News24 remains the most trusted online news brand in the country, according to the Reuters Institute.

• News24 has been named the country’s most trusted online news brand for the eighth consecutive year.
• Trust in news crashed to 37% globally, the lowest in more than a decade, as social media became the main source worldwide.
• News24 pledges to keep earning that trust, says editor-in-chief Adriaan Basson.

For the eighth year in a row, News24 has been named the most trusted online news brand in the country, according to the Reuters Institute.

The institute’s 2026 Digital News Report, which tracks trends in digital news consumption across major markets worldwide, was released on Tuesday.

In South Africa, News24 and broadcaster eNCA topped the list of the most trusted brands, both achieving a score of 80% from the sample size of just over 2 000 news consumers.

By platform, News24 topped the list of most weekly-accessed online news titles, while eNCA topped the TV, radio and print category.

“News24 is honoured to be named South Africa’s most trusted news brand once again. In a divided moment, in our country and the world, we pledge to keep earning that trust, story by story, day by day,” said News24’s editor-in-chief, Adriaan Basson.

“When fabricating and spreading false information is cheap and easy, trust becomes expensive. Proper journalism means digging into records, chasing paper trails, and sending reporters into the real world – to commissions, court cases and crime scenes. Our journalists are out there, getting the facts on the ground, not speculating without proof on social media platforms. That is why South Africans can rely on us for trusted news first.”

Platforms and the rise of social media

The report itself paints a declining picture for news usage around the world.

For the first time, due to the decline of traditional sources, social media and video networks are now ahead of news websites, apps and TV as the most widely used way of accessing news globally.

The report read:

The proportion of people identifying social media and video networks as their main source of news also rose this year in 22 markets. Globally, 30% of people now say social media and video networks are their main source of news, up from 22% five years ago.

The shift is especially pronounced among younger audiences, but it is happening across all age groups.

READ | ‘We will continue to be SA’s watchdogs’ – News24 bags 7 Vodacom national journalism awards

In South Africa, Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube grew their bases of people accessing news on these platforms by 16, 12 and 8%, respectively.

Trust in news is at lowest point globally in a decade

Another global trend is that trust in news has dropped to 37%, the lowest level since the report began measuring trust in 2015.

The steepest declines were recorded in the Philippines (-10 points), Ireland (-9), Thailand, Peru and Poland (all -8).

In the US, only 25% of respondents said they trusted most news most of the time.

This amounts to a five-point fall from last year, with some news brands experiencing double-digit point drops in trust.

To read more of the Digital News Report 2026, click here.