b4p Trend Report: News Consumption Trends Highlight the Strength of Journalistic Media
The latest b4p trend report from GIK shows that, despite social media and AI, journalistic media brands remain the central points of reference in everyday news consumption—and newsletters and podcasts are establishing themselves as formats in their own right.
In its b4p trend report, «News in Transition—How Our Daily News Habits Are Changing,» the Society for Integrated Communication Research (GIK) analyzed the results of a representative online survey that provides a comprehensive overview of current news consumption trends in Germany. The result is clear: Journalistic media brands are maintaining their central role in everyday information consumption—despite growing competition from social media and artificial intelligence.
Journalistic media as a key source of guidance
For 85 percent of respondents, news channels from established media outlets are the go-to source for current information. At the same time, journalistic news media are seen as an important source of guidance (78 percent), opinion-forming (74 percent), and democratic participation (73 percent). These figures underscore that both print and digital news formats are far more than mere providers of information—they fulfill a social function.
Depending on the situation, users turn to different channels and formats. For quick information, news websites or apps dominate, at 66 percent. For in-depth and structured information, 49 percent prefer newspapers or e-papers, while 54 percent use video formats primarily to experience events in real time—such as live coverage. In addition, 62 percent of respondents expect to be able to access news content across all channels.
Social Media as a Secondary Medium and a Targeted Channel
Social media also plays a significant role in the information mix: 63 percent of respondents come across current news there more or less by chance. At the same time, one in two people specifically uses the social media channels of established media brands to quickly catch up on the day’s top headlines. This shows that social media functions less as a standalone news source and more as a gateway to journalistic content.
Newsletters and Podcasts as Standalone Formats
A key finding of the study concerns trends in news consumption related to newsletters and podcasts: Both formats have become an integral part of people’s daily information routines. Thirty-seven percent of respondents use newsletters to quickly gain a concise, structured overview of relevant topics. Podcasts, on the other hand, are primarily used when users want to delve more deeply into complex topics and need context and background information (29 percent).
The growth potential is particularly pronounced for local and regional newsletters: 71 percent of respondents express interest in such formats—yet so far, only 22 percent have subscribed to one. Among those who have already subscribed to a media newsletter, in addition to local and regional content (52 percent), thematically specialized offerings (44 percent) and curated news roundups (41 percent) are particularly popular.
AI as a starting point—verification remains the responsibility of journalistic sources
The influence of AI applications and chatbots on news consumption is growing, but here, too, the study paints a nuanced picture: More than half of AI users (56 percent) use chatbots as a first point of reference but then switch to journalistic sources to verify and explore the information in greater depth. While 69 percent describe AI as helpful for getting an initial overview, they tend to trust original sources more when it comes to current news. 78 percent expect transparency regarding sources, and 77 percent critically evaluate the information provided.
Gen Z has proven to be particularly critical when it comes to AI: 85 percent of 16- to 29-year-olds consider transparent source citations from established media outlets in AI applications to be important—significantly more than among 30- to 49-year-olds and those over 50 (76 percent in each group). At the same time, 77 percent of Gen Z use AI applications to get an initial overview, but then tend to trust editorial content more. Two-thirds delve further into original journalistic sources after using AI, while only 23 percent rely primarily on AI.
One surprising finding concerns Gen Z’s trust in journalistic media: 63 percent consider the information in German media to be credible—the highest figure among all age groups. 72 percent use social media channels of established media brands to quickly check headlines, while 69 percent go directly to news websites or apps.
Clarissa Moughrabi, spokesperson for GIK’s executive board, summarizes the findings as follows: «The news journey is more diverse today than ever before. Depending on the situation, users switch between apps, newspapers, newsletters, podcasts, videos, social media, and AI. While social media and AI create additional avenues for accessing topics and news, journalistic media brands remain the central authority across all channels for guidance, credibility, verification, and in-depth coverage.»
Additional information about the b4p Trend Report is available on the GIK website: https://www.gik.de
