Do you access news through a website, or do you prefer accessing news through social media?

According to a report, the number of people who initially access news through a website or app has dropped by 10 points since 2018, and younger groups prefer to access news through social media, search, or mobile aggregators.

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism’s annual Digital News Report noted that audiences pay more attention to celebrities, influencers, and social media personalities than journalists on TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. However, legacy platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are losing influence.

TikTok is the fastest-growing social network, used by 20% of 18-to-24-year-olds for news, up 5 points from last year. Usage is much higher in Latin America, Asia, and Africa than in the US or Northern Europe.

The report indicates the changing habits of younger groups, specifically those under 30, whom news organizations often struggle to reach. Fewer than half of the survey respondents expressed interest in news, down sharply from 6 out of 10 in 2017.

The public is skeptical of the algorithms used to select what they see on search engines, social media, and other platforms. Less than a third (30%) say that having stories selected for them based on previous consumption is a good way to get news. It suggested how algorithms are part of a wider concern about news and how it’s selected.

The data also confirmed how various factors over the last few years, including the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine, have further accelerated shifts towards a more digital, mobile, and platform-dominated media environment, and thus, implicating the business models and formats of journalism.

Traditional media consumption, such as TV and print, continues to fall in most markets. Data indicated that online consumers are accessing news less frequently than before and becoming less interested. Though the majority remain engaged, others are turning away from news media and, in some cases, disconnecting from news altogether.

With the rise of fake news, trust in the news has fallen by 2% in the last year, reversing gains made in many countries at the height of the pandemic. 40% of people say they trust most news most of the time; however, across markets, 56% of people say they worry about identifying the difference between real and fabricated content on the internet, up to 2% points from last year.