News Crisis: Are Influencers More Dangerous Than Traditional Media?

Introduction

In today's digital age, we are constantly faced with choices about where to get our news and information. Whether it's deciding between traditional media outlets like CNN or turning to Joe Rogan's podcast, or choosing between in-depth reports from Reuters and emotional short videos on TikTok, these decisions have become an integral part of our daily lives. The 2025 Digital News Report by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford reveals some alarming trends in global media consumption.

The Shift Away from Traditional Media

• Global Trend: According to the report, audiences around the world are fleeing traditional news media such as television, newspapers, and news websites at an unprecedented rate. However, this doesn't mean they are losing interest in world affairs. Instead, they are turning to a more complex, emotional, and potentially dangerous information ecosystem dominated by YouTubers, podcasters, and TikTokers.

• US Example: In the United States, for the first time, social media and video platforms have surpassed television and news websites as the primary source of news. 54% of respondents cited social and video platforms as their main news source, compared to 50% for television and 48% for news websites. This shift is not just a change in the medium but also a transfer of power. Algorithms and the personal charm of influencers are replacing the headlines once determined by newsrooms.

The Paradox of Trust

• Conflicting Views: Despite the decline in traditional media usage, when asked where they go to verify the authenticity of information, the majority of people across all age groups still choose trusted news sources like BBC, Reuters, or public broadcasters. This creates a paradox: we don't use traditional media in our daily lives but rely on them when we need to confirm the truth.

• Relationship Crisis: This suggests that traditional media may be facing a relationship or usage context crisis rather than a complete trust crisis. People may not doubt the professionalism of traditional media compared to other sources, but they find it less interesting, timely, and relatable in their daily lives. Influencers, on the other hand, offer more warmth, a clear stance, and a sense of companionship, even if their information may not be the most accurate.

The Rise of Influencers

• Global Phenomenon: Personal brands on YouTube, TikTok, and podcasts are emerging as the new powerhouses in the media landscape. In the US, 22% of respondents had watched or listened to Joe Rogan's news commentary in the previous week, a figure higher than many mainstream news channels. In France, Hugo Travers, a young YouTuber with the channel HugoDécrypte, has a 22% news reach among 35-year-olds, comparable to mainstream French TV stations. Similar trends are seen in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. For example, in Thailand, 60% of respondents had watched Kanchai Kamnerdploy's news commentary in the previous week.

• Reasons for Success: These influencers are popular because they are relatable, provide a sense of community, and offer a certain level of certainty. They make mistakes, use vulgar language, and have biases, which makes them seem more real. Subscribing to their channels gives viewers a sense of belonging, and they are more likely to present a straightforward view of events, which is appealing to those who don't want to spend time researching.

The Transformation of X (formerly Twitter)

• Musk's Takeover: When Elon Musk took over X, he laid off a large number of content moderators and reinstated many controversial accounts. Many predicted that the platform would be flooded with false information, its content quality would decline, and it would eventually die. Some liberal users even launched the #Xodus movement, moving to platforms like Threads or BlueSky.

• Surprising Outcome: However, the report shows that X's news usage has not decreased. In fact, in many countries, it has remained stable or even increased, especially in the US, where its usage has increased by 8 percentage points in a year. The reason is a significant shift in the user base. The number of right-wing users on X has increased several times, while the number of left-wing users has decreased significantly. X has transformed from a platform dominated by liberal elites to a stronghold for right-wing conservatives and anti-establishment voices.

News Avoidance

• Global Trend: The report also reveals a record-high level of news avoidance. 40% of respondents worldwide said they often or sometimes actively avoid news, an increase of more than ten percentage points compared to 2017. The main reasons include the negative impact of news on emotions, information overload, and the prevalence of war and conflict reports.

• Younger Generation: Younger generations have additional reasons for avoiding news. 18% of young people believe that news is irrelevant to their lives, and 20% feel that even if they know about it, they can't do anything about it. This sense of powerlessness is worrying because it undermines the foundation of public participation in a democratic society.

The Role of AI

• Growing Usage: AI chatbots like ChatGPT are emerging as a new source of news. Although only 7% of people worldwide use them to read news every week, the proportion among 25-year-olds is already 15%. This growth is rapid and cannot be ignored.

• Double-Edged Sword: AI can be both a solution and a problem for the news industry. On the positive side, it can help solve problems such as news avoidance and information overload by providing personalized services such as article summaries, language translation, and news recommendations. On the negative side, most people are highly skeptical of news content mainly produced by AI, believing that it will reduce the credibility of news.

The Taiwanese Media Landscape

• Unique Situation: Taiwan has a unique media landscape. While the global news avoidance rate is 40%, Taiwan's rate is only 21%, one of the lowest in the world. However, the overall trust in news in Taiwan is only 30%, ranking 10th from the bottom among the 48 markets surveyed.

• Political Polarization: The report points out that Taiwan's media environment is severely polarized by the pro-independence and pro-unification political stance. People often watch news not to obtain objective information but to confirm their political stance, find ammunition to attack opponents, or seek comfort in their own echo chambers. As a result, distrust of the media has become a kind of political correctness.

• Platform Changes: In terms of platforms, YouTube has become the most popular platform for watching news in Taiwan, with 46% of people using it. LINE ranks second (42%), followed by Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. The trust in news in Taiwan has also decreased compared to the previous year.

Conclusion

The 2025 Digital News Report is not just a media industry report but a mirror that reflects the collective anxiety and contradictions of our time in the information age. Traditional media is losing its influence not because it is no longer important but because it cannot meet our growing demand for stories. Influencers have risen to meet our deeper needs for belonging, certainty, and emotional resonance. News avoidance is a common phenomenon, and AI is both an opportunity and a challenge. In Taiwan, the media landscape is complex and polarized. As we consume news and information, we should constantly ask ourselves whether we are seeking knowledge or just emotional comfort. The distance between knowing and feeling may be the biggest obstacle between us and the truth in this era.