📰 Australia's News Landscape in 2026: A Generational Shift
Key Findings
A majority of Australian adults under 25 have never used newspapers or radio as news sources, according to the 2026 Digital News Report by the University of Canberra's News and Media Research Centre.
Overall news interest has increased, particularly among women and young people, after years of decline. Since 2024, interest in news among 18–24 year-olds rose by 12 percentage points to 47%.
Political interest has risen among under-35s, who now report higher levels than older cohorts for the first time.
Traditional Media Decline
- 40% of all Australians who previously used newspapers and radio have stopped using these platforms.
- Among 18–24 year-olds: 60% have never used newspapers for news, 53% have never used radio, and 25% have never used TV.
Current News Sources
Platform Usage TV 57% (main source) Social media 56% Online news 52%48% of 18–24 year-olds use TikTok for news (up 12 points).
Public Service Media
Nearly half of news consumers say public service media (ABC, SBS) has a positive effect on life in Australia.
Age divides are stark:
- Among those aged 25–34, 68% are positive
- Among those aged 55–64, 34% are positive
- Among those aged 65+, 38% are positive
39% of right-wing consumers view public service media negatively.
News Consumption Preferences
- 49% of Australians prefer news from sources without a particular point of view
- 17% favor news aligning with their views
- 17% seek news that challenges their views
AI and Trust
Nearly 10% of Australians use generative AI chatbots (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini) to get news.
Globally, trust in news has dropped to 37%, the lowest level since 2015.
- In the US, trust fell to 25% overall (15% among right-leaning Americans)
- Some news brands experienced large trust drops: CBS News and Fox News each fell 10 points year-on-year; CNN fell 6 points
Methodology
The Australian study is part of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism's international survey, including a statistical sample of 2,025 people in Australia.
This report was originally published in The Guardian Australia.