News has never been more important to people, but traditional media sources are struggling to connect with audiences. In many countries, TV, print and websites are declining while social media and video platforms are growing. The report finds that, globally, more than a fifth of people say they regularly get their news from Facebook and YouTube, and smaller shares from Instagram, TikTok and X (formerly Twitter).
As social trends come and go, marketers have to be careful about jumping on them without an underlying strategy. When brands create trend-based content without understanding why it’s popular, they risk looking inauthentic and quickly becoming annoying to their audience. On the other hand, many feel it’s embarrassing for brands to be silent and miss out on opportunities to increase visibility or connect with their audiences.
When it comes to the future of media, there are a few clear themes:
Social media is becoming increasingly important for getting news, with some countries seeing more than half of people accessing their news from digital sources — up from just 4% a decade ago. In the US, for example, Facebook and YouTube are more commonly used for news than TV and websites. And younger Americans are more likely to use Instagram, TikTok and X as their main news sources. In addition, many people find new voices through the internet – from podcasters and online influencers to artificial intelligence chatbots. But this also raises concerns about the potential for misinformation and false information to become more widespread.