan this year.
1. News is now a platform experience
For the first time, social media and video networks (54%) have overtaken news organisations' own websites and apps (51%) and TV (52%) as the most-used route to news worldwide. Discovery has moved into the feed.
What it means for you: a placement in a respected title is now the start of a story's journey, not the end. Most of its reach happens when it's reshared, clipped and reframed on platforms you don't control. Plan and resource for that, moving beyond sharing a link to building assets designed to travel.
2. AI is the new front door: small today, but moving fast
AI chatbot use for news rose to 10% globally and 16% among under-35s. The UK sits lowest at just 4%. But beneath that, search referrals to publishers fell by roughly a third last year, and publishers expect search traffic to drop by almost half over the next three years, leading to a shift nicknamed "Google Zero".
What it means for you: more buying and reputation decisions now begin with an AI answer or a zero-click search result that never sends the click. If your brand isn't described accurately across the open web, it won't appear in those answers. Building AI search visibility (Generative Engine Optimisation) is becoming a core comms job, not a technical afterthought. Read our guide to learn more.
3. Video has won, and creators are mainstream
77% of people now watch online news video each week, and online video has overtaken broadcast TV news in 45 of 48 markets globally. A quarter get news from news-focused creators, who audiences find more relatable and easier to follow, although trust for them is lower.
What it means for you: the messenger and the format are critical. And if you aren’t incorporating short-form video into your external comms, now’s the time to get in touch to chat through an approach. A human, relatable voice consistently outperforms institutional polish, and credible creators are a legitimate earned-media channel to brief and partner with, not just monitor. Not sure where to start with influencer marketing? Our influencer 101 guide could be a great place to start.
4. Trust is fragmenting, but strong news brands are insulated
Trust in news has fallen to a record low (37% globally) with worry about misinformation climbing (62% globally; 77% in the UK). Yet trust in distinctive, well-known individual news brands such as the BBC is holding up with the 46% of people who pay for news citing values-based reasons for doing so.
What it means for you: in a low-trust environment, a clear, consistent, recognisable brand voice in credible news outlets is the best way to build your credibility. Ensuring consistent earned media coverage has now been more important to managing your reputation.
5. Attention is fluid, especially under 35
Few people of any age have fixed news routines anymore, and the data is clear that younger audiences won't simply grow into their parents' habits as they age.
What it means for you: there's no longer a single channel or outlet that "reaches everyone". Reach is won moment by moment, across a deliberate mix of your earned, owned, and AI-surfaced presence, all needing a consistent strategy to ensure they pull in the same direction.
The through-line
Read together, the 2026 report describes a communications environment that is more platform-led, more visual, more AI-mediated and more trust-sensitive than the one most strategies were built for. The brands that thrive in it won't be the loudest. They'll be the most findable, the most distinctive, and the most consistent across every place your customers have the opportunities to see or hear about your brand.
Wondering how to apply this to your communications strategy? Book a free 30-minute exploration call with one of our team today.