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Lea Korsgaard (Zetland, top left), Dmitry Shishkin (Ringer Media International, top right), Mark Frankel (Full Fact, bottom left), Sophia Smith Galer (Viralect, bottom right) all speaking at our Newsrewired conference over the years


Jonathan Paterson, contributing editor, The News Movement said the best part of the annual Reuters Institute's Digital News Report is the post-match analysis. And we couldn't agree more.

So, we trawled through the LinkedIn posts and consolidated all the best tidbits for you. Want to share your two cents? Get in touch with me.

Solving the YouTube puzzle

Sticking with Paterson, he identified a puzzling trend in YouTube's relationship with news consumption. Despite large strides made in social video consumption, the video platform has taken a small dip itself for news. Full post

Key stat: YouTube is down one percentage point as a weekly news source (21 per cent), while social video news consumption overall has grown to nearly two thirds of users (up 13 percentage points) and video for any purpose reaches three quarters (up 8 percentage points) over five years.

The insight: The disconnect stems from how we define 'news' - breaking news and short video moments that set the agenda don't always fit YouTube's longer-form 16:9 format. Figuring this out could unlock YouTube's superior monetisation potential, compared to other social platforms.

The action point: Experiment with the established YouTube formats like explainers, gamified challenges, and creator-led news content.

The missed opportunity in the comment section

Sophia Smith Galer is many things; a journalist, author, media consultant. She is also someone who just gets the new social media platforms like TikTok, where she has garnered more than half a million followers and nearly 18m likes. It's little surprise she spotted that newsrooms are missing a trick by not being more engaged in their social media comment sections. Full post

Key stat: 22 per cent of 18-34s look at user comments to verify information, compared with 17 per cent over over 35s. This trend is more stark with using social media and video networks themselves as a fact-checking resource.

The insight: Comment sections are becoming fact-checking spaces where audiences look for information and guidance, yet journalists rarely engage there to rebut misinformation, clarify points, or maintain conversations around their reporting. This represents a fundamental failure to meet audiences where they're seeking verification.

The action point: Newsrooms must equip journalists with editorial freedom, safety training, and counter-misinformation strategies to actively engage in comment sections, treating them as essential spaces for trust-building rather than territories to be abandoned.

TikTok is the hotspot for news in the Global South

German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) has, at last count, 30 different TikTok accounts each serving different languages. Erika Marzano, audience development manager at DW, highlighted the rapid growth and potential of the platform that traditional newsrooms are missing out on. Full post

Key stat: TikTok is the fastest-growing social platform for news, with 17 per cent using it for news globally (+3 percentage points year-on-year). Thailand (49 per cent) tops the list for weekly news consumption on TikTok, while the UK languishes at the bottom (6 per cent).

The insight: While news organisations ruminate over the platform, creators dominate the space. The platform's informal style, lack of referral traffic, and creator-first algorithm make it difficult for legacy newsrooms to adapt to and monetise. And yet, it's become a major news access point, especially in the Global South.

The action point: Develop tailored content strategies that embrace TikTok's informal style and creator-first approach. Consider collaboration with, or emulation of, influencer-style content.

Is it time to dance with the devil?

Dmitry Shishkin, CEO of Ringier Media International, addressed the uncomfortable reality that individual creators often command higher trust levels than traditional media institutions, questioning whether newsrooms should fundamentally reimagine their role and partnerships. Full post

Key stat: French news creator Hugo Travers reaches 22 per cent of under-35s, but just four per cent of over 35s.

The insight: Audiences increasingly turn to individuals who demonstrate transparency in their decision-making processes - exactly what makes creator segments more popular. While influencers remain broadly problematic (47 per cent think they're a source of misinformation, joint top with politicians), specific creators can achieve remarkable reach. Media companies stand to learn a lot from higher-trusted voices rather than compete against them.

The action point: Embrace the philosophical and existential challenge of becoming a talent management operation that supports and develops trusted individual voices. Learn from creators who demonstrate the transparency and decision-making honesty that audiences increasingly value over institutional authority.

Why opt to be negative?

