Malaysians turn to social media first for news, says report

Social media has overtaken television and news websites as Malaysians’ most widely used news source, according to the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.

The institute’s 2026 Digital News Report showed that print media had collapsed from 45% in 2017 to 14% in 2026. Television has also declined, from 54% to 36% over the same period while online and social media sites have risen steadily since 2024.

The report also noted that 69% of respondents used social media for news in 2026, compared with 42% for news websites and 36% for television.

Around a third (32%) of Malaysians now access content from influencers and content creators who are focussed on the news. Major influencers seen as being popular included former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin (Keluar Sekejap podcast) and retired politician and technocrat Idris Jala (The Game of Impossible podcast).

The report highlighted that WhatsApp remained the most popularly used social media platform for news sources at 58%, followed by Facebook (49%), TikTok (45%), YouTube (41%), Instagram (24%) and Telegram (16%).

Meanwhile, trust in news media stood at 40% in 2023 after it peaked at 41% in 2021, which the Reuters Institute said reflects optimism around a new reformist government.

Trust level stabilised at 37% for two consecutive years, but dropped significantly to 30% this year, which the report said indicates waning optimism. Overall trust in the news rose to 30% in 2026, up a point from 29% in 2017. The report said Malaysia’s trust rate is seven points below the global average of 37%.