In the Philippines, AI chatbots are quietly carving out a place alongside newspapers, TV and social media as a source of news. The Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report 2025 finds that roughly nine percent of Filipinos now ask ChatGPT, Bard or similar tools for their daily updates. That may still sound small, but it jumps sharply among younger readers—an early sign that newsrooms might soon need to pay close attention to how these services tailor headlines and stories on the fly.
Podcasts and Social Channels Gain Ground
At the same time, alternative media voices—from YouTubers and TikTok creators to podcasters—are gaining ground. About 12 percent of Filipinos say they regularly tune in to podcasts for information, while 85 percent still visit news websites or apps. Two-thirds of the population use social platforms for news, television retains 46 percent of audiences and print hangs on at around 13 percent. As inexpensive AI tools become available, independent creators could use automated transcripts, summaries and voiceovers to expand their reach and experiment with fresh formats.
Video Consumption on the Rise
Video itself shows no signs of slowing down. Worldwide, the share of people getting news through social video rose from 52 percent in 2020 to 65 percent in 2025, and those watching any kind of video climbed from 67 to 75 percent. In the Philippines—as in Thailand, Kenya and India—more viewers are choosing sight and sound over text, favoring presenters who bring personality and presence to their reports. Soon, AI-driven editing and generative visuals might let news outlets deliver bite-sized, customized clips that suit each viewer’s tastes and pace.
Trust Edges Up Amid Outlet Skepticism
Trust remains a hurdle in this polarized media landscape. Overall confidence in news ticked up just one point, from 37 to 38 percent, but that masks growing skepticism toward individual outlets. Political disinformation campaigns have undercut reputations and even prompted coordinated attacks on journalists. To rebuild faith, tools like provenance tracking and digital watermarking could become indispensable, helping audiences verify the origin of every story, image or clip.
Nearly Half of Filipinos Dodge the News
Meanwhile, nearly half of Filipinos admit they sometimes dodge the headlines. Roughly 39 percent say the news dampens their mood, 31 percent feel overwhelmed by its volume, 30 percent are worn out by conflict coverage and 29 percent grow tired of political debates. Younger adults appear more at sea—16 percent under 35 find stories hard to follow, compared with 11 percent of older readers. In the near future, intelligent recommendation engines might sense when people are burning out and automatically switch to lighter or more concise summaries, keeping engagement healthy.
Survey Scope & The Future of Hybrid Newsrooms
All these findings come from interviews with more than 97,000 online respondents in 48 markets, including 2,014 adults in the Philippines, conducted between mid-January and the end of February 2025. As chatbots and video personalities reshape how news is produced and consumed, legacy outlets and newcomers alike will need to strike a balance between rapid innovation and the timeless challenges of trust, relevance and understanding. Perhaps the next big breakthrough will be hybrid newsrooms—where seasoned journalists and AI tools work side by side to deliver stories that are both credible and personally meaningful.