Emma Löfgren, editor at The Local Sweden, said the extent of news avoidance means the stage is set for constructive journalism in all aspects of news coverage, not just as an add-on to traditional journalism. Full post

Key stat: 20 per cent of audiences say they avoid the news because there is nothing they can do with the information.

The insight: The constructive journalism movement is too apologetic about its own existence, often positioning itself as merely supplementary to traditional journalism rather than arguing it should be integral to all reporting. Löfgren argues there's no logical alternative to being constructive: why would anyone want to produce journalism that's destructive?

The action point: Newsrooms need to look for constructive reporting, even during negative phenomena or incidents. Journalism schools, too, need to teach the next generation of journalists to teach constructive reporting within the fundamentals of breaking news and investigative reporting.

Top reasons for news avoidance - all markets

It's all Greek to me

Tassos Morfis, co-founder of Qurio, argued that news avoidance isn't a distribution or technology problem - it's fundamentally an editorial failure to make audiences feel seen and understood. Full post

Key stat: In Morfis's market of Greece, 60 per cent sometimes or often avoid the news. It is also joint-lowest for trust (22 per cent) alongside Hungary.

The insight: While traditional newsrooms are still viewed as most credible, they're not the most relatable. Audiences don't believe news organisations truly want to understand them or report beyond the predictable cycle of politics and crisis.

The action point: Open new, active channels of public input to actually shape better journalism—not just to engage or convert users, but to create reporting that resonates more deeply with people who've long felt unheard by traditional news cycles.

Trusted brands weathering the storm

Mark Frankel, head of public affairs at Full Fact (and a near-20 year veteran with BBC News) recognised the importance of his past and current workplaces. His former employer BBC News continues to sit top of the charts in the UK for trust (60 per cent). He also noted Full Fact's high ratings with audiences across the UK, US, Germany, Japan and South Africa when people encounter misinformation. Full post

Key stat: 58 per cent of people across all markets are concerned about what is fake on the internet, with concerns highest in Africa (73 per cent).

The insight: The trend that audiences seek authoritative and verified sources when encountering falsehoods appears to transcend national boundaries and global distrust patterns.

The action point: Invest in building recognised fact-checking capabilities and partnerships with established verification organisations.

The Nordic reality check

Lea Kosgaard, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Zetland in Denmark, offered a sobering reminder that even markets often viewed as successful are struggling with their own comparative disadvantages. Full post

Key stat: Denmark's willingness to pay for news (19 per cent) lags significantly behind Sweden (31 per cent) and Norway (42 per cent). Denmark is one of the strongest markets for trust (56 per cent), ahead of Norway (54 per cent) and Sweden (53 per cent), but firmly behind Scandinavian neighbour Finland (67 per cent)

The insight: Even Denmark - often held up as a model market - finds itself looking enviously at neighbours with better metrics. Kosgaard argues this isn't about cultural differences but about its Nordic neighbours being better at developing digital products and understanding user needs.

The action point: Stop wasting energy on comparisons and finger-pointing at external factors, and focus on boldly developing digital news products that genuinely serve your own audience's needs.

But do spare a thought for us in the UK where our market conditions include a 10 per cent willingness to pay, 35 per cent trust rating and 46 per cent news avoidance rate.

The Dutch reality check

A stable 40 per cent global trust situation outlined in the DNR supports similar findings from the (confusingly named) Digital News Report Nederland 2025 by the Dutch Media Authority, according to Wytse Vellinga, coordinator of journalistic responsibility at NPO. The Dutch report is a deeper and exclusive look into Dutch media, with a similar set-up to the DNR. Full Post (in Dutch)

Key stat: The Netherlands records quite low willingness to pay for news (17 per cent), but is the third strongest market for trust towards the news (50 per cent), but has slipped four percentage points.

The insight: Vellinga thinks even half of people trusting the news is not good enough, and calls for an industry-wide commitment to improving public trust. Both reports point to a reality where audiences have lost interest in the clickbait articles newsrooms insist on giving them.

The action point: Prioritise transparency about journalistic processes, accountability mechanisms, and depth over algorithm-chasing content, recognising that to survive, journalism must distinguish itself by doing what other content creators cannot - rather than copying what they already do well.

