16 June 2026: The Digital News Report: Australia 2026, released today by the University of Canberra’s News and Media Research Centre (N&MRC), has revealed growing news engagement among younger Australians, rising use of AI tools, and social media's continuing influence on information access.
After several years of decline, Australians are tuning back in and consuming more news than previously seen, according to the report.
The 12th edition of the annual report produced in partnership with the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford, found 56 per cent of Australians now access news multiple times a day.
While overall news engagement is increasing, the way Australians consume news continues to change rapidly, particularly among younger generations.
For the first time, Australians under 35 reported greater interest in politics than older cohorts, challenging assumptions that younger audiences are disengaged from public affairs.
Professor Sora Park, Director of the N&MRC and lead author of the report, said younger Australians were not turning away from news – they were redefining how they accessed it.
"Young Australians are not disengaged from news. They are consuming it in different ways, across different platforms and often from a wider range of sources than previous generations," Professor Park said.
The report found 60 per cent of Australians aged 18–24 have never picked up and flicked through a newspaper as a news source, while almost half (48 per cent) are using TikTok to get the news.
Younger Australians are also more likely to consume news across multiple brands, platforms and formats, reflecting a shift away from traditional news routines towards more personalised and platform-driven experiences.
Social media continues to reshape the news landscape
For the first time, social media has also overtaken direct visits to news websites as the primary pathway Australians use to access online news.
It is now Australia's second most-used source of news, utilised by 56 per cent of Australians – just behind television (57 per cent) and ahead of online news websites and apps (52 per cent).
The growing influence of creators and influencers is another sign of changing audience habits. More than four in ten Australians (43 per cent) now access news from creators or influencers.
Among those users, many said creator-led news was more entertaining, relatable and easier to understand than traditional news media.
"Audiences increasingly want news that fits naturally into their daily lives and digital habits," Professor Park said.
"The challenge for news organisations is adapting to those changing expectations while maintaining the trust and credibility that audiences value."
AI is now part of the news experience
The report also highlights the growing role of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in how Australians access information.
Nearly one in ten Australians (nine per cent) now use AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity for news.
Rather than replacing traditional news sources, users are increasingly turning to AI tools to summarise articles, explain complex issues and follow up on stories they have encountered elsewhere.
Almost half (49 per cent) of AI chatbot users said they use the technology to explore news stories in greater depth.
Dr Jee Young Lee, Senior Lecturer and co-author of the report, said generative AI tools were becoming an important part of people's news consumption.
"Gen AI is mainly used to summarise, explain and ask follow-up questions. But trust remains low," Dr Lee said.
"AI is becoming a new layer in news access, but trust has not caught up with use."
Around half of Australians continue to distrust news delivered through social media (51 per cent) and AI platforms (49 per cent).
Trust remains personal
While overall trust in news remained stable at 43 per cent, Australians expressed much higher trust in the news sources they actively choose themselves.
Trust in "my news" rose to 54 per cent. Trust among younger Australians also increased, reversing a long-standing pattern in which younger people were less likely to trust news than older Australians.
Concern about misinformation also remains high, with 77 per cent of Australians worried about what is real or fake online, with Australians recording some of the highest levels of unease globally.
The report found younger Australians continue to value trusted and independent sources of journalism, despite consuming news through a growing number of digital channels.
Australians aged 25–34 were almost twice as likely to view public service media positively (68 per cent) compared to Australians aged 55–64 (34 per cent) and those aged 65 and older (38 per cent).
Dr Kieran McGuinness, Postdoctoral Research Fellow and co-author of the report, said the findings challenged assumptions that younger audiences were turning away from trusted news institutions.
"Younger audiences are increasingly engaged with and supportive of public service media," Dr McGuinness said.
"They are more vigilant about the widespread misinformation online and are seeking trusted sources."
Professor Park said the report’s findings reflected an evolving media environment rather than a declining one.
"The way Australians access news is changing rapidly, but the demand for credible information remains strong," she said.
"The challenge is understanding how audiences are navigating a more complex information environment and ensuring trusted journalism remains accessible wherever people choose to engage with news."
Read the full Digital News Report: Australia 2026.
