Ireland’s 2026 Digital News Report says Irish audiences continue to place more trust in major news brands, while overall trust in news declines and news avoidance increases. The report’s findings indicate a split between brand-level confidence and broader attitudes toward news as a whole. While people still show willingness to rely on well-known outlets, fewer appear to trust news generally, contributing to greater avoidance behaviours. The coverage highlights that “news avoidance” is rising compared with previous patterns measured by the report, suggesting more people are choosing to disengage from news content. At the same time, trust in major brands remains relatively stronger than trust in news overall. The report therefore points to a landscape where trusted outlets retain credibility, but scepticism toward news in general is growing. The findings are based on survey data compiled for the annual Digital News Report focused on Ireland’s digital news habits.