The original version of this article was published in Italian by the same author on 26 March 2025.
According to recent polls, television has lost its top spot as Italians’ primary source of information, dropping by 20 percentage points since 2019. It has now been overtaken by the internet, while around 13% of respondents say they rely primarily on radio.
These are among the findings of the Osservatorio annuale sul sistema dell’informazione, released in recent days by AGCOM – the Italian communications regulator. The report tracks trends in news consumption, trust in the media, and the role of generalist television.
The data paints a picture of a sector in flux. Traditional media continue their gradual decline, while the internet is consolidating its role as the main source of news.
Yet, these dynamics – already well underway in many other European countries – have reached Italy with a few years’ delay.
The Observatory draws extensively on data from GfK’s Sinottica survey. But, despite the breadth of material, some analytical shortcomings remain.
Media penetration is measured purely in terms of consumption, without accounting for time spent – a crucial metric.
Moreover, the report underplays the distortions that often arise when respondents identify their primary source of information, especially when certain media are seen as more socially desirable at the time of the survey.
Of course, this approach is typical of simple studies in the field – it’s a convenient methodology. Still, the resulting data, while useful, should be read as broadly indicative rather than definitive.
The digital wave
Social media, search engines, and newspaper websites are the main gateways to digital news.
However, word of mouth still plays a meaningful role: one in ten Italians say they get their information from friends and acquaintances.
Print newspapers continue their decline, with just 17% of the population reading them regularly, while digital subscriptions remain niche – only 6.6% of Italians have one.
Age remains a decisive factor in media preferences.
Young people prefer the internet and social networks, while those over 65 continue to rely on television.
Among younger audiences, there is also a growing trend towards consuming news through video and audio, alongside traditional reading.
The informational weight of digital platforms remains limited.
According to Facebook, only 4% of feed content is informational. Meanwhile, Google recently conducted an experiment: by removing all news sources from the feeds of the top 1% of users in six countries – and comparing the result to a similar control group – the platform’s overall engagement and advertising performance remained essentially unchanged.
When comparing digital and traditional media, it is worth noting that users typically spend one to two minutes on news sites, with a maximum of three page views. TV news programmes are watched instead for an average of 14 to 15 minutes, and network bulletins often for even longer.
Graph: AGCOM.
Degrees of trust
The Observatory finds that 65.6% of the population places a moderate or high level of trust in at least one media outlet.
Traditional media – TV, radio and, print – are found to be the most trustworthy, while confidence in social media and video-sharing platforms is significantly lower: around 30% of the population say they don’t trust news from these sources.
Trust often reflects a halo effect. Among my students, for instance, a notable share say they trust newspapers despite never reading them.
Public service television is regarded as the most trusted source by Italians, particularly among older age groups.
By contrast, influencers enjoy very limited credibility: only 2.2% of the population consider them trustworthy – a figure that rises to 4.6% among 14-24-year-olds.
These data suggest that, despite the widespread use of online news, citizens continue to perceive greater reliability in traditional media.
However, the generational divide points to a gradual redefinition of trust dynamics across the information landscape.
Graph: AGCOM.
What remains on screen
Although television has lost its primacy as the main source of information, its news and current affairs programming continue to play a central role.
The Observatory points out that information output adapts flexibly to major contingent events.
During the pandemic there was a 12% increase in broadcast hours devoted to medical and scientific news, while the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 quadrupled coverage of foreign affairs – a share that remained high in 2024 due to the crisis in the Middle East.
Domestic politics saw a drop in airtime – down 10.9 percentage points between 2019 and 2024 – while news and foreign affairs gained ground. The economy, on the other hand, has fluctuated, with peaks around significant events.
Another notable point concerns the different weighting of topics in news versus current affairs programming: news bulletins give more space to foreign affairs and sports, while talk shows and magazine-style programmes focus more on politics and economics.
The bronze horse sculpture at the entrance of Rai’s headquarters on Viale Mazzini in Rome, created by sculptor Francesco Messina. Photo: WordPress.
Not everything is fragmented
Data from the annual Observatory confirm a well-established trend: information consumption is increasingly digital and fragmented, with growing reliance on social networks as a primary source.
However, trust in traditional media remains higher, indicating a continued demand for quality and reliability that the digital environment struggles to guarantee.
Television, while losing centrality, continues to play a key role in the news landscape, thanks to its ability to adapt to major events – a factor that helps sustain its relevance.
These dynamics present both challenges and opportunities for Italy’s information system, which must strike a balance between innovation and credibility in a constantly evolving context.
