Social Media Overtakes News Websites as Main Source for Australians, Survey Finds
Concern about misinformation reaches world-high 74% as traditional news consumption patterns shift dramatically
Social media platforms have overtaken online news websites as a main source of news for Australians for the first time since tracking began, according to new research that also reveals Australians are more concerned about misinformation than any other country globally.
The Digital News Report: Australia 2025, released Tuesday by the University of Canberra's News and Media Research Centre, found 26% of respondents cite social media as their main news source, surpassing online news websites at 23%. Television remains the most popular main source at 37%.
The shift marks a fundamental change in how Australians consume news, with younger audiences driving the transformation. Among 18-24 year-olds, 47% rely primarily on social media for news, compared to just 8% of those aged 65 and above.
"Young people haven't abandoned news but demand it in formats that acknowledge their preferences and values," said Sam Koslowski, co-founder of The Daily Aus, a social media-first news provider. "Young news consumers don't allocate dedicated 'news time' in their day but integrate it as part of their digital diet across many platforms."
The nationwide survey of 2,006 adults, conducted between January 16 and February 5, 2025, reveals Australians lead the world in misinformation concerns, with 74% expressing worry about distinguishing real from fake news online. The United States follows closely at 73%.
Gender Gap Widens in News Consumption
The research exposes a stark gender divide in news consumption habits. Men access news more than once daily at a rate 23 percentage points higher than women—67% compared to 44%. This gap has widened over the past year, with women's heavy news consumption declining while men's increased.
"The sharpest decline in news interest can be seen among women and those aged 35+ audiences," the report states. "The gap in news interest between men and women has widened but it has narrowed between younger and older audiences."
Facebook remains the top social media platform for news at 38%, showing growth of 6 percentage points from 2024. Instagram leads among 18-24 year-olds at 40%, while TikTok usage for news reached 36% in that age group.
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Local News Landscape Transforms
Social media has emerged as the preferred source for local news, particularly filling gaps left by newspaper closures. Among all respondents, 25% identify social media as the best source for local news stories, followed by local television at 22% and local newspapers at 19%.
The trend is pronounced among younger Australians, with 44% of those under 35 saying social media provides the best local news coverage.
"These same technological advancements have also disrupted the business models that previously sustained local news," said Claire Stuchbery, Executive Director of the Local & Independent News Association. "Social media is certainly a useful source of information, but the lack of editorial rigour behind a lot of this content leads to algorithmic confirmation bias and increased polarisation in society."
Regional newspaper readership has fallen to a record low of 7%, down 5 percentage points since 2024, while access to local newspaper websites has grown slightly to 5%.
Influencers Seen as Major Misinformation Threat
Australians view online influencers and personalities as the greatest misinformation threat at 57%, higher than politicians at 48%. This contrasts with the United States, where politicians are seen as the primary threat at 57%.
"Australians' concern about influencers driving misinformation is the highest globally," the report notes.
Facebook and TikTok are perceived as major misinformation threats by 59% and 57% of respondents respectively. When encountering suspected false information, 39% turn to trusted news sources for verification.
News Literacy Education Lacking
Only 24% of Australians have received formal or informal news literacy education, with dramatic age disparities. More than half of 18-24 year-olds report such training, compared to just 5% of those aged 65 and above.
The education gap has significant implications for news engagement and trust. Those with news literacy training are three times more likely to pay for news—45% versus 15%—and show higher trust levels at 53% compared to 41% for those without training.
"Given 74 per cent of Australians are concerned about misinformation, the demand for solutions is there," said Saffron Howden, a University of Canberra PhD candidate studying media literacy. "The knowledge and resources already exist. It just requires political will and funding."
Trust Remains Stable, Payment Steady
Trust in news held steady at 43%, slightly above the global average of 39%. The ABC leads as the most trusted news brand at 60%, followed by SBS at 59% and local newspapers at 58%.
Payment for online news remains at 22%, among the highest rates globally. The Australian Financial Review, The Australian, and Herald Sun top the subscription lists among paying users.
AI Acceptance Growing
Australians show increasing comfort with artificial intelligence in news production, with 21% accepting news produced mainly by AI with human oversight, up 4 percentage points from 2024. However, 43% express comfort only when news is produced mostly by journalists with AI assistance.
AI chatbot usage for news remains limited at 6% overall, though it reaches 13% among those under 35.
Political Implications
The research reveals less political polarisation in Australia compared to the United States. Australian news audiences cluster more tightly around the political center, while American audiences spread more widely across the spectrum.
"Australia is not America in many important ways," the report concludes, noting differences in democratic institutions, media concentration, and political culture that shape distinct news consumption patterns.
The survey, part of an international study covering 48 markets coordinated by Oxford University's Reuters Institute, highlights the rapidly evolving media landscape as Australians increasingly turn to social platforms while maintaining concerns about information quality and trust.
News organizations face mounting pressure to adapt their distribution strategies and engage audiences across multiple platforms while maintaining editorial standards in an environment where traditional gatekeeping roles are diminishing.
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