Source: Radio New Zealand
RNZ holds its top spot as New Zealand’s most trusted news brand. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
RNZ has held its top spot as New Zealand’s most trusted news brand in the latest Trust in News in Aotearoa New Zealand report.
The seventh annual report by AUT’s Journalism, Media and Democracy research centre found 57 percent of those surveyed trust RNZ. The Otago Daily Times was ranked as the second most trusted brand, followed by TVNZ in third place.
In a statement, RNZ chief executive and editor in chief Paul Thompson said increasing trust has been a strategic focus for the organisation.
“The findings are recognition of the work we do day in and day out, living and breathing our editorial standards and training our people to provide reliable and independent news and information,” he said.
“It endorses the RNZ approach of investing in trust initiatives, both internally and through the sharing of our high-quality content with other media outlets.
“RNZ will continue its unwavering focus on earning trust through a constant cycle of training, regular proactive reviews into its output, and taking part in international initiatives like Project Origin which certifies the source of content.”
RNZ also held the top spot for most trusted news brand in the 2025 survey.
The 2026 report found New Zealanders’ trust in news overall has increased significantly.
About 37 percent of respondents said they trust “most of the news most of the time” compared to 32 percent in 2025, while trust in the news people consumed themselves was up at 50 percent – compared to 45 percent in 2025.
Trust in news on social media also increased from 13 percent in 2025 to 17 percent in 2026.
RNZ chief executive and editor in chief Paul Thompson. RNZ
“We appreciate that, while trust in media is increasing, there is always more to be done,” Thompson said.
“We agree with the report findings that transparency, high journalistic standards and editorial independence remain key aspects to building trust.”
Online news sites and apps are the main sources of news for 38 percent of New Zealanders. One in five (20 percent) said television is their main news source, while just slightly less (19 percent) said their main source of news is social media.
About 60 percent of New Zealanders are uncomfortable with news produced mainly by AI, but with some human oversight – a figure which is unchanged from 2025. However, the number who said they are comfortable with AI-produced news has increased from 8 percent in 2025 to 11 percent in 2026.
The report was conducted in collaboration with the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, meaning New Zealand’s results could be compared internationally.
General trust in news in Aotearoa is at 37 percent, compared to the 2025 Reuters Digital News Report‘s international average (of 48 countries) of 40 percent. Trust was highest in Finland (67 percent), and lowest in Greece and Hungary (both at 22 percent).
Social media is a less important news source for New Zealanders than it is in Brazil, the US and the UK, but a more important source than in Japan and Denmark.
New Zealanders are more uncomfortable with AI-produced news (60 percent), with 53 percent of Americans and 46 percent of Europeans feeling uncomfortable with this mode of news production.
The report found New Zealanders who trust the news do so because they trust journalists for their professionalism.
“They also trust journalists to verify information and base their reporting on evidence and facts. Furthermore, many New Zealanders acknolwedge a lack of credibility in social-media content, and indicate that the rise of influencers and AI content makes them trust news media,” it said.
“Age is often perceived as a likely determinant of news trust. Those who were more likely to trust news were 75+ years olds (45 percent), 35-44 year olds (44 percent) and 25-34 years olds (43 percent). Those who were most likely to mistrust news were over 55 years old, with 54 percent of those 55-64 year olds disagreeing that news can be trusted.”
The report also found 78 percent of New Zealanders are actively avoiding the news to some degree.
“This is a significant increase from 73 percent in 2025. When asked why New Zealanders were actively avoiding the news … 53 percent of respondents said they avoid the news because it negatively affects their mood, and 34 percent said they are worn out by the news.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
