Social media has emerged as the primary source of news for Kenyans, according to the 2025 State of the Media Report by the Media Council of Kenya.

The report was released on Monday May 4, 2026, to coincide with the global observance of World Press Freedom Day, and to determine the overall state of media in Kenya.

According to the report, social media is the dominant news source in Kenya, overtaking traditional platforms such as TV, radio, and newspapers.

