Survey finds growing trust in news podcasts alongside traditional broadcasters
In a survey of 100 UK adults, BBC News was voted the most used and trusted news source, but podcasts and social media news are growing in popularity.
The survey conducted by The Kingston Courier showed that BBC News is the most trusted news source. This included BBC News across all platforms such as the BBC News app, BBC social media channels, the BBC website, and on broadcast television.
This comes as the BBC continues to weather political pressure, with the future of the licence fee under scrutiny and the new Director-General, Matt Brittin, set to take over in April.
In an era of rising concern over misinformation, the findings also highlight how audiences are balancing trust in traditional broadcasters with a growing reliance on podcasts and alternative online sources for their news.
The vast majority (86%) of those surveyed said they trusted broadcasters such as BBC, ITV, Sky News, and GB News more than social media, podcasts, print journalism, radio or independent journalists.
However, podcasts such as The Rest is Politics and The News Agents, also emerged as highly trusted news sources. Of those surveyed, 30% said they used these podcasts to get their news and felt they were trustworthy.
Just over half (51%) of people surveyed said they checked the news ‘multiple times a day’, 28% said they ‘checked once a day’, and just 4% said they engaged with the news ‘less than once a week’.
85% said they felt it was important to stay informed on the news with the remaining 15% agreeing that it was ‘somewhat’ important. These statistics match findings from Ofcom in July 2025, which showed that while interest in news was dwindling, most British adults still felt it was important to stay informed and keep up with the news each day.
The results displayed in the graph above show that news consumption habits shift dramatically with age. While younger people (18-24) rely heavily on social media, older groups prioritise traditional news sources such as television news and radio.
The 25-49 age group use the widest mix of news sources, including social media, television, radio and newspapers. Amongst this age group social media remains the most dominantly used source with just over a quarter of responses (26%).
In the 50-64 and 65+ age group, traditional media such as television, radio and newspapers dominate, with radio becoming the most prominent source (25% and 36% respectively).
Overall, the use of digital platforms declines steadily with age. This reflects Ofcom’s findings, which show that older people are more likely to get their news from television, while only around “two in ten use social media”.
Participants were also asked to share what news they felt was reported too frequently. The overwhelming response across all age groups was that celebrity gossip, immigration, and ‘bad news’ such as war and crime receive excessive coverage.
Among those aged 18–24, the most common responses to what does not receive enough news coverage were youth issues and climate change.
For respondents aged 25–49 and 50–64, the cost-of-living crisis, the NHS, and local issues emerged as the most frequently cited gaps in coverage.
In the 65+ age group, global affairs, the economy, and health-related topics stood out as the areas most often seen as underreported.
Across all age groups, respondents also called for more positive and uplifting news stories.
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