Your Gadget Is a News Source: What the Data Actually Says

Imagine you're standing in line for coffee, thumbing through TikTok or YouTube, and you catch a headline about a local election or a product recall. You didn't open a newspaper app. You didn't turn on the TV. That's news. And it's happening more than you think.

For the first time, social and video platforms are the top source of news globally—54% of people get news there, ahead of television (52%) and news websites or apps (51%) (Reuters Institute Digital News Report). That's a tipping point. Your gadgets—phone, tablet, smart TV—are now the primary news delivery system for most people. But that doesn't mean you're well-informed. It means you need to be smarter about how you use them.

Is my phone really my main news source?

Probably. Globally, 30% of people say social media and video networks are their main source of news, up from 22% five years ago (Reuters Institute Digital News Report). Among 18- to 24-year-olds, more than half (52%) say social media, video networks, and AI chatbots are their main way of getting news. If you're under 35, your phone isn't just a gadget—it's your newsroom. The question is whether you're treating it like one.

But isn't TV still king for news?

Not anymore. In 45 of the 48 markets surveyed, more people watch online news video than broadcast TV news. Only Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands still have TV news leading or on par. In the UK, television news use has fallen 12 percentage points since 2021, with younger adults flocking to social media and video networks. The living room TV is becoming a streaming device, not a news feed.

If I get news from social media, am I being misled?

Not automatically. But the odds aren't great. Two-thirds of digital content creators do not systematically fact-check information before sharing it online (UNESCO Media and Information Literacy). That's the person whose video you just watched. Meanwhile, 85% of citizens are worried about the impact of online disinformation (UNESCO/Ipsos, 2023). You should be, too. The fix isn't to quit social media—it's to verify before you share. The Stanford Civic Online Reasoning curriculum boils it down to three questions: Who's behind the information? What's the evidence? What do other sources say? That's a 30-second habit that works on any device.

Are AI chatbots a reliable way to get news?

Only 10% of people use AI chatbots for news weekly, and just 1% say it's their main source. Trust in AI chatbot answers for news is 20% globally—well below the 37% who trust news overall. In the UK, trust in AI news answers is just 6%. So no, chatbots aren't replacing your news app. But they are a growing supplement: 16% of under-35s use them for news. If you do use them, know that 42% of users always or often click through to the original source. Be in that 42%.

Does paying for news even make sense anymore?

Only about 17% to 18% of people pay for online news, a figure that's been stable. In the US, it fell to 16% in 2026, down 4 percentage points. In the UK, just 10% pay. But here's the thing: 81% of those who pay say they do it for the direct benefits of the content they want, and 46% cite values-based reasons like supporting journalism. If you value reliable information on your gadgets, paying for one or two trustworthy sources is a better investment than another streaming subscription. My pick: a local newspaper's digital edition. In the US, local TV and regional newspapers are the most trusted news brands (Reuters Institute Digital News Report).

Is news avoidance a real problem for gadget users?

Yes. 45% of Americans and 50% of Britons say they sometimes or often avoid the news. Globally, it's 42%, up from 29% in 2017. The reasons are anxiety, cynicism, and feeling overwhelmed. Your phone can be a firehose of bad news. But avoiding it entirely leaves you disconnected. The solution isn't to unplug—it's to curate. Turn off push alerts for breaking news. Follow a few trusted outlets. Use your gadget's screen time tools to set boundaries.

What about local news on my devices?

Local news is in trouble. The US has lost close to 3,500 newspapers since 2005, and 212 counties have no locally based news source. That's 50 million Americans with limited or no access to reliable local news. But digital outlets are growing: 695 stand-alone digital news outlets in 2025, up from 662 in 2024, plus more than 300 local news startups in the past five years. Your phone can connect you to them. Seek them out. Local news is often the most trusted—and the most useful for your daily life.

Here's a quick checklist for making your gadgets work for news, not against you:

• Follow at least two sources that do original reporting, not just aggregation.
• Before sharing, ask: Who's behind this? What's the evidence? What do other sources say?
• Turn off non-essential news alerts to reduce anxiety and avoidance.

What I'd actually do

If you're getting most of your news from social media and video platforms—and statistically, you are—don't fight it. Optimize it. Delete the worst offenders from your home screen. Follow a handful of credible news-focused creators (27% of people globally get news from them). Pay for one local outlet and one national outlet. Use AI chatbots only as a starting point, and always click through to the original source. Your phone is a powerful news tool. Treat it like one.

Sources

• Reuters Institute Digital News Report - https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2026
• UNESCO Media and Information Literacy - https://www.unesco.org/en/media-information-literacy
• Stanford Civic Online Reasoning (Digital Inquiry Group) - https://cor.stanford.edu/
• Medill State of Local News (Northwestern University) - https://localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/state-of-local-news/2025/report/