Social media and video platforms surpassed television as a weekly news source worldwide in 2026. This shift, documented by the Digital News Report 2026, reshuffles the deck for anyone looking to keep up with the latest trends and news on a daily basis. Trust in information remains low in France, around 29%, well below the global average.
DSA and news platforms: the regulatory framework reshaping access to news
The extension of the Digital Services Act (DSA) to new platforms marks a turning point for online news consumption. ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox are now subject to the strictest regime of the DSA, that of very large platforms. This reclassification imposes obligations for algorithmic transparency, enhanced moderation, and independent auditing.
For readers who get their information through these channels, the change is tangible. Content recommendations must be explainable, targeted ads traceable, and reporting mechanisms accessible. Media that publish on these platforms see their content subjected to the same moderation rules as any other publisher.
We observe that the Digital Markets Act (DMA) complements this framework by targeting anti-competitive practices of gatekeepers. Search engines and app marketplaces can no longer favor their own news services at the expense of third-party publishers. In practice, this means that aggregators integrated into browsers or operating systems must offer visible alternatives.
One point often overlooked in mainstream coverage: the DSA also introduces a right to collective redress for users. If a recommendation algorithm systematically disadvantages certain types of information, consumer associations can approach the relevant authorities. This mechanism already exists in Luxembourg and is expected to gradually expand.
Short video and passive consumption: how formats dictate information
The Digital 2026 report summarized by Swello reveals a striking figure: only 11.7% of French users publish content on social media. The vast majority consume passively, scrolling through short video feeds. This data challenges the idea of an “active” audience in their information consumption.
Video platforms now capture the majority of attention time dedicated to news. Formats under 60 seconds dominate, shaping the very nature of the topics covered. Complex news (geopolitics, digital regulation, economic policy) struggles to exist in this format. Topics with strong emotional or visual content take precedence.
We recommend diversifying information sources beyond the algorithmic news feed. Here are some criteria to assess the reliability of an information channel:
- Editorial transparency: is the media’s editorial line and funding public and verifiable?
- Systematic sourcing: do articles cite their primary sources (reports, studies, official documents)?
- Separation of facts/opinions: are analytical contents clearly distinguished from factual dispatches?
- Correction frequency: does the media publish corrections when an error is identified?
Portals like magazette.fr aggregate various topics that allow for cross-referencing angles on the same news, partially compensating for the selection bias of algorithms.
Social media and traditional media: the reshaping of audiences in 2026
The Digital News Report 2026 establishes that 54% of people use social media and video platforms as a weekly news source, compared to 52% for television and 51% for publisher websites and apps. The gap remains narrow, but the trend is clear: this is the first year that social platforms take the lead.
This shift does not mean the disappearance of traditional media. It reflects a fragmentation of information pathways. The same reader may watch a video flash on a social platform in the morning, read an in-depth article on a publisher’s site at noon, and listen to a podcast in the evening. Loyalty to a single title is declining in favor of zapping between formats and sources.
Trust and distrust: the French paradox
France stands out for having one of the lowest levels of trust in information among the countries studied. Less than one in three French people trust the information they consume. This trust deficit fuels a vicious circle: readers turn to alternative sources (influencers, independent newsletters, private groups), which often escape traditional journalistic standards.
Young audiences amplify this dynamic. Their news consumption primarily comes from algorithmically recommended content, without an active search process. The risk of an information bubble is documented, but the tools to escape it remain underutilized.
Digital tools to filter news: beyond classic aggregators
RSS feed aggregators, long marginalized, are experiencing a resurgence of interest among information professionals. Their main advantage: no recommendation algorithm filters the content. The reader chooses their sources and receives the entirety of their output, without opaque sorting.
Thematic newsletters represent another lever. Unlike social news feeds, they impose a reading rhythm (daily or weekly) and a stable editorial line. Their long format allows for the treatment of topics that short video does not cover.
Here are some concrete practices to structure your news monitoring:
- Select three to five sources covering different angles on the same topics (national press, specialized press, international media)
- Set up keyword alerts on niche topics (digital regulation, tech, companies) rather than on generic terms
- Reserve a fixed time slot for in-depth reading, distinct from passive scrolling on social platforms
The quality of the information consumed depends less on the number of sources than on the selection method. A reader who cross-references three reliable media on the same topic has a more complete view than one who browses twenty algorithmically selected titles.
