CNA most-used online news source in S'pore, Mothership 2nd: Reuters Institute report

CNA is the most-used online news source in Singapore, with Mothership coming in second place, according to the 2026 Reuters Institute Digital News Report.

The Straits Times (ST) came in third.

Digital news

CNA, Mothership, and ST were accessed by 47, 45, and 44 per cent of respondents weekly, respectively.

Here are the numbers from last year.

Landscape observations

The report noted the initiatives rolled out by different media. They noted that CNA has started an investigative unit using AI, data analysis, and open source intelligence (OSINT) tools to report on disinformation.

Meanwhile, SPH Media Trust revamped ST's website and mobile app as part of the paper's 180th anniversary in 2025, introducing features such as an AI-powered newsfeed and short article summaries.

Independent media players also saw changes in ownership.

Digital media outlet Rice Media was sold to a social media agency alongside staff layoffs earlier this year.

Global advertising giant Publicis also acquired Hepmil Media Group, the team behind SGAG, as part of its social media push.

SPH Media Trust merged The New Paper with its digital platform STOMP.

The report noted that media organisations in Singapore are facing layoffs, restructuring, and ownership changes as audiences increasingly turn to digital platforms, social media, and AI-mediated news consumption.

Offline news

For offline news sources, ST came out on top for weekly use at 35 per cent, up from 33 per cent last year.

CNA came in second at 31 per cent, down from 33 per cent.

Mediacorp Channel 5 News and Channel 8 News came in third and fourth, respectively.

Among foreign broadcasters, CNN remained the most-watched at 16 per cent, with BBC News unchanged at 13 per cent.

Social media

In terms of social media use for news, WhatsApp saw the biggest jump, rising from 33 per cent in 2025 to 40 per cent 2026.

Facebook also rose to 38 per cent, overtaking YouTube, which came in third at 35 per cent.

Instagram grew to 29 per cent, while TikTok rose to 22 per cent.

Trust

All major news brands in Singapore recorded gains in brand trust this year.

CNA was the most trusted new brand among those surveyed, at 78 per cent.

ST came in second at 77 per cent, a rise from 75 per cent last year.

Overall trust in the news in Singapore stood at 46 per cent, compared to the past year's 45 per cent. This is also above the global average of 37 per cent.

Singapore's ranking on the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index remained at 123rd this year.