Move over, boob tube – there’s a new kid in town

More Americans got their news from social media than television over the past year, according to a global media snapshot that surveyed consumers across 48 countries. 

More than half of U.S. respondents to the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism survey said social media and online video services are their primary means of consuming news. About half —or just under half—said they still favor TV news or news websites.

This marks the first time the institute has found social media in the top spot. The findings were published in its annual Digital News Report, which has been conducted since 2012.

The study found much the same dynamic evident in Latin America and Africa, though the United States is ahead of most in terms of social media preference. The institute surveyed about 100,000 people in 48 countries about their news consumption, via a YouGov data analytics survey.

Movement was found to be relatively flat year over year in advanced democracies such as Japan, Denmark, France and the United Kingdom. In Latin America, Africa and parts of Asia the trend was more like the United States. The study noted that “heavy social media and political polarization have been part of the story for some time” in those regions.

The acceleration comes as populist leaders around the world increasingly bypass legacy journalism in favor of options over which they are more likely to exert control. Politicians, led by President Donald Trump, increasingly favor partisan media, influencers and comedian podcasters as a way to avoid harder questions and perhaps spread false narratives, the study said.

Such creators also fare better with new audiences, the study found, resonating especially with young men and “right-leaning audiences [as well as] with those that have low levels of trust in mainstream media outlets, seeing them as biased or part of a liberal elite,” the study said.

More striking perhaps was the study’s discovery that younger people have shifted from the written word to video. This indicates traditional publishers may need to retool newsrooms to produce less text and more audio-visual content in coming years.

In the United States, the share of the population consuming news video at least weekly increased from 55% to 72% between 2021 and 2025, with most of it viewed on social platforms. This trend is most pronounced in the 18-24 year old demographic.

Earth to governments: profile verification might help

Also worth reporting is the group’s conclusion that those willing to pay for news subscriptions has peaked. Across the 20 countries with the strongest digital subscription markets, only 18% paid for online news sources in the past year.

“We continue to see a ‘winner takes most’ market, with upmarket national newspapers scooping up a big proportion of users,” stated the report’s executive summary, explaining that a dominant outlet like the New York Times has extended its lead over rivals “off the back of its highly successful all-access subscription that includes games, recipes, audio sport and product reviews.”

Outside the United States, the story is how fast news consumption has grown on TikTok. The fastest growth was seen in Thailand, where 49% reported using TikTok for news. TikTok news usage in the United States (12%) and Europe (11%) was significantly lower.

Media.com CEO James Mawhinney points to “instant connectivity” as the cause behind the shift, as early-stage democratization of information and news distribution has broken up “a once relied-upon system whose power has now transitioned to the masses.”

“Until this power is held to a similar standard to the journalism community — i.e., integrity, ethics and facts matter — the public will be making decisions on untrained and unqualified citizen journalists,” he warned.

He added that the onus is on upstart social media firms like Media.com to “get it right” as they grapple with how to contain misinformation and harmful content online. Social media companies, he said, “have millions of unpaid journalists willingly writing for them. Their work is largely unchecked and yet is given gravitas based on engagement. The key ways to address this are introducing accountability (via mandatory profile verification) and instilling core community guidelines and values that are adequately policed.”

Profile verification has therefore moved from “nice-to-have” to a necessity government bodies should mandate, Mawhinney argues.

“Media.com aims to be the stand-out example of how connectivity, engagement and information can safely co-exist in a credible ecosystem,” he said, adding that he expects this value system to latch on as more online citizens get to know new entrants into social media.

Mawhinney also cited a likely reason for the shift to social media for news: Usually it’s free. He said media operations need to take this point seriously.

“The paywall model is a band-aid approach to replacing classified advertising revenues. It is unsustainable,” he said. “The traditional publications reliant on paywalls will be surpassed by media companies with different monetization strategies.”

JAMA looks at youth suicide, warns against ‘addictive’ screen usage

Also of note is a recent American Medical Association report that found curbing screen time for youths on its own may not address rising rates of suicide among young people.

In a study published in the organization’s JAMA medical journal, researchers sought to separate screen-based addictions from extensive time spent with screens. Many children, the study found, exhibit addictive behavior when using screen-based hardware products even when screen times are limited, the authors said.

Point being, parents may need to focus on patterns of addictive behavior rather than just time spent. They may want to pursue cognitive behavioral therapy for kids, for instance, identifying addictive trends early on, especially because children are more susceptible to addictive behavior as their prefrontal cortexes continue to develop.

The study comes as Americans in particular continue to raise alarms about surging rates of suicide among teens. JAMA found that 5% of participants in its study had attempted suicide or prepared for an attempt at the age of 14. Nearly 18 percent had experienced suicidal ideation.

The study essentially seeks to focus on addictive patterns and psychological treatment rather than just limiting screen time. Mawhinney said it’s another example of the dangers posed by the many unregulated social networks accessed by children.

“Social networks are open to artificial manipulation — and yet, so far, governments haven't stepped in to mandate accountability for the information shared on their networks.”

Mawhinney added that adoption of know-your-customer technology has become more urgent than ever.

“This is the same technology Media.com uses,” he said. “It is only a matter of time before it becomes mandatory across social networks, in my view.”