Irish Trust in News Declines to 42% in 2026, Major Brands Retain Confidence
The 2026 Digital News Report for Ireland shows general news trust fell to 42%, though major brands like RTÉ (71%) retain high confidence. News avoidance hit a record 47%. Younger audiences favor social media, while older audiences prefer traditional sources. News subscriptions increased to 22%.
The annual Digital News Report for Ireland 2026, published by Coimisiún na Meán, reveals a significant decline in general news trust, with 42% of adults trusting most news «most of the time», down eight percentage points from 50% last year. Despite this, trust in major news brands remains high. RTÉ News and local radio news are the most trusted at 71% each. The Irish Times and local newspapers both scored 69%, while the Irish Independent received 68% and BBC News 67%.
News avoidance in Ireland reached a record high of 47%, a six-point increase from 41% last year. Interest in news also slightly declined to 54% of Irish people being «extremely or very interested», down from 56% in 2025 and 70% in 2021. Younger audiences (under 35) primarily get news from social media (60%) and podcasts (17%), with 14% of 18-24 year olds using AI chatbots. Older audiences favor traditional sources like TV (61%), radio (41%), and print (22%).
Concerns about distinguishing real from fake online news rose to 71%. Public service media received positive feedback, with 42% of Irish respondents, and 49-50% of 18-34 year olds, believing it has a positive effect. News subscriptions increased, with 22% of Irish people now paying for digital news, up two points from last year and 13 points from 2016. Coimisiún na Meán Commissioner Rónán Ó Domhnaill noted the need to sustain the media sector and enhance media literacy.