Silent AI practices fuel scepticism

Peder Hammerskov, assistant professor at DMJX, focused on how newsrooms are actually implementing AI tools, revealing a gap between experimentation and transparency about their use. Full Post (in Danish)

Key stat: Audiences think AI will make news less transparent (8 per cent), less accurate (8 per cent) and less trustworthy (18 per cent).

The insight: While there's broad agreement on "human in the loop" principles - especially for politics, crime and sensitive topics - many outlets keep their AI use low-profile, not from shame but from fear of damaging user trust.

The action point: Move beyond experimental secrecy to develop clear, communicable AI taskforces and policies that explain to audiences exactly how and where AI is being used.

News consumption's second law of thermodynamics

The second law of thermodynamics states that things naturally tend towards disorder, and you can't get back to a highly ordered state without putting in energy to do so. Ezra Eeman, strategy and innovation director, NPO, thinks this is also what is happening across the media landscape as fragmentation accelerates. Full post

Key stat: Six platforms now reach more than 10 per cent weekly news consumption, compared to just two a decade ago,

The insight: While traditional sources (TV, print, news websites) continue declining, the new players are in growth - social platforms, video apps, and aggregators gain ground, and even AI interfaces as an entirely new category of a news source. Watch that space, closely.

The action point: Accept that fragmentation is inevitable and plan strategy accordingly, particularly focusing on emerging platforms where younger audiences are already experimenting with new forms of news consumption. Expect the nascent numbers of AI platforms for news to grow and other players to emerge (4 per cent currently use ChatGPT for news weekly), so remain vigilant of, and open-minded towards, these platforms.

Personalisation is journalism's new frontier

CNBC's VP of programming and events, Nick Wrenn, pulled out the rising demand for personalised news services. He has a firsthand grip on this space as the former content guidelines and policy lead at Meta, and before that news program lead at Facebook. Full post

Key stat: 27 per cent of audiences want quick and easy-to-read summaries of news articles.

The insight: Wrenn's prior Facebook experience proved that personalisation drives engagement through three key tactics: matching content to users' known interests while still offering surprises, refreshing rundowns with every visit to provide new updates even on familiar topics, and serving different complexity levels of the same story based on individual user knowledge.

The action point: Remember that audiences still want handmade, trustworthy and evidence-based news. But also see the opportunity presented by considering how AI can make your work more accessible and engaging.

Super-bundles and local news drive growth

Greg Piechota, researcher-in-residence at INMA, is one of the best at the money side of the news business. He analysed the payment data to reveal encouraging trends in news subscription growth, particularly in markets that embrace bundling strategies. Full post

Key stat: The average proportion of consumers who have paid for any online news increased to 18 per cent (+1 percentage point) in 2025, with penetration nearly doubling over the past decade across 20 rich media markets.

The insight: Half of surveyed markets saw increases in payment rates, with Austria, Switzerland, and Ireland seeing the highest spikes (eight, five and three percentage points respectively). Significantly, countries with already high penetration like Norway (up 2 points to 42 per cent) continue growing, partly due to super-bundles like Amedia's +Alt (16 per cent penetration) and Schibsted's Full tilgang (8 per cent).

The action point: In countries where more people subscribe to local news, more people are paying for any news. Time to collaborate?

Podcasting as a (much needed) money spinner

Podcasts aren't just a nice to have. There is a growing paying audience for them, highlights Chris Stone, head of podcasts and video at New Statesman - and boy does the industry need a new revenue source. Full post

Key stat: 73 per cent say listening to podcasts helps them understand issues more deeply than other media, while 42 per cent of news podcast listeners would pay a reasonable price for news-related podcasts they like.

The insight: Podcasts deliver the deep engagement and trust that drives payment willingness, but only specific monetisation tactics work. Listeners welcome exclusive add-on content and memberships, but moving existing free content behind paywalls is a distinct turn-off. Meanwhile, the most successful podcasts on YouTube are personality-led, with US news featuring more large, partisan personalities than markets like the UK.

The action point: Develop personality-led podcast content with exclusive add-on offerings and membership models, but avoid putting existing free content behind paywalls—focus on creating new premium value rather than restricting current offerings.

Further analysis:

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