Digital News Report 2026. Episode 4: How people are using AI chatbots for news

In this episode of Future of Journalism, we look at who's using AI chatbots for news and the different ways they do so In this episode we explore findings from our Digital News Report 2026 around the different ways that people are using AI chatbots for news. We explore how use of AI chatbots for news around the world correlates with other forms of news engagement such frequency of access and trust. We look at how people say they use chatbots for news such as summarising, digging deeper or just getting headlines, and we explore data to inform the discussion around 'zero click-throughs' to publisher websites. Find a transcript here: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/our-podcast-digital-news-report-2026-episode-4-how-people-are-using-ai-chatbots-news

In this episode we explore the decline of offline media. In this episode of Future of Journalism we explore the steady decline of offline media for news such as TV, radio and newspapers. We look at adoption and retention rates to understand the various dynamics by which audience share is declining, how usage rates differ across demographics, and what these patterns could spell for the use of news websites and apps. Richard Fletcher is a co-author of the Digital News Report 2026 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-2026-episode-3-what-decline-old-media-can-teach-us

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