Pinoys trust journalists over vloggers – survey

MANILA, Philippines — Despite an expanded information environment, a survey on Tuesday found that journalists remain Filipinos’ main source of news.

In a non-commissioned survey by Momentum Research, the public opinion research firm found that 83 percent of Filipino adults get their news from journalists working for news organizations.

In comparison, 32.3 percent had vloggers, influencers and content creators as news sources.

About three in four Filipino adults say they trust the news and information they get from journalists, while 18.4 percent say they do not.

This finding is consistent across regions, political affiliations and generations, Momentum Research said.

With the proliferation of disinformation and misleading generative artificial intelligence, the survey stressed that deciding which sources to trust “matters more than ever.”

Across age groups, 84.3 percent of Gen Z Filipinos trust journalists the most, followed by millennials at 78.9 percent, Gen X at 74 percent and baby boomers and the silent generation at 55.8 percent.

Distrust in content creators, influencers and vloggers accounted for between 62 and 67 percent.

In terms of political affiliations, trust is highest “among those who identify as pro-opposition” at 86.4 percent.

About seven in 10 indicated distrust in vloggers and creators.

Pro-Duterte adults have an approximately 20 percent distrust rate in journalists as a news source.

More than a third of Marcos and Duterte supporters trust news and information from content creators and vloggers, researchers found.

Journalists are most trusted in Luzon at 82.2 percent.

The Visayas posted a 74.5-percent trust in journalists.

Mindanao had 68.4 percent.

Despite Metro Manila posting a 73.6 percent trust in journalists, the capital accounted for the highest trust rating for content creators and vloggers at 39.2 percent.

Momentum Research said 1,487 Filipino adults participated in the study through face-to-face interviews.