Interest in news among Irish adults remains high
The annual Digital News Report for Ireland 2025 shows that at 56%, more than half the adult population in Ireland is 'extremely' or 'very interested' in news.
The figure for Irish people is higher than for the UK (39%), the US (51%) and above the European average (45%).
The figure is included in the 11th edition of the annual report published today in Galway by Coimisiún na Meán.
Up 3 points from last year, the figure represents the highest level of interest in news since 2022, but down from a peak of 70% in 2021, during the Covid pandemic.
When asked about trusted sources of news, RTÉ News (72%), local radio news (72%) and local newspapers (71%) emerge as the most trusted brands.
Meanwhile 70% of Irish respondents described the Irish Times as trustworthy, with the same percentage for BBC News; 68% for the Irish Independent and 66% for Newstalk, Today FM and Sky News.
When asked for their thoughts about online news, 68% of Irish respondents said they are concerned about what is real and what is fake online.
All age groups showed concern about fake information online, with the highest rate (72%) among those aged 65+ and the lowest rate (62%) among those aged 18-24.
The report also reveals that one in five Irish people are now paying for their news.
Digital news subscription figures in Ireland now stand at 20%, which is a three-point increase from this time last year.
When asked which digital news service they subscribed to, 36% of people said they paid for the Irish independent and 33% paid for the Irish Times' service.
Rónán Ó Domhnaill, Media Development Commissioner at Coimisiún na Meán, said that they recognise that An Coimisiún's ambition for developing the media landscape requires "ongoing and sustainable levels of funding for media outlets to support high-quality journalism, and news that people can trust".
When asked if Irish audiences trust the news "most of the time", 50% of respondents in Ireland 'agreed' or 'strongly agreed', compared to 35% in the UK, 30% in the US, and 39% for merged data from Europe.
In response to the questions "which platforms you have used in the last week as a source of news", the results reveal that 58% of Irish respondents said television, with the same percentage (58%) citing online media (excluding social media and blogs).
Meanwhile, 47% said they have used social media as a source of news in the last week, with 36% saying radio, 22% saying printed newspapers, 12% saying podcasts, and 5% citing AI chatbots.
In 2025, 11% of Irish respondents said they use radio as their primary source of news, which is significantly higher compared to the UK (8%), and when asked about the use of radio as a source of any news consumed, this figure increases to 36%.
Figures for podcast listenership are growing as 12% listened to podcasts as a source of news in the last week, higher than in the UK (7%) and the European average (9%) but lower than the US (15%).
Audiences' attitudes to the use of AI for news are changing. Last year, those 'very' and 'somewhat' comfortable with news mainly produced by AI with some human oversight were 15%.
This has increased to 19% this year, with under-35s almost twice as comfortable as over-35s when considering the same measure.
Commenting on the report, Dr Eileen Culloty, Deputy Director of the DCU Institute for Future Media, Democracy and Society (FuJo) who worked on the survey, said: ''Local media enjoy strong public trust, But trust alone doesn't pay salaries or sustain newsrooms.
"The big challenge is to convert trust into viable careers in local journalism so that local media can continue informing communities."
Earlier this year, Coimisiún na Meán awarded €5.7m through new journalism schemes, funded by the Department of Arts, Culture, Communications, Media and Sport and which covered local democracy and courts reporting. These schemes have facilitated over 100 new or enhanced journalism roles in Ireland to date.
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