Social networks from throne drilled so far untouchable television

There was a turning point in the US media landscape. Social networks and video platforms have become the first time in history the main source of news And out of the throne drew a long untouchable television. As noted by extensive annual research Reuterstoday as many as 54 percent of Americans Receives news through networkssuch as Facebook, YouTube and Tiktok. Television as a source of news trusts 50 percent, and 48 percent of respondents and applications of established media. This change that are driven it mainly younger usersit is not just a technical nature, but it announces a radical transformation of influence, power and trust in the world of information.

The rise of influencers and the fall of journalists

The key part of this transformation is steep an increase in the influence of individuals – podcasters, YouTubers and Tiktokers who with their Personal brand build extensive online communities. As it says Reutersthese « news influencers » have become a central figure in the media. In the United States in this respect stands out the podcaster Joe roganwith the contents of almost a quarter or 22 percent of Americans in the week after the presidential inauguration. Its reach is particularly pronounced among young men, a demographic group that traditional media is the most difficult to achieve.

However, this phenomenon is not limited to the US. According to the newspaper Guardian are influencers with YouTube, Instagram and Tiktok found a large audience in India, Brazil, Indonesia and Thailandthat is, in countries with a younger population that intensively uses social networks. « The rise of social videos and personally colored news is another important challenge for traditional publishers, » writes Guardian.

Political bypass for critical questions

The changed media landscape is also used by politicians, especially those with more populist approaches. Research finds that politicians, as they are Donald Trump in the US and Javier Milei In Argentina, they are increasingly bypassing traditional journalism and preferring to make appearances in « friendly, party -colored media, personalities and influencers ». These, as the report says, often give them special access, but « rarely ask difficult questions », and many of them are even involved in the spread of lies.

Politicians are increasingly bypassing traditional journalism and preferring to perform on « friendly » influencers. Photo: Roberto Schmidt/AFP

It is ironic that despite their popularity, the public has a deep distrust of these new actors. Almost half of those respondents worldwide, or 47 percent, have labeled online influencers and personalities as the main source of fake or misleading information – thus placing them side by side with politicians. The concern that they can no longer separate the truth from lies online has been expressed by as many as 73 percent of Americans.

Rise of Tiktoka and right network of network x

Among social networks, the most prominent is the most prominent, which is already used by 17 percent of people worldwide for news, which is four percentage points more than last year. In the meantime Elon Muskexperienced a distinct ideological shift to the right. According to the report, in the US, the number of right -wing users has tripled, while many progressive users have left the network or use it less frequently. Competitors such as Threads, Bluesky and Mastodon do not achieve a worthy influence, according to the research.

Among social networks, the most out of growth stands out. Photo: Dado Ruvic/Reuters

All these changes are also accompanied by a growing occurrence of news avoidance. Four out of ten people involved in a global survey said they sometimes or often avoid news as they feel overloaded with negativity. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in the UK, where 46 percent of people avoid news.

Another major change is promising in the future: the rise of artificial intelligence. Young people are already using chatting robots such as Chatgpt and Gemini to find news. Although the numbers are still small for now, their growth is expected.

But there remains restraint here; Most respondents believe that artificial intelligence will make the news cheaper and faster, but at the same time less transparent, less precise and less valuable. Despite the digital upheaval, the report notes that all generations still appreciate trusted brands with a proven history of precision, although they are rarely resorted to them.