
Across Central and Eastern Europe, journalism is no longer the default source of information. It competes and often loses against a chaotic content stream driven by personality, emotion and habit.
This is one of the main findings from Hooked on the Feed: An Analysis on how Facebook, TikTok, and X shape information consumption in Eastern Europe, a new qualitative study by Thomson Foundation and the Media and Journalism Research Center, exploring how digital media consumption reshapes civic engagement and media trust in the region.
Rather than tracking clicks or engagement metrics, the study zeroes in on people, their routines, judgments and quiet acts of resistance or resignation as they navigate todays information landscape.
Conducted through 82 in-depth interviews with social media users across Romania, Hungary, Poland, and the Hungarian community in Romania, the research paints a portrait of exhausted audiences, fraying trust, and platforms that shape how people see the world more than any newsroom does.
A habit of scrolling, not reading One of the most telling trends is what the study calls blind scrolling, a passive, near-automatic habit of swiping through content without focus or intent. Its not driven by curiosity or urgency but by habit. Interviewees across all demographics described being overwhelmed by content, emotionally fatigued by the volume, and unable or unwilling to disconnect.
This is more evident than how users approach news on different platforms.
In Romania, some interviewees described how young TikTok users often see political influencers as more reliable or trustworthy than professional journalists. In Hungary, Facebook remains a vital channel for personal and community ties, while in Poland, politically active users immerse themselves in real-time debates on X (formerly Twitter), enjoying a less ad-charged environment.
This platform-specific behaviour reveals different consumption habits and deeper emotional and cultural shifts. Many respondents described traditional media as biased, shallow, or co-opted by political and corporate agendas. In Romania especially, the media is often seen as just another arm of the system - described as corrupt, elitist and out of touch.
Who is more credible? The result is a media environment in which influencers, vloggers, and amateur commentators often have more credibility than professional or trained reporters.
The findings suggest that for journalism to remain relevant, it must adapt to this changed information landscape. The study calls for a shift away from top-down content delivery, urging newsrooms to embrace more participatory models that listen, respond and reflect audience concerns.
It also highlights the need to invest in media literacy, particularly among younger users who are active online but often unable to evaluate sources or detect disinformation
Download the full study HERE.
-- Explore our projects across the globe
Europe Stories
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
18/06/2025
A nostalgia-evoking ambient music box
Following on from the success of their LIVEN Ambient synth, Sonicware have announced the launch of their latest co...
18/06/2025
Elisabeth Pataki, a progressive finance executive with over 20 years of experience at various publicly listed multi-national aerospace and defence companies, wi...
17/06/2025
In South Africa, the rebirth and resurgence of the vibrant folk genre Maskandi has captured the attention of music fans, becoming the country's fastest-grow...
17/06/2025
New monosynth joins UAD virtual instrument line-up
In addition to offering a catalogue of well-established collection of processing plug-ins, Universal Audi...
17/06/2025
All-in-one vocal mixing plug-in announced
Pulsar Audio have announced the launch of a new all-in-one plug-in that brings together a selection of vocal proce...
17/06/2025
Update delivers tighter integration with Pro Tools timeline
Dreamtonics have released an update that kits their innovative vocal synthesis plug-in out with ...
17/06/2025
Designed to maximise punch, clarity & impact
The latest arrival in the Schulz Audio range is a powerful new dynamics plug-in that provides producers, engine...
17/06/2025
17 Jun 2025
Omiyinka Doris Chooses to Step Aside from VEON General Counsel Position Dubai, June 17, 2025: VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON; the Company or VEON ), a ...
17/06/2025
17 Jun 2025
VEON Appoints Vitaly Shmakov as Acting General Counsel Dubai, June 17, 2025: VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital operator ( VEON or the Co...
17/06/2025
17 Jun 2025
Kyivstar and Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine sign Coo...
17/06/2025
London - Tuesday 17 June 2025: It is with an incredibly heavy heart that we share the news that Melanie Rumani has passed away after a long battle with cancer. ...
17/06/2025
Tuesday 17 June 2025
One name. Two world champions. In 1996, Damon Hill claimed the Formula 1 World Championship and cemented his place in motorsport history, ...
17/06/2025
R&S FSWP phase noise analyzer and VCO tester now supports up to 56 GHz and exter...
17/06/2025
Wuppertal June 17, 2025
Riedel Communications Teams Up With GT Racing Team Garage 59Riedel Communications has partnered with U.K.-based endurance GT team Gara...
