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HKEconomy2 days ago

Filipinos do not trust the news. Are they sick of divisive politics?

A recent Reuters Institute Digital News Report indicates that trust in news among Filipinos has declined significantly, with only 28% expressing trust in news most of the time, compared to 38% in 2025. The report attributes this drop to factors such as political instability, divisive elections, and the influence of social media. Social media remains the primary news source for 72% of Filipinos, while nearly half avoid the news altogether. The study highlights that the decline in trust is particularly pronounced in countries like the Philippines, Thailand, Peru, Poland, and Ireland.

Filipinos are losing faith in the news faster than audiences almost anywhere else in the world, as analysts attribute the decline to years of sustained attacks on the Philippine media industry and the growing reach of influence operations on social media.

Only 28 per cent of Filipinos said they trusted news most of the time, down from 38 per cent in 2025, according to the latest Reuters Institute Digital News Report – the steepest decline among respondents across 48 markets.

The figure placed the Philippines below the global average of 37 per cent and at its lowest level since the survey began in 2015.

Social media remained the top source of news, with 72 per cent of Filipinos saying they relied on Facebook. About 51 per cent said they sometimes or often avoided the news altogether.

The report cited political instability, divisive elections and a “noisier and more fragmented information environment” as characteristics of countries where trust had fallen the most, including the Philippines, Thailand, Peru, Poland, and Ireland.

Sustained attacks on journalists and news outlets had “a cumulative effect of undermining confidence in journalism overall”, it said.

“Looking at the five countries where trust in news fell the most this year, the reductions in overall trust are much larger than the change in trust ratings for any individual news brand,” the report added.

Read the full article at South China Morning Post →
Source document: Reuters Institute Digital News Report

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South China Morning PostParty-alignedCenter2 days ago
Filipinos do not trust the news. Are they sick of divisive politics?

A recent Reuters Institute Digital News Report indicates that trust in news among Filipinos has declined significantly, with only 28% expressing trust in news most of the time, compared to 38% in 2025. The report attributes this drop to factors such as political instability, divisive elections, and the influence of social media. Social media remains the primary news source for 72% of Filipinos, while nearly half avoid the news altogether. The study highlights that the decline in trust is particularly pronounced in countries like the Philippines, Thailand, Peru, Poland, and Ireland.

Bias read (Center): The article presents statistical data from an independent research institution without overtly favoring any political perspective. It discusses declining public trust in news but does not frame the issue in a politically biased manner. The content focuses on reporting findings rather than advocating

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