MANILA — Trust in news in the Philippines fell significantly by 10 percentage points in 2026, making it the country with the biggest decline among 48 markets, according to the latest Reuters Digital News Report.

In a media report, it said that the report noted that the Philippines was among 28 markets that recorded a decline in trust in news this year, citing factors such as political instability and increased attacks on news organizations.

“In countries with some of the biggest drops in trust such as the Philippines, Thailand, Peru, and Poland, recent events point to a likely sense of deterioration in the broader information environment. Political instability, divisive elections, and a noisier and more fragmented information environment seem to be shared characteristics of markets where trust in news has fallen most,” the report said.

It also said that “some of the reductions are almost certainly a consequence of direct attacks on news outlets and individual journalists, with a cumulative effect of undermining confidence in journalism overall.”

The Reuters report added that broader concerns about the information environment are driving the decline in trust rather than issues tied to individual news organizations.

“Looking at the five countries where trust in news fell the most this year, the reductions in overall trust are much larger than change in trust ratings for any individual news brand,” it said.

Globally, trust in news fell to 37 percent, the lowest level recorded since measurements began in 2015.

The report also found that 26 surveyed markets believe media owners and politicians, both at 70 percent, have significant influence over news coverage.

“Unsurprisingly, politicians and government officials are the group most thought to have influence on the news, but the owners of news media companies themselves are also considered to have a significant bearing on news output,” it said.

Respondents also said advertisers (59 percent), experts (57 percent), activists and advocacy groups (50 percent), and criminal groups (44 percent) also influence news reporting.