Social media has become Cypriots’ leading source of news, with 73 per cent of citizens now turning to social platforms for information. Television follows at 69 per cent, online news portals at 55 per cent and radio at 37 per cent, according to a new survey.
The survey, carried out by MRC – Cypronetwork Ltd on behalf of the Union of Cyprus Journalists (ESK) with financial support from Bank of Cyprus, also found that investigative journalism and major revelations are still seen as the preserve of news websites and newspapers.
The year-on-year trend shows online news portals growing fastest, up from a baseline of 45 per cent last year, while social media use for news also continued to climb. Television’s audience share, by contrast, declined from a baseline of 72 per cent, and radio’s from a baseline of 43 per cent.
Asked which media they turn to for subjects that interest them personally, citizens cited social media most often (44 per cent), followed by television (26 per cent), online portals (20 per cent) and radio (4 per cent).
Newspapers and websites are seen as Cyprus’s best practitioners of investigative journalism generally, the survey found. Thirty-eight per cent of respondents said they trusted these two media most for that purpose (21 per cent newspapers, 17 per cent websites), ahead of television and radio, which were trusted equally, at 25 per cent each.
When it comes to following coverage of scandals under investigation specifically, most citizens say they turn mainly to social media and websites (38 per cent and 21 per cent respectively) and television (32 per cent). An overwhelming 86 per cent of respondents believe public opinion on such scandals is manipulated, primarily by the government, political parties and media owners, the survey found.
The public rated Cyprus’s media fairly critically across several measures. On quality, 40 per cent gave a moderate rating, 35 per cent positive and 23 per cent negative. On objectivity, 44 per cent rated it moderate, 32 per cent positive and 22 per cent negative. On ethics, 38 per cent said moderate, 36 per cent positive and 24 per cent negative. On behaviour, 36 per cent said moderate, 43 per cent positive and 19 per cent negative. And on specialised knowledge of subject matter, 34 per cent rated it moderate, 30 per cent positive and 24 per cent negative.
On trust specifically, based on responses to a series of statements, about one in two Cypriots (49 per cent) said they distrust the media, compared with 40 per cent who said they trust it. The majority nonetheless said they trust Cypriot journalists themselves, and disagreed with the suggestion that journalists overstep their authority. Most respondents also said media outlets are understaffed as businesses, that insecurity is widespread in the sector, and that Cypriot journalists lack freedom of expression.
ESK president Giorgos Fragkos said the findings pointed to problems, gaps, weaknesses and underlying dysfunctions that required immediate action from everyone involved, including the state.
Commenting on the results, Bank of Cyprus corporate communications director Konstantina Neofytou said the bank continues to back the initiative because it recognises “the decisive role that journalism plays in a modern, democratic society.” She added that reliable information, free expression and the pursuit of truth were matters for society as a whole, not just the media industry.
The survey involved 1,000 men and women over the age of 18, living in both urban and rural areas, with data collected during July 2026 through face-to-face and telephone (CATI) interviews using random multi-stage stratified sampling. The results were processed using descriptive statistical analysis, comparative analysis and cross-tabulation of key demographic and other variables.
