Reuters Report: Public Trust and Concerns Over Social Media News

A new Reuters report reveals nuanced public attitudes toward digital platforms as sources of political news, alongside concerns about their societal impact. The findings are based on surveys conducted across eight countries and highlight both the reliance on and skepticism of platforms like search engines, social media, and video networks.

Search engines emerged as the most trusted and widely used digital source for political news, with 45% of respondents citing them, followed by social media (41%) and video networks (30%). Traditional media, such as TV (57%) and online news sites (59%), still lead overall. Notably, reliance on generative AI tools for political news – which so far are mostly proven to be unreliable for presenting any recent news – remains low at just 7%.

Younger audiences, men, and those more engaged with politics are more likely to turn to platforms for news, often supplementing their consumption with traditional outlets. However, trust in these platforms is limited, with search engines the only digital source trusted by a majority (55%). Social media (30%), video networks (37%), and messaging apps (31%) fare worse, while generative AI tools are trusted by just 27%.

The report also underscores public concerns about platforms exacerbating misinformation (69%), harassment (66%), and polarization (64%). While messaging apps and search engines are seen as fostering connection, social media is viewed as divisive, with a net negative perception of its impact on society in several countries, including the U.S. and Germany.

Public demand for accountability is strong, with a majority advocating for platforms to take responsibility for misinformation. Despite this, many regular users see social media platforms as a net positive impact on their life, and are willing to overlook things like AI misuse in smaller-scale amounts due to the beenfits that social media can bring.