Newsworks’ (the marketing body for the UK’s national news publishers) latest State of the Nation study, based on research with 4,000 consumers conducted with OnePoll in late 2025, provides a timely snapshot of how people are feeling about the future and, critically, why trusted journalism is becoming increasingly vital in a complex, fragmented and technology-driven media landscape.
The findings are unequivocal: nine in ten consumers now believe that journalism matters more than ever. This significant increase year-on-year reflects growing public recognition of the role professional journalism plays in helping people navigate economic pressure, political instability, social division and rapid technological change. For advertisers, agencies and media owners, this points to a powerful strategic implication: in uncertain times, brands benefit from aligning with trusted, premium media environments that consumers actively rely on to make sense of the world.
In an era where audiences are increasingly sceptical of unregulated platforms, influencer content and algorithmically driven feeds, professionally produced journalism — alongside trusted broadcast and audio environments — offers something increasingly scarce: credibility, context and human judgement.
When asked to describe what will best sum up 2026, consumers most commonly chose words such as chaotic and unsafe. This reflects widespread unease around global geopolitics, economic instability, the cost of living and broader societal tensions. These pressures are not abstract: they are shaping how people feel, how they engage with media, and how they make decisions.
Yet the research also reveals an important counterbalance. Alongside fear and uncertainty, there is a clear desire for 2026 to be a year of solutions, empathy and greater understanding. Many consumers want to slow down, think more critically and engage more respectfully with others. There is growing fatigue with outrage-driven content and a corresponding appetite for calmer, more constructive environments.
For advertisers, this emotional context matters. Advertising effectiveness is not just about reach and frequency — it is also about mindset and receptivity. In times of uncertainty, people are more likely to engage with brands in environments they trust and where they feel emotionally safe. Premium, regulated media — including trusted news brands and radio/audio — provide exactly these conditions, supporting long-term brand building as well as short-term response.
One of the strongest themes in the study is the role of journalists as anchors in a noisy and overwhelming information environment. With the volume of content across platforms continuing to explode, three quarters of consumers say that journalism helps them make sense of the sheer amount of information available online.
At the same time, 70% of consumers report feeling nostalgic for simpler times — a sentiment particularly strong among 35–54 year-olds, who are also the most stressed demographic. Different groups experience pressure in different ways:
In this context, trusted media environments play a vital role in reducing cognitive load. More than three quarters of consumers agree that reading trusted news brands helps ease their mental burden. Whether through in-depth reporting, features, analysis, or even lighter content such as puzzles and lifestyle journalism, professional news provides structure, perspective and moments of clarity.
For advertisers, this reinforces the value of premium media as high-attention environments. When audiences feel grounded and informed, they are more receptive to brand messages. This is directly relevant to radio and audio, which are also deeply embedded in daily routines — in cars, at home, at work and on the move. Audio has a unique ability to provide companionship, calm and continuity, making it a powerful complement to trusted news brands in supporting both attention and emotional connection.
The study also highlights a society that is becoming more fragmented, with people increasingly defining themselves through beliefs, values and lifestyle identities. This fragmentation is emotional as well as economic, and it is contributing to heightened concern about extremism and the loss of respectful debate. Three in four consumers say they are worried about extremism and feel that respectful discussion is being eroded.
At the same time, consumers are not passive. The research shows that 76% have taken action in the past year to reflect their personal values — including voting, donating, signing petitions or supporting causes they care about. This signals a shift towards more values-led decision-making.
Trusted news brands play a central role here. Two thirds of consumers say that news supports their personal values by helping them make informed decisions, representing diverse perspectives and upholding journalistic ethics. In other words, journalism is not just informing — it is enabling people to act.
For advertisers, this creates a powerful strategic opportunity. Being present beside trusted journalism allows brands to connect with audiences at moments when values, credibility and decision-making are front of mind. This is particularly important for brands seeking to build trust, demonstrate purpose and establish long-term emotional relationships with consumers.
Artificial intelligence is now a defining force in media and society. While consumers recognise the potential benefits of AI — including efficiency and faster problem-solving — there is also widespread unease about its longer-term implications. Nearly eight in ten consumers say it is becoming harder to distinguish professional journalists from independent commentators.
Against this backdrop, the value of human expertise is rising. The research shows that:
Rather than viewing the future as AI versus humans, consumers are looking for AI plus human intelligence. They want technology to support, not replace, authentic human voices, judgement and storytelling.
This has direct relevance for audio and radio advertising. Voice, tone and sound are inherently human. Audio builds trust through familiarity, personality and emotional nuance. As AI-generated content becomes more widespread, the authenticity of real human voices — whether journalists, presenters or brand storytellers — will become an even more powerful differentiator.
Perhaps the most powerful theme in the study is the renewed importance of journalists as truth defenders. In a media environment increasingly shaped by misinformation, deepfakes and algorithmic amplification, consumers see professional journalism as a frontline defence for democracy and informed society.
The data is compelling:
Consumers associate trust in journalism with professional ethics, transparency, fact-checking and accountability. These qualities are increasingly valued — and increasingly rare — in unregulated digital environments.
For advertisers, this reinforces the importance of brand-safe, trusted contexts. Advertising alongside verified, professional journalism and regulated broadcast media sends a powerful signal about brand values, seriousness and credibility. In a world where adjacency and context matter more than ever, trusted news and audio environments provide a halo effect that supports both brand reputation and effectiveness.
Crucially, the study also shows that consumers increasingly recognise the role advertising plays in funding quality journalism. Nine in ten now agree that journalism is important to society — a significant increase year-on-year. Three quarters believe advertisers should actively support independent journalism and newsrooms.
This growing awareness matters. Quality journalism requires sustainable funding. Advertising is not simply a commercial transaction; it is a mechanism that enables investigative reporting, expert analysis and the trusted environments that consumers rely on.
For advertisers, this reframes media investment as a strategic choice. By supporting trusted news brands and premium audio environments, brands are not only accessing high-quality audiences — they are also helping to sustain the media ecosystems that underpin trust, civic engagement and informed decision-making.
The State of the Nation 2026 study sends a clear message to advertisers, agencies and media owners. In a year likely to be shaped by uncertainty, fragmentation and technological disruption, trusted, premium media will matter more than ever.
For Radiocentre Ireland and the wider audio sector, the implications are particularly powerful. Radio and audio sit at the intersection of trust, attention and daily habit. Alongside trusted news brands, audio provides a human, regulated, brand-safe environment that supports both emotional connection and commercial effectiveness.
In a noisy, automated and fragmented media world, trusted journalism and trusted audio offer something increasingly valuable: clarity, credibility and human connection. For brands looking to build long-term trust, drive meaningful attention and deliver sustainable growth, these are not optional extras — they are strategic essentials.
