A new report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) reveals a shift in the way Australians consume news.

According to the report, the average number of sources used to access news has dropped from 3.5 in 2022 to 3.1 in 2023. The 'How we access news' report also indicates an increase in Australians turning to social media as their primary source of news content, rising from 17% in 2022 to 20% in 2023.

This trend is driven by younger Australians, with 46% of 18-24-year-olds nominating social media as their main news source in 2023, up from 28% in 2022. Within this age group, 31% cited celebrities and social media influencers as their news sources.

Free-to-air television remained the most common main source of news, reported by 26% of respondents, the same figure as in 2022. Online news websites or apps were used by 23% of respondents as their primary source in 2023. Social media was the only news source to see an increase in people choosing it as their main way of accessing news.

For older Australians, more than half aged 75 and over (52%) reported reading a print newspaper in the previous week, compared to 7% of 18-24-year-olds.

The reports are part of ACMA's Communications and media in Australia series.