A new report indicates a growing disconnect between the swiss population and conventional news sources, as nearly half now primarily rely on social media for data. The 2025 Quality of the Media Report from the University of Zurich reveals this trend of “chronic under-informed” citizens-a figure that has more than doubled since 2009-raises concerns about civic engagement and trust in democratic institutions. Researchers found a correlation between limited news consumption and decreased participation in the political process, while highlighting media literacy education as a potential pathway to reversing this trend.
Nearly half of the Swiss population is increasingly disconnected from journalistic reporting, relying instead on social media for news – a trend raising concerns about the health of the country’s democracy, according to a new report.
The 2025 Quality of the Media Report from the University of Zurich’s Center for Research on Public and Society (fög) found that 46% of Swiss citizens are “chronically under-informed,” consuming very little news and almost exclusively through social media platforms. This figure has more than doubled since 2009.
Researchers emphasize that regular and active engagement with journalistic content across various channels is vital for understanding political issues and matters of public interest. Those lacking consistent news exposure, the report states, “have less trust in politics and the media, participate less frequently in the democratic process, and feel less connected to the community.”
When combined with individuals who primarily follow international news – roughly one in five Swiss citizens, dubbed “global surfers” – approximately two-thirds of the population are largely disengaged from national, regional, and local current events. This detachment is even more pronounced among younger demographics.
However, the study suggests a potential remedy: media literacy education. A recent report by the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025, focusing on Switzerland, revealed that individuals who have received training in information processing – including critical media understanding, source analysis, and information skills – demonstrate a greater interest in news and are more willing to pay for online information.
The Swiss survey found that a quarter of respondents had participated in such training aimed at developing information literacy, with rates varying between 20% in French-speaking Switzerland and 27% in German-speaking Switzerland.
Young adults aged 18-24 were more likely (37% in French-speaking Switzerland) to have benefited from this type of education compared to older individuals. Despite initiatives like Media Week at School, an annual event in French-speaking Switzerland since 2004, significant gaps remain, particularly among those with lower or average levels of education and among men compared to women.
Willingness to pay for journalistic content is crucial for the sustainability of news organizations. Last year, only 25% of respondents in French-speaking Switzerland reported paying for online news (21% in German-speaking Switzerland). But the Reuters Institute study offers a positive sign: among young people under 35 in French-speaking Switzerland who received media literacy training, over half (61%) paid for online information in the past year, compared to just 15% of those without such training.
The Reuters Institute study highlights the benefits of investing in media literacy education for the press. The findings underscore the importance of supporting and expanding initiatives that foster media culture and information literacy across the population. As disinformation and manipulative activities proliferate on social media, these skills are increasingly vital for a healthy society – and will become even more critical with the rise of synthetic media powered by artificial intelligence.
