80% of Portuguese still turn to television for information on social and political issues. This figure is above the European average, where 71% of citizens choose television to stay up to date on current news. These findings are contained in the Eurobarometer “Social Media Survey 2025,” quoted by ECO.
The second most popular source of information for the Portuguese is newspapers (46%), whether printed or on their respective websites. Newspapers are followed by browsers (43%), radio (42%), people in their circle of friends, family, and acquaintances (41%), and social media (40%).
Homogeneous choice
In Portugal, television is considered the most reliable source of information across all age groups, with 69% of respondents aged 15 to 24 choosing to watch news on television. This contrasts with the majority of respondents in the European Union (EU), where 65% of respondents in the same age group indicate social media as their preferred means of accessing news content.
The preference for television increases with age, with 70% of Portuguese people aged 25 to 39 preferring television (60% in the EU); 81% of Portuguese people aged 40 to 54 (71% in the EU); and 88% of Portuguese people aged 55 or older (82% in the EU).
Social Media
According to ECO, regarding social media, Facebook (59%) is the most used social media platform by the Portuguese for accessing news, followed by Instagram (53%), YouTube (48%), and WhatsApp and TikTok, tied with 28% of choices.
At the generational level, only respondents aged 15 to 24 indicated Instagram as the most used app for accessing news. Among subsequent generations, the answer is unanimous, with a preference for Facebook.
Preferred Formats
On social media, the majority (50%) of the Portuguese prefer to consume news content about society or politics in short text posts, using images with short text and status updates. This is followed by interest in videos up to five minutes long (42%) and videos under one minute (37%).
Regarding following digital influencers, the Portuguese are above the European average, with 43% of respondents saying they follow content from influencers or content creators on social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok. In the EU, the average is five percentage points lower than Portugal’s, at 37%.
Fake News
Regarding disinformation, the Portuguese are above the European average in how often they believe they have been exposed to disinformation or fake news.
14% believe they are exposed to fake news “very often,” a 2% increase when compared to the European average. 25% of Portuguese respondents indicate they are exposed to fake news “frequently” (23% in the EU). 33% say they have access to fake content “sometimes” and 14% “rarely.” In both responses, the Portuguese average is 2% above the European average.
