The impact of artificial intelligence on journalism: How media trust and attitudes toward journalists shape acceptance, trust, willingness to pay for AI news, and support for replacing journalists

Although AI is advancing rapidly in many fields, its use in journalism is especially significant, as journalism shapes public opinion and fosters democratic discourse. Artificial intelligence (AI), in particular, has attracted attention for its potential to greatly enhance journalists’ work, but also raises concerns about ethics and job displacement. However, previous research has largely overlooked the public’s perspective on AI, even though understanding these views is crucial for predicting future consumption…

By the Truvace deskOctober 18, 20261 min read1 sourcePeer-reviewedTRV-2026-1773· cite & verify

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In brief

Researchers analysed cross-sectional survey data from Spain (2,337 respondents) and Germany (2,213 respondents) to see how the public views AI in journalism. They measured acceptance, trust in AI output, willingness to pay for AI news, and acceptance of AI replacing human journalists.

The results suggest audiences are wary, which matters because public views help predict future news consumption. Because the surveys are cross-sectional, they capture attitudes at one point in time and do not show how views might change or what people will actually do.

Main points

Surveys covered 2,337 people in Spain and 2,213 in Germany.
Acceptance, trust, willingness to pay, and support for replacing journalists were moderate to low in both countries.
Favorable attitudes toward human journalists were linked to more positive views of AI in journalism.
Trust in the media showed a mixed effect on attitudes toward AI news.
Individual perceptions of AI were a stronger determinant than opinions on media and journalists.

The problem

Public acceptance of AI in journalism, trust in its output, willingness to pay, and support for replacing human journalists are all moderate to low in two large national surveys, limiting audience demand for AI news.

The rundown

The study responds to a gap in earlier research, which largely overlooked the public's perspective on AI in journalism even though it is relevant to predicting future consumption patterns.

Among the predictors tested, favorable attitudes toward human journalists boosted views of AI in journalism, while general trust in the media had a mixed influence.

The authors conclude that attitudes toward AI in journalism align with broader views on AI, and that how people perceive AI itself outweighs what they think of media and journalists.