A new report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism reveals a major shift in how Americans consume news, with podcasters like Joe Rogan and AI chatbots playing a growing role—particularly among younger audiences—while traditional news outlets continue to lose relevance.
In the week following the January 2025 U.S. presidential inauguration, more Americans reported getting news from social and video platforms than from TV, websites, or apps, marking the first time this digital dominance has been recorded in the U.S.
The study, based on a survey of nearly 100,000 people across 48 countries, found the trend especially pronounced among Americans under 35, with over 50% turning to social and video networks as their primary news sources. Globally, 44% of those aged 18–24 also rely on these platforms.
Podcaster Joe Rogan was cited as a news or commentary source by 20% of Americans in the post-inauguration week, making him a top figure in the evolving news landscape. Other widely followed political influencers include Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, Ben Shapiro, and on the left, Brian Tyler Cohen and David Pakman. Most of these top political voices are male, according to the report.
“These creators are attracting audiences traditional media struggle to reach—especially young men, right-leaning users, and people with low trust in mainstream media,” said Nic Newman, Senior Research Associate at the Reuters Institute.
However, this shift comes with risks. Online influencers are considered major sources of false or misleading information, second only to politicians in the U.S. Over 70% of Americans said they are concerned about distinguishing true from false information online—one of the highest levels globally.
The report also highlights the emerging role of AI in news consumption. Among people under 25, 15% use AI chatbots for news weekly, with ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Meta AI being the most cited tools. Overall AI-based news usage remains lower, at 7%, but growing.
This trend may also threaten traditional publishers, as AI tools reduce the need for users to click through to original news websites.
While text remains the preferred format for consuming news globally, about a third of people say they prefer watching, and 15% prefer listening—a shift driven largely by younger audiences.
Meanwhile, X (formerly Twitter) is seeing a resurgence as a news platform in the U.S., especially among right-leaning users and young men, with 23% of Americans now using it for news—up 8 points from last year. Other alternative platforms like Threads, Bluesky, and Mastodon are struggling to reach even 2% of users.
Despite all these shifts, trust in news has remained steady at 40% globally for the past three years, the report notes.