Most young Australians no longer use traditional TV, newspapers or radio for news, report finds

Interest in news is rising among young Australians despite a dramatic shift away from newspapers, radio, and traditional TV, as TikTok and other digital platforms dominate news consumption.

WEBDESK – MEDIABITES – THE GUARDIAN

A new survey has revealed that most Australians under 25 have never used newspapers or radio as sources of news, highlighting the rapid transformation of media consumption habits across the country.

According to the 2026 Digital News Report by the News and Media Research Center at the University of Canberra, 60% of Australians aged between 18 and 24 have never used newspapers for news, while 53% say radio has never been part of their news routine.

The study also found that 25% of young Australians have never used television as a news source, signaling a major generational shift away from traditional media platforms toward digital and social media channels.

Despite the decline of legacy media, overall interest in news has surprisingly increased, particularly among women and younger audiences, after years of falling engagement.

Interest in news among 18 to 24-year-olds jumped sharply by 12 percentage points since 2024, reaching 47% in 2026. Political interest has also surged among Australians under 35, with younger people now reportedly more politically engaged than older generations for the first time.

Researchers said Australians’ news habits are evolving rapidly across platforms, devices, and digital pathways.

Television still remains Australia’s leading source of news at 57%, but social media is now almost equally influential at 56%, followed by online news websites at 52%.

Platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram are becoming increasingly central to news discovery, while influencers and content creators are now playing a growing role in interpreting news events for younger audiences.

The report found that nearly half — 48% — of Australians aged 18 to 24 use TikTok as a source of news, a significant increase over previous years.

Podcasts and AI-powered chatbots are also emerging as new frontiers for news consumption. Nearly 10% of Australians surveyed said they use AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini to access or better understand news stories through follow-up questions and summaries.

The research was conducted as part of the Reuters Institute’s international Digital News Report, which surveyed nearly 100,000 online news consumers across 48 countries, including more than 2,000 Australians.

The findings also showed that Australians still prefer neutral journalism despite increasing political polarization. Nearly half of respondents said they prefer news outlets that do not take a political side, while only 17% prefer news aligned with their own views.

Australia’s public broadcasters, ABC and SBS, received strong support in the report, particularly among younger audiences. Almost half of the respondents said public service media has a positive effect on Australian society, though right-leaning audiences expressed greater skepticism.

Globally, trust in news continues to decline. The report found overall trust in news has fallen to 37% worldwide — the lowest level since measurements began in 2015.

In the United States, trust levels dropped even further, with only 25% of Americans saying they trust “most news most of the time,” while trust among right-leaning audiences fell to just 15%.