"In 2026, the biggest challenge for news consumers won't be finding information it will be figuring out what to trust and how to make sense of a deluge of competing narratives and facts. We at Pew Research Center have seen in our work that many Americans say they often encounter inaccurate news online and struggle to know what's true or not."
"This year, we found that just 2% of U.S. adults said they often get news from AI chatbots. As popular digital information sources such as social media and search engines continue to build generative AI into their products, it may become the default interface for many people to encounter information by the end of 2026. This pathway affords convenience reminiscent of the early days of social media. But it lacks transparency and clear attribution, and it continues to produce hallucinations and false information."
"The line between journalists and other kinds of content creators will only continue to blur. Our recent Pew-Knight Initiative data shows that about 1 in 5 U.S. adults (21%) regularly get news from news influencers. Among adults under 30, that jumps to 38%. For many younger audiences, the news anchor is now a TikTok personality, a YouTube commentator, or a podcaster with a loyal following. This trend reflects a deeper cultural shift: Audiences value authenticity and personality as institutional credibility is eroding."
Many Americans report encountering inaccurate news online and struggle to determine what is true. Three trends are likely to increase uncertainty: generative AI as a news provider, growing influence of social media influencers, and continued political polarization. Only 2% of U.S. adults currently say they often get news from AI chatbots, but generative AI could become the default interface for many by 2026. AI-driven pathways can provide convenient interactions but often lack transparency, clear attribution, and produce hallucinations. About one in five U.S. adults regularly get news from influencers, rising to 38% among adults under 30.
Read at www.niemanlab.org
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