17/06/2025
Read the review here!...
16/06/2025
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is officially underway for...
16/06/2025
On Spotify, francophone content continues to cross borders at an unprecedented rate. In 2024 alone, more than 123 million listeners worldwide streamed audio con...
16/06/2025
Instrument now boasts full NKS support
Sub51 and Soundtrax have just announced the launch of an updated and improved version of their innovative sample-base...
16/06/2025
Two new compact 4HP modules introduced
ALM/Busy Circuits have just announced the launch of two new Eurorack modules, the Pip Filter and Pip LFO, both of whi...
16/06/2025
Monday 16 June 2025
For the first time, small to medium sized businesses will b...
16/06/2025
16 Jun 2025
VEON Announces USD 35 Million Share Buyback Announcement marks the third phase of USD 100 million share buyback program
Dubai, June 16, 2025: VEON...
16/06/2025
Monday 16 June 2025
Sky Arts' Access All Arts Week, a free nationwide arts ...
16/06/2025
Monday 16 June 2025
Families and children are invited to dress up, have fun and raise money to protect nature
WWF UK and Sky Kids are teaming up to launch Wea...
16/06/2025
The Rohde & Schwarz R&S M3AR radio family reaches 10,000 unit milestone, demonst...
16/06/2025
FOX Advertising Launches Enhanced Brand Storytelling Program with Strategic Inve...
16/06/2025
Run with Ray is back! RT Radio 1's The Ray D'Arcy Show hits the road th...
15/06/2025
July 2025 in Dublin, Berlin, Amsterdam & London
Photo: Thea Martre
Music Production for Women (MPW) have announced that they will be running a series of fo...
15/06/2025
Composer/producer launches free virtual instruments
Sulcata Sound is the latest venture of Jason Graves, a two-time British Academy Award-winnning composer,...
14/06/2025
July 2025 in Dublin, Berlin, Amsterdam & London
Photo: Thea Martre
Music Production for Women (MPW) have announced that they will be running a series of fo...
13/06/2025
Photo credit: Atsushi Nishijima
If you're a true lover of rom-coms, chances...
13/06/2025
New iPad/iPhone synth App announced
Following on from last year's release of Gradient Synth - which reached #6 on the App Store's Paid Music charts ...
13/06/2025
In fulfilment of a recommendation by the Government's Expert Advisory Commit...
13/06/2025
New FSWX signal and spectrum analyzer with novel architecture overcomes limits o...
13/06/2025
Apple today announced the addition of iPad to Self Service Repair, providing iPad owners with access to repair manuals, genuine Apple parts, Apple Diagnostics t...
13/06/2025
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today previewed iOS 26, a major update that brings a beautiful new design, intelligent experiences, and improvements to the apps use...
13/06/2025
At Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple unveiled Apple Games, an all-new destination designed to help players jump back into the games they...
12/06/2025
In 2018, Spotify launched Heart & Soul, a mental health initiative developed to ...
12/06/2025
Technology now widely available to creators
Sony have announced that they are expanding access to their 360 Virtual Mixing Environment technology, which is ...
12/06/2025
Combines distortion, transient shaping & more
The latest plug-in to join Arturia's line-up has been designed to provide a quick and intuitive way to cra...
12/06/2025
Improved specs & redesigned mount
DPA have just announced the upcoming launch of the 4099 CORE , a new and improved version of their renowned instrument mic...
12/06/2025
New eight-fader control surface announced
SKnote have just announced the launch of the Etna-C, a new DAW control surface and MIDI controller that's been...
12/06/2025
Thursday 12 June 2025
Sky Sports has revealed its on-screen line-up for the Qat...
12/06/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales has secured the top spot in the 2025 rank...
12/06/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales strengthens its European leadership in re...
11/06/2025
When a music fan creates a playlist on Spotify, it's not just for listening-...
11/06/2025
Hur s krar vi Europas konkurrenskraft i en tid av snabb teknikutveckling? Och hur rustar vi samh llet f r framtidens kompetensbehov inom AI, tech och kultur? Un...
11/06/2025
Spotify and ENHYPEN are inviting fans to step inside the world of DESIRE : UNLEA...
11/06/2025
Innovative virtual instrument reimagines the drum kit
Majetone have recently announced the launch of a new virtual instrument that offers a new take on drum...