Irish public trust in news falls to 42% in 2026

Public trust in news across Ireland has fallen sharply over the past year, even as confidence in major national and local media brands remains high, according to a major annual survey published on Tuesday, June 16, by the media regulator Coimisiún na Meán. The findings reveal a significant gap between trust in the news people personally consume and their skepticism toward the wider media environment.

The Digital News Report Ireland 2026 shows that 42% of Irish adults say they trust most news most of the time, a decline of nine percentage points from 51% last year. Media Development Commissioner Rónán Ó Domhnaill described this as a significant decline in public trust in news generally. He noted that most people trust the news they personally consume, but there is greater skepticism about the news media environment overall. This personal trust is higher, at 51%.

Despite this broader decline, established Irish media organizations continue to enjoy strong confidence. RTÉ News and local radio news are jointly ranked as the most trusted news brands, each scoring 71%. They are followed closely by local newspapers and The Irish Times (69%), the Irish Independent (68%), and BBC News...