For the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025, which compares news consumption internationally, surveys were conducted simultaneously in 48 countries to identify general trends and national characteristics. The HBI conducted the German sub-study and was supported by the state media authorities and ZDF.
Behre, Julia; Hölig, Sascha; Stöwing, Ezra; Möller, Judith (2025): Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025 – Ergebnisse für Deutschland [Findings for Germany]. Hamburg: Verlag Hans-Bredow-Institut, June 2025 (Working Papers of the Hans-Bredow-Institut | Project Results No. 77), https://doi.org/10.21241/ssoar.102887
Report Available for Download (only in German)
Overview of the Key Findings
66 percent of adults online in Germany consume news on the internet at least once a week. The most frequently used online news sources are social media platforms like Facebook, X, and YouTube (33%). Among 18-24-year-olds, half regularly consume news on these platforms. Around one-third of 18-24-year-olds consider social media their most important source of news. Around one in six people in this age group (17%) only comes into contact with news content on social media.
Additionally, 61 percent of adult internet users in Germany watch a news program on traditional television at least once a week. Among the youngest age group, the figure is just under a third. The majority of the adult online population (43%) also considers linear television to be the most important source of news, followed closely by internet news sources (42%).
Despite their growing popularity, generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity play a minor role in news consumption. Only four percent of adult internet users in Germany use a generative AI chatbot to access news weekly. Among respondents under the age of 35, this figure is slightly higher, at 9 and 10 percent, respectively.
Most adult internet users go directly to a news website or app (35%) or enter the name of a specific website into a search engine (24%) to find specific articles or reports online. Other popular ways to access online news are social media and entering a news topic into a search engine (24% each). More than a third of 18- to 24-year-olds encounter news primarily on social media.
In 2025, the social media platforms that most respondents will use to search for, read, watch, share, or discuss news will continue to be YouTube (18%), WhatsApp (15%), and Facebook (15%). Among the youngest surveyed, 18- to 24-year-olds, 29 percent regularly consume news on Instagram, followed by YouTube (23 percent) and WhatsApp (20 percent). Overall, content from traditional news media and journalists receives the most attention on social media. This applies to both older and younger users. At the same time, 18- to 24-year-olds say slightly more often than older respondents that they pay the most attention to news content from political figures and social media influencers.
Interest in general news remains stable in 2025. As in the previous year, 55 percent of adult internet users in Germany reported being extremely or very interested in the news. The general reach of news remains high: 91 percent consume news more than once a week (compared to 89 percent in 2024). Meanwhile, 71 percent of adult internet users say they actively avoid the news at least occasionally (in 2024, it was 69 percent). Thirteen percent try to do so often (2024: 14%). The most common reason for avoiding the news is its negative impact on one’s mood (48%). Additionally, 39% of news avoiders say there is too much reporting on wars and conflicts, and they are exhausted by the amount of news. Older subgroups aged 55 and above are more likely to cite excessive reporting on wars and conflicts as a reason for avoiding the news (49%). In contrast, 18- to 24-year-olds are slightly more likely to say they are exhausted by the amount of news (43%). They are also more likely to say it does not seem relevant to their lives and they feel they cannot do anything with the information (19% each).
Trust in the news remains stable. Forty-five percent of adult internet users in Germany believe that most news is generally trustworthy. Trust in the news that respondents use themselves also remains high, at 57 percent. The two main public broadcasting outlets are once again the news sources with the highest trust ratings among the brands surveyed that are known to respondents, followed by regional and local daily newspapers.
The comparatively high level of trust that the adult online population in Germany has in news media is reflected in their assessment of sources that pose a high risk of spreading false or misleading information online. Over half of those surveyed view online influencers and personalities as a significant threat regarding disinformation and misinformation. A further 47 percent believe that activists, foreign governments, and politicians pose a major threat. Additionally, 40 percent think the same about politicians and parties in Germany. By comparison, news media and journalists are considered less threatening (24%). Among different channels and platforms, TikTok is considered the most dangerous (57%), followed closely by X (53%) and Facebook (50%). Only 14 percent believe that news websites pose a significant threat regarding false or misleading information online.
Despite the growing prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI), there is still skepticism about its use in news production. Fifty-four percent of people feel somewhat or very uncomfortable with news produced primarily by AI. Acceptance is slightly higher for news produced with some AI assistance but primarily by human journalists (34%). Respondents see the biggest advantage of AI-produced news over human-produced news as its lower production costs. However, the majority of respondents expect human-produced news to be more trustworthy than news produced by AI.
One in three respondents feels somewhat or very comfortable using personalized news websites or apps. 38% are undecided, and 18% feel uncomfortable doing so. Acceptance of personalized online content is slightly higher in the areas of weather, music, and movies and TV shows. Interest in using specific news services tailored to individual needs with the help of AI is also rather low. The youngest age group, 18- to 24-year-olds, shows the greatest interest in such services. They are particularly interested in using AI for summaries (27%), translations (24%), and simplified wording (24%) of news articles.
Local news continues to attract considerable interest. 84 percent of respondents are at least somewhat interested in current information relating to their area. Half of respondents consume local news within a week. Among 18- to 24-year-olds, 34 percent do so, compared to 61 percent of those over 55. Local newspapers, radio, and television stations are widely regarded as the best sources of information on various topics. This is especially true for local news, politics, and announcements.