FOR generations, evening broadcasts and the morning paper were once staples of daily life. Today, people get their news through scrolling feeds, short videos, and even AI tools, changing not just how they find information, but also which news they trust and care about.
Around the world, digital platforms have overtaken legacy media in importance. Once dominated by television broadcasts, newspapers and radio, the Philippine news diet has moved decisively online.
Surveys show that a large majority of Filipinos now turn to the internet and social platforms for updates on politics, local events and everyday life, a transformation with both promise and pitfalls for the country’s media ecosystem.
A digital majority
According to a Publicus Asia survey, 65 percent of Filipino adults say they use the internet as their main source for political news and current events, with about 61 percent relying on Facebook and roughly the same share watching television for updates. Social media has even surpassed television in terms of daily news consumption, signaling a shift in how audiences engage with headlines.
The Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report shows the same pattern that since 2020, Filipinos have mostly relied on online sources, including social media, to get their news. Traditional outlets lag behind, with only one in four respondents saying they go directly to a news website or news app, while a majority use social media (61 percent) or search engines (52 percent) as gateways to information.
According to the same Reuters news report, Filipinos are cautiously open to using AI for news. Only about 21 percent are okay with news mostly written by AI, but about 35 percent prefer articles written by people with some help from AI tools. Many find AI useful for things like summarizing stories, giving personalized news suggestions, or translating content, showing a future where humans and technology work together to deliver news.
But the rise of AI also brings worries. People are concerned that using AI could make news less clear, less accurate, and harder to trust, even though it is faster and cheaper for news organizations and readers.
Striving for credibility amid disinformation
The rapid shift online has also heightened concerns about misinformation. Filipinos’ concern over online disinformation has reached record levels, reflecting anxieties about political polarization and the spread of falsehoods ahead of recent elections.
To deal with confusing or misleading news online, many Filipinos are learning to verify through multiple sources and embrace news literacy training at higher rates than many other countries, a sign that audiences are becoming more discerning, even as their consumption habits diversify.
A story still unfolding
As the Philippines becomes more digital, people getting the news face a choice. They want fast updates, local stories, and content that grabs their attention, but they also want news they can trust and understand, even with so many feeds, algorithms, and competing stories online.
For journalists and news organizations, the challenge is clear, that is to adapt to changing behaviors without compromising on quality, a task made all the more urgent in an era where the next headline is just a scroll away.
