A new analysis of media trends reveals growing public concern regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in journalism, alongside record levels of news avoidance and fatigue. The findings, presented by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism’s Digital News Report, urge news organizations to proceed with caution as technology rapidly transforms the media landscape.
Concerns Over AI in Journalism
Amid the accelerated integration of AI, survey respondents express palpable suspicion about its use in reporting. According to the report, only 36 per cent of those surveyed feel comfortable consuming news created by humans with AI assistance. Furthermore, a much smaller proportion—just 19 per cent—are comfortable reading content primarily generated by AI, even with human oversight.
The report specifically advises publishers that while the adoption of AI for business efficiency and content personalization is rapid, the public generally prefers human involvement in the reporting process. Experts suggest that AI is best utilized for supporting roles, such as translation and transcription, rather than replacing journalists entirely.
This annual report marked the first time it had conducted an in-depth study of consumer attitudes toward AI in news, commissioning surveys across the US, Britain, Mexico, and 47 other countries.
Rising News Avoidance and Subscription Challenges
The research also flagged significant issues related to audience consumption habits. Regarding news avoidance, the report found that approximately 39 per cent of those surveyed admitted to sometimes or often selectively avoiding news because they find it to be “depressing” and “relentless.” This figure represents a substantial increase of 10 percentage points compared to 2019, establishing the highest level of news avoidance recorded since the report’s initial publication in 2012.
Potential causes for this fatigue were identified as the increased use of smartphones, the constant stream of push notifications from various applications, and algorithm-based social media feeds. Financially, the media sector faces resistance from audiences; only 17 per cent of people surveyed from a basket of 20 richer countries reported paying for any online news within the past year. The report noted that the ability to attract new subscribers remains limited by this persistent reluctance to pay, which is attributed to a surplus of free content and diminished interest.
Platform Fragmentation and Trust
News consumption is increasingly decentralized, driven by a strong pivot toward video-based platforms. YouTube is currently used for news by almost 31 per cent of global audiences weekly, while WhatsApp accounts for around 21 per cent. Significantly, TikTok, at 13 per cent, has surpassed X (formerly Twitter), which recorded 10 per cent usage.
Concerns about misinformation also rose, increasing by 3 percentage points to 59%. Topics such as the Israel-Palestine conflict, the Ukraine war, politics, and economics were cited as the primary sources of worry regarding false or misleading information. The report indicated that audience anxiety about discerning trustworthy content on online platforms is highest for TikTok and X when compared to other networks.
Overall, general public trust in the news remained steady at 40 per cent, though this figure remains 4 percentage points lower than the level recorded during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Local Context and Expert Commentary
Focusing on Singapore, the report noted that mainstream media outlets continue to be the most trusted news brands. Trust in news sources rose to 47 per cent in 2024, up from 45 per cent the previous year. The Straits Times recorded 73 per cent and CNA recorded 74 per cent, making them the most trusted by the public.
In terms of reach, The Straits Times held the highest offline reach at 36 per cent, followed by CNA at 33 per cent, and Channel 5 at 25 per cent. For weekly online reach, Mothership and CNA were tied at 46 per cent, slightly ahead of ST’s website at 41 per cent.
Commenting on the findings, Professor Edson C. Tandoc Jr., a co-author of the Digital News Report’s country page on Singapore, advised that the public tends to place their trust in established organizations. Prof Edson stated, “Whether it’s generated by AI or not, we find that people trust the story if it’s by one of the legacy brands like ST or CNA,” adding that “Singaporeans recognise that the mainstream media in Singapore is closely regulated by the Government, but at the same time, the trust is high enough to override the impact of whether it’s AI or human – they still look at the organisation.”
The research, based on a poll of 94,943 adults globally conducted in January and February, included 2,013 participants in Singapore. The Institute cautioned that since the survey used a non-random sample, any differences of 2 percentage points or less should be interpreted with extreme caution.
