Digital News Report 2026. Episode 2: The true global impact of news creators

We explore the role of influencers and creators in different news ecosystems. n this episode of Future of Journalism, we draw on findings from the Digital News Report 2026 to explore the role of influencers and creators across the world. We’ll look at how usage rates differ across the world, what their audiences find most engaging and how different national contexts and news ecosystems are driving their growth. Speakers: Nic Newman is a Senior Research Associate at the Reuters Institute. He is also a consultant on digital media, working actively with news companies on product, audience, and business strategies for digital transition. He is the co-author of the Digital News Report 2026 and authored a special chapter of the Digital News Report 2026 on the impact and role of news creators. Our host Mitali Mukherjee is the Director of the Reuters Institute. She's a political economy journalist with more than two decades of experience in TV, print and digital journalism. See a full transcript: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/our-podcast-digital-news-report-2026-episode-2-how-news-creators-impact-media-and-politics

We explore how people are consuming news in 2026, the role of platforms, levels of trust and interest, AI chatbots, news influencers and more. In this opening episode of our Digital News Report 2026 series, we explore the major trends around how people are consuming news around the world. We look at the dominance of platforms as a source of news, how people are using AI, declining trust and interest in news, the role of news influencers, subscription trends and much more. Speakers: Jim Egan is the lead author of the Digital News Report 2026 and is a senior research associate at the Reuters Institute. Richard Fletcher is a co-author of the Digital News Report and is the Director of Research at the Reuters Institute. Host Mitali Mukherjee is the Director of the Reuters Institute and is a political economy journalist with more than two decades of experience in TV, print and digital journalism. Find a full transcript here: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/our-podcast-digital-news-report-2026-what-you-need-know

In this episode of Future of Journalism we look at some of the fundamental shifts that are taking place in the world of news podcasts. In this episode of Future of Journalism we look at some of the fundamental shifts that are taking place in the world of news podcasts. How are people consuming them? What formats are proving most popular? What business models are news organisations and podcast studios finding most effective? Speakers: Nic Newman https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/people/nic-newman is the lead author of the Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions 2026 report and is a Senior Research Associate at the Reuters Institute. He is also a consultant on digital media, working actively with news companies on product, audience, and business strategies for digital transition. Our host Mitali Mukherjee https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/people/mitali-mukherjee is the Director of the Reuters Institute. She's a political economy journalist with more than two decades of experience in TV, print and digital journalism.   Transcript available here:  https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/our-podcast-whats-changing-world-news-podcasts

How media leaders around the world plan to address the challenges of 2026. In this episode we’re diving into a major report gauging the perspectives of media leaders around the world on the challenges they’re facing in 2026 and how they plan to respond. We’ll look at the impact of AI on how news is accessed and produced, the role of social media, video platforms and news creators, how companies are adapting their business models, and much more. Speakers: Nic Newman https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/people/nic-newman is the lead author of the Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions 2026 report and is a Senior Research Associate at the Reuters Institute. He is also a consultant on digital media, working actively with news companies on product, audience, and business strategies for digital transition. Our host Mitali Mukherjee https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/people/mitali-mukherjee is the Director of the Reuters Institute. She's a political economy journalist with more than two decades of experience in TV, print and digital journalism. Full transcript here: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/what-should-we-expect-journalism-2026

In this episode of Future of Journalism we explore findings around the public's relationship with climate news. In this episode of Future of Journalism we explore findings around the public's relationship with climate news. We explore findings from our recent report that uses survey data from eight countries to gauge how people get their climate news, what institutions they trust, their attitudes towards the role of politicians and AI, and what they expect from journalists. Waqas Ejaz is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with at the Reuters Institute and the lead author of Climate change news audiences report 2025: Analysis of news use and attitudes in eight countries. Our host Mitali Mukherjee is the Director of the Reuters Institute. She's a political economy journalist with more than two decades of experience in TV, print and digital journalism. She is the co-author of the Climate change news audiences report 2025. Full transcript here: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/our-podcast-trust-politics-and-ai-what-people-think-about-climate-news

