News publishers expect search traffic to fall by more than 40% in the next three years, new RISJ report finds
News executives fear a sharp decline in search referrals, which they’ll try to counter by focusing on original reporting and video platforms.
This comes from the recent findings of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism in its annual report Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions 2026, based on a survey of 280 media leaders from 51 countries.
The report shows that traffic has plummeted globally year-on-year (November 2024-2025) both from Google search (33%) and from Google Discover (21%), according to data for over 2,500 news sites sourced by Chartbeat for this report. Media managers fear referrals from search engines to almost halve (-43%) over the next three years, following recent dramatic declines in social traffic.
Up to 20% of the respondents expect substantial revenues from AI platforms in 2026, but two-thirds (67%) said they have not saved any jobs so far as a result of AI efficiencies.
Three-quarters of media managers (76%) said they will be trying to get their staff to behave more like creators in 2026, with 50% planning to partner with creators to help distribute their content.
YouTube will be the main off-platform focus for publishers in 2026. A net score of +74 amongst the respondents said they plan to spend more resources on this video platform. TikTok (+56) and Instagram (+41) are also key priorities, with publishers planning to invest in more video and audio formats.
Nic Newman, Senior Research Associate and author of the report, said: “Publishers face new competition from AI answer engines and next generation browsers that are able to summarise and remix content in a way that provides great utility for audiences. But tech platforms do not hold all the cards. Reliable news, expert analysis, and points of view remain important both to individuals and to society, particularly in uncertain times. Great storytelling – and a human touch – is going to be hard for AI to replicate.”
The 2026 report was written by Nic Newman, Lead Author, RISJ Senior Research Associate and a consultant on digital media.
The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism is dedicated to exploring the future of journalism worldwide.
