Local sources most trusted when it comes to news
The majority of Irish people are either extremely or very interested in news, according to the annual Digital News Report Ireland 2025.
The report was launched by Coimisiún na Meán at a special gathering in Galway’s PorterShed, the former Connacht Tribune building on Market Street.
Research for the Digital News Report is undertaken by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford and analysis of the Irish data is provided by the DCU Institute for Future Media, Democracy and Society (FuJo).
The Irish Report, which is in its eleventh year, shows that most people in Ireland (56%) across all age groups are interested in news. This represents the highest level of interest in news since 2022, up three points from last year, but down from a peak of 70% in 2021, during the Covid pandemic.
This enthusiasm for news puts Irish audiences ahead of their UK (39%) and US (51%) counterparts and ahead of the European average (45%).
When asked about trusted sources of news, RTÉ News (72%), local radio news (72%) and local newspapers (71%) emerge as the most trusted brands, underlining the continued importance of both national and local news sources for Irish audiences.
Rónán Ó Domhnaill, Media Development Commissioner at Coimisiún na Meán said they were delighted to offer continued support to the Digital News Report Ireland – reflecting their commitment to ‘a media landscape that consumers can trust, by supporting access to high-quality sources of news and information’.
“Whether watching, listening, streaming, or reading, the Digital News Report shows that most Irish people can’t get enough of news,” he said.
“It is encouraging to see that interest in news remains high in Ireland when compared internationally, even as the formats used to consume news continue to change.
“It is important to see the trust Irish people place in local news sources, with local radio and local newspapers among the most trusted brands for Irish audiences,” he added.
Caption: Rónán Ó Domhnaill, Media Development Commissioner at Coimisiún na Meán, addresses the audience at the launch of the Digital News Report Ireland 2025 in the Portershed.
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