We discuss how people are responding to the growing role of AI in news and wider society In this episode of Future of Journalism we discuss one of the hottest topics in journalism right now which is how people are responding to the growing role of AI in news and wider society. We’ll look at how generative AI tools are being used, how people engage with AI-generated answers in online searches, and AI’s role in newsrooms and wider society. Speakers: Dr Felix M. Simon is a (political) communication researcher and Research Fellow in AI and Digital News at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Before joining us, he was a doctoral student at the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), where he is a Research Associate. Host Mitali Mukherjee is the Director of the Reuters Institute and is a political economy journalist with more than two decades of experience in TV, print and digital journalism. You can find a full transcript of the podcast on our website: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/our-podcast-how-people-are-using-generative-ai-and-what-means-news

In this episode of Future of Journalism we look at people access news and information about topics in their local area. In this episode of Future of Journalism we look at the levels at which people access news and information about topics in their local area and whether they prefer to use news media or platforms to do so. We explore how this correlates with interest in news in general and how these trends vary around the world. We also discuss how news publishers can better engage audiences on a local level. Speakers: Richard Fletcher is a co-author of the Digital News Report and is the Director of Research at the Reuters Institute. Host Mitali Mukherjee is the Director of the Reuters Institute and is a political economy journalist with more than two decades of experience in TV, print and digital journalism. Find a full transcript on our website: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/our-podcast-digital-news-report-2025-episode-6-how-people-navigate-local-news-and-information

In this episode of Future of Journalism we explore the role of news alerts in distributing news and engaging audiences. In this episode of Future of Journalism we explore the role of news alerts in distributing news and engaging audiences. We look at which brands and platforms are sending them and with what frequency, as well as what audiences think of them including why they may have turned them off. We also look at the approach that news outlets should take in order not to irritate loyal users through over use. Speakers Nic Newman is the lead author of the Digital News Report 2025 and is a senior research associate at the Reuters Institute. Host Mitali Mukherjee is the Director of the Reuters Institute and is a political economy journalist with more than two decades of experience in TV, print and digital journalism. Find a full transcript here: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/our-podcast-digital-news-report-2025-episode-5-mobile-news-alerts-audience-engagement

We discuss how people check information that they suspect might be false, fake or misleading, and the role of news organisations in this process. If people come across information which they suspect may be false, fake or misleading, where do they turn to verify or debunk it? This is the question at the heart of this episode of our podcast mini series on the Digital News Report 2025. We discuss what are the most frequently named sources, where news organisations fit in among the wider choice of institutions, platforms and fac-checking websites, and how this all varies according to different audience factors. Speakers: Rasmus Kleis Nielsen is a Professor at the Department of Communication of the University of Copenhagen and a Senior Research Associate at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. He is a co-author of the Digital News Report 2025. Host Mitali Mukherjee is the Director of the Reuters Institute and is a political economy journalist with more than two decades of experience in TV, print and digital journalism. Find a full transcript here: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/our-podcast-digital-news-report-2025-episode-4-how-people-check-if-information-real-or-fake

In this episode of Future of Journalism, we look at levels of podcast consumption, what audiences say are their favourite podcasts, where they're being listened to and trends across countries. What is a news podcast nowadays? Some light entertainment podcasts discuss news, while a format designed for audio is thriving on visual platforms like YouTube. In this episode of Future of Journalism, we look at levels of podcast consumption, what audiences say are their favourite podcasts, where they're being listened to and trends across countries. We also look at the favoured platforms for listening, and how news publishers are using them for monetisation and engagement. The speakers Craig T. Robertson is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. His research focus includes news trust and credibility, fact-checking and verification, and how both partisan attitudes and epistemic beliefs factor into these domains. He is a co-author of the Digital News Report Host Mitali Mukherjee is the Director of the Reuters Institute and is a political economy journalist with more than two decades of experience in TV, print and digital journalism. Find a full transcript here: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/our-podcast-digital-news-report-2025-episode-3-rogan-pod-save-how-podcasts-are-reshaping-news