Information: eight out of ten Italians cannot understand if a news item is true or false

They get their information by choosing the digital tools they have at hand (social media and search engines) but in reality they trust newspapers and TV news more. They consider information important (68.4%) but then the majority dedicates less than half an hour a day (63.5%) to finding out what is happening in Italy and in the world. However, 8 out of 10 admit to having difficulty understanding whether a piece of news is true or false . They ask for more rules, even for those who provide information without being journalists, and they fear artificial intelligence, which does not seem to bring anything good in terms of reliability and impartiality.

These are the Italians in the time of disintermediation , information without professional filters, which comes to them from a thousand sources, reliable and not, and disorients them.

This is the picture that emerges from the opinion poll research "Without filters: information in the age of disintermediation between opportunity and chaos" conducted in May 2025 by AstraRicerche on a representative sample of the Italian population (1,023 interviews, CAWI method, on a sample of 18-70 year olds living in Italy). The survey was promoted by Inc , an Italian consulting and PR company that this year celebrates 50 years of activity.

The data portrays a country that considers journalists increasingly reliable but increasingly less followed , with a growing difficulty in distinguishing fake news and a shared fear of new formulas for accessing information such as the use of artificial intelligence.

"In this context, made of omnipresent information and intermittent trust, a demand for competence and reliability emerges from Italians that involves all of us who deal with communication: journalists, influencers and creators, professionals who work in companies and in consultancy. The research also offers crucial food for thought for the communication strategies of brands and organizations. Because in a world where many people find it difficult to distinguish real news from fake news, the risk that fake news, fueled by algorithms, artificial intelligence and unconscious sharing, could damage the reputation of a company or an NGO, is real and tangible. And it is a risk that must be managed with care and professionalism", says Pasquale De Palma, president and CEO of Inc.

In the era of disintermediation and unfiltered information , Italians have a deeply contradictory relationship with information. They consume it voraciously through the digital tools at their fingertips, but when it comes to trust they still look with conviction to traditional media, with newspapers and TV news at the forefront.

They are actively engaged in consuming information through a variety of channels . Traditional media maintain a strong hold, but coexist with the rise of digital platforms and the continuing power of word of mouth. TV remains the most regularly used medium (70.8%), closely followed by family, friends and acquaintances (61.6%), social networks (60.0%) and messaging tools with dedicated channels (57.1% - a huge 'leap' forward). It is interesting to note that news aggregators (46.5%) and Internet sites/portals (42.6%) are also widely used, surpassing newspapers (40.4%) and periodicals/magazines (29.7%) in terms of circulation, both paper and online. This highlights the change in consumption habits, with users looking for speed and aggregation of content.

Podcasts and videos , although growing (38.1%), still do not reach the radio (43.7%) and are increasingly perceived as entertainment to the detriment of information .

Reliability of information

When it comes to reliability, a more complex picture emerges. Despite their widespread use, social networks and messaging tools are perceived as less reliable than traditional media . TV (42.3%) and newspapers (40.8%) are considered the most reliable, almost equally. Surprisingly, family members, friends and acquaintances, despite being a widely used source, are considered reliable by only 29% of respondents, aligning themselves with Internet sites and portals (29.4%) and news aggregators (29.4%). Podcasts and videos, as well as blogs and online communities, are still far from the levels of trust of traditional media.

The perception of the reliability of a news item is strongly linked to who spreads it and how it is presented . The majority of interviewees (45.7%) consider news given by a non-journalist communicator (scientists, researchers, teachers) to be more reliable, slightly exceeding journalists (41.7%), a sign of a growing search for specific skills (real or presumed) and authority. In a clear minority are influencers, YouTubers, TikTokers (8.2%) and public figures (17.6%), confirming the low trust placed in their ability to convey truthful information. In the middle of the ranking are representatives of institutions and politicians (25.6%).

Most of the interviewees (63.5%) spend less than 30 minutes a day on information , with 30.5% limiting themselves to 20 minutes or less. Only 13.4% of Italians stay informed for an hour or more. In a complex and information-rich world, this is a very low average amount of time.

It happens quite frequently to verify a news item elsewhere : 28.2% of the sample does it often, 50.6% sometimes, while only 21.2% rarely or never does it. Concern about fake news is quite widespread : the majority of interviewees happen to read a news item and think that it could be false (59.5% sometimes, 24.2% often). The difficulty in understanding whether a news item is false is perceived as average (so-so for 41.7%, quite so for 34.2%, only 6.9% consider it very difficult). In short, only 4 out of 10 believe that it is very or quite difficult: a possible underestimation of the problem. And in fact, a high percentage of Italians (83.8%) admit to having believed fake news in the past (10.3% several times and 73.5% sometimes). A significant fact is that 42% have shared news that later turned out to be false .

When faced with news that contradicts their beliefs, the majority tend to investigate and verify with other sources, whether the news comes from journalists (64.9%) or influencers (66.2%). However, there is a clear difference in the initial reaction: if the news comes from a journalist , only 7.1% tend to think it is false, while this percentage rises to 24.5% if the source is an influencer .

When dealing with family and friends who have different ideas, the majority (59.7%) prefer to listen without trying to convince or be convinced, or at most listen to understand if their opinions may be wrong (24.7%), demonstrating a certain tolerance and openness. Active confrontation to verify the truthfulness of a piece of news is also quite common (sometimes 55.9%, often 16.2%).

On the influence and control of information , the perception is that the Italian economic (60.9%) and political (60.5%) powers are the main ones responsible for the diffusion of "biased" news or fake news, followed by the interests of social platforms (55.9%) and foreign political powers (55.8%).

More rules for web communicators

There is a clear call for more regulation for all online communicators : 62.3% believe that journalists' ethical rules should apply to anyone communicating in the media. However, almost half (50.1%) believe that many journalists also do not respect these rules.

The control of fake news by platforms is a hot topic. 65.0% of respondents believe that the group of people who control the news should be chosen without preconceptions, and 60.8% see a risk in control based only on users.

Interesting is the perception of who determines the flow of information online : journalists and traditional media (45.1%) are still seen as the main actors, closely followed by platforms with their algorithms (43.8%). Less influential in this sense are citizens who share content on social networks (28.0%), institutions and governments (27.1%) and – even less – influencers and creators (16.5%).

From AI the fear of false information

Most users (70.0%) are aware that websites and online portals show personalized news based on their habits. This is perceived as a risk - both because it tends to confirm users' pre-existing opinions (59.9%) and because it limits the expansion of interests (61.8%) - rather than a help in finding relevant news for them without effort (40.7%). Finally, the introduction of Artificial Intelligence in the synthesis of news is also seen more as a risk than as a help : fears of incorrect information (58.4%) and of less solicitation to verify sources (57.0%) prevail, compared to the help given to users (37.9%).