Digital News Report 2026. Episode 6: Does the public want impartial news?

Public demand for impartial news remains robust, with nearly half of global news consumers preferring sources that avoid taking a specific point of view. This preference significantly outweighs the desire for partisan content, a trend that has remained remarkably stable since 2020 despite rising political polarization. Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, co-author of the Digital News Report 2026, notes that while partisan consumers represent a vocal, commercially active minority who drive high engagement through social media interaction, they do not reflect the broader public sentiment. Furthermore, individuals maintain consistent views regarding the necessity of impartiality for both personal consumption and societal discourse, rejecting the "third-person effect." Ultimately, news organizations face a strategic paradox: while the majority of the public values neutrality, the most commercially visible and active audience segments often gravitate toward explicitly opinionated and polarized media.