JATIN GANDHI, June 22
The report finds that 58 per cent of respondents use YouTube for news, while 56 per cent turn to WhatsApp
Social media and video platforms are playing an increasingly prominent role in how people in India access news, with YouTube and WhatsApp emerging as the two most widely used platforms for news among respondents surveyed for the Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report 2026.
The report, released in June, found that 58 per cent of respondents in India used YouTube for news in the week before the survey, while 56 per cent said they used WhatsApp. Instagram was used by 45 per cent, Facebook by 39 per cent and Telegram by 23 per cent.
The findings point to the growing importance of platforms that allow audiences to encounter news through videos, messages and social feeds, rather than by directly visiting news websites or watching scheduled television bulletins.
The report noted that video-based social media platforms have created space for a diverse range of news providers, including established organisations, independent journalists and individual content creators. Traditional television news has also adapted to changing consumption habits, with broadcasters offering content through connected television and digital platforms.
Television nevertheless remains a significant source of news: 44 per cent of respondents said they used it for news. The report said the distinction between traditional broadcast and digital formats was becoming less clear as audiences accessed news through multiple routes.
India’s news environment has also seen regional-language and hyperlocal content become more visible, produced by both mainstream organisations and independent journalists. The report cited experiments by news organisations to build partnerships with creators and reach audiences through video-led formats.
However, the findings require careful interpretation. The India survey was conducted online and consisted primarily of English-speaking respondents. The Reuters Institute said the sample was not nationally representative and could understate the continuing importance of traditional media, particularly among audiences less likely to be reached through online polling.
The report surveyed news consumption across 48 markets. Globally, social media and video networks overtook news organisations’ websites and apps as the most widely used route to online news for the first time.
The India findings suggest that publishers face a growing challenge: reaching audiences where they increasingly consume news while retaining a direct relationship with readers and viewers.
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