Australians trust news media twice as much as social platforms     

Key findings

• 78 per cent of Australians see national news publishers as trustworthy compared to 36 per cent who think the same of content creators.

• Almost 2 in 5 Australians say they turn to news media to fact check information they see on social platforms.

• More than half of Gen Z regularly follow five or more news sources to rely on.

• 85 per cent of Australians report feelings of greater confidence in a brand when they encounter it within a journalistic environment.

ThinkNewsBrands’ inaugural News Nation report reveals Australians – particularly Gen Z – are becoming more discerning about how they stay informed and are turning to news media.

The News Nation: Why journalism has never mattered more report, released today, draws on eight studies by ThinkNewsBrands, examining the role of modern journalism and the value it holds for advertisers, supplemented by further studies from Australia, the UK and the US.

“The research shows Australians’ appetite for news remains strong; what’s shifting is how and why they access it,” ThinkNewsBrands CEO, Vanessa Lyons, said.

The Trust Gap is Growing: News as the Verification Layer
Australians lead the world when it comes to concerns about misinformation – 78 per cent see national news publishers as trustworthy compared to 36 per cent who think the same of content creators.

The Report found more than half of Australians – 57 per cent – see influencers and celebrities as misinformation risks.

“With AI-generated, algorithmically amplified content flooding their feeds, Australians are turning to journalism as a counterweight to unverified content,” Ms Lyons said.

“Social platforms offer speedy access to content, directing audiences to news media sites where they slow down to absorb journalism they value. The fact is, Australians trust journalists more than social platforms which they know farm their data and scrolling habits.”

“Fact-checking social content through journalism is becoming a common Australian behaviour – not an exception. This behaviour is even more pronounced when big stories break,” Ms Lyons said.

Gen Z: Highly Engaged, Highly Selective
News consumption remains an engrained ritual in Australia – reaching nine in 10 Australians each week. One in two Australians start their day consuming news, including through social platforms.

Gen Z is no exception – the Report found more than half of Gen Z curates five or more news sources to rely on, 56 per cent versus 39 per cent for those aged 45 to 64.

“There is a misconception that Gen Z doesn’t engage with news media, but the data shows that they are, in fact, voracious consumers of news; they’re just very selective,” Ms Lyons said.

Gen Z is more likely to subscribe to news media than any other demographic.

“Gen Z is not consuming less news, rather they’re curating more. And, while engagement with news media looks different to older generations, their reliance on credible sources remains strong,” Ms Lyons said. 

Brand Safety: Evidence vs Assumption

The Report also looked at how Australians perceive brands advertised alongside hard or ‘negative’ news, finding they don’t associate negative feelings with the brand. In fact, 85 per cent report greater confidence in a brand when they encounter it within a journalistic environment.

A US study of 50,000 people also found no meaningful difference in brand reputation or purchase intent between brands advertising next to hard or soft news.

“There remains a perception that serious or hard news isn’t ‘brand safe’, but the collective evidence confirms that news is a safe, credible and trusted environment for brands to advertise,” Ms Lyons said.

The Report also raises concerns about the unintended consequences of blunt keyword blocking tools, which can exclude brands from high-quality journalism without accounting for editorial context or accountability.

“Automated tools that block ads from appearing near keywords are a blunt instrument – they fail to distinguish between credible reporting and unsafe content, leading to commercial consequences for brands.”

“In this year’s Australian Open Men’s Final, for example, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic had a 25-shot rally – it was a match highlight! But that single word ‘shot’ would have immediately blocked thousands of ads from appearing in a very desirable high-attention environment – a missed opportunity for brands,” Ms Lyons said.

The Attention Difference

The News Nation report highlights clear differences in how audiences engage with news compared to other platforms.

When consuming journalism Australians behave differently: three in four slow down and focus their attention, rather than multitasking or passively scrolling as they often do on social platforms.

“Trust in journalism drives attention. That focused attention has measurable impact – brands appearing in news environments see 6.4 times higher brand recall,” Ms Lyons said.

Distribution Has Changed. The Value and Role of Journalism Has Not

Newly appointed ThinkNewsBrands Chair, and News Australia State Managing Director, Queensland, Laura Maxwell, said technological change has altered distribution but not the value of journalism.

“How Australians find and consume information is evolving. While tech platforms enable almost anyone to create and share stories, this content should not be mistaken for professional journalism and the role it plays in a healthy democratic society.”

“News media remains essential and is critical to how we understand events, each other, and the world around us,” Ms Maxwell said.

“In a climate of declining social cohesion and information overload, high-quality, trusted journalism has never mattered more.”

About ThinkNewsBrands

ThinkNewsBrands is the peak advocacy body for Australia’s news media. We champion the role of professional journalism which provides facts, accountability and public trust in an era increasingly shaped by misinformation, synthetic content and algorithmic amplification. We provide authoritative data, research and insights that demonstrate the enduring influence and commercial effectiveness of news publishing; equipping marketers, media agencies and brands with the evidence to make informed advertising investment decisions. At a time of growing uncertainty, news media offers Australia’s safest and most trusted advertising environment, creating clear commercial value for brands while strengthening the communities and democratic systems they serve.

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