PH Media Trust Rises Slightly in 2025 Amid Disinformation

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

The latest Reuters Digital News Report shows a slight increase in the Filipino public’s trust in the media, though the growing spread of disinformation continues to challenge that trust, especially in the context of political developments.

The country’s overall media trust score rose to 38 percent in 2025, up slightly from 37 percent in 2024, reflecting a gradual recovery in public confidence since the final year of Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency in 2022.

Despite this improvement, Reuters reported that trust in several individual media brands declined over the past year as political disinformation intensified.

“While overall trust in news has held steady since Duterte’s presidency ended in 2022, trust in most individual media brands declined amid an uptick in political disinformation,” the report noted.

“It is important to note that some outlets critical of those in power are often actively distrusted by supporters of the politicians in question and subject to coordinated harassment,” it added.

The disinformation, the report said, was fueled by political tensions between the opposing camps of former allies—President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte—highlighted by the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte last March.

“Disinformation and harmful content surged in the Philippines over the past year—fuelled by the widening political rift between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte,” the report stated.

“The fallout peaked with Duterte’s impeachment in February, followed a month later by the arrest of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who faces charges of crimes against humanity before the ICC over his bloody war on drugs,” it added.

The report also highlighted efforts by various sectors, including the Commission on Elections, to combat the spread of disinformation and the misuse of generative artificial intelligence.

It cited several initiatives, including GMA Network’s Panata Kontra Fake News campaign in partnership with media, academics and the COMELEC, the relaunch of Tsek.PH, and the accreditation of five news organizations by the International Fact-Checking Network.

“These efforts aligned with COMELEC’s initiatives to combat election-related falsehoods and the misuse of generative AI by candidates,” the report said.

“These included partnerships with social media platforms and poll watchdogs, as well as updated guidelines on campaign-related content.”

SOURCES, DEVICES

Online and social media remain the leading sources of news in the Philippines, with mobile phones continuing to be the dominant device for accessing information.

In 2025, 85 percent of Filipinos accessed news online—the same rate recorded in 2020.

Excluding social media, which now stands at 66 percent, usage has declined slightly from 68 percent in 2020.

The share of people paying for online news dropped to 15 percent in 2025, down from 18 percent in 2023.

Television as a news source continued its decline, falling to 46 percent in 2025 from 66 percent in 2020.

Print media followed the same trend, decreasing to 13 percent in 2025 from 22 percent in 2020.

The report also noted emerging sources of news, including news podcasts (12 percent) and AI chatbots (9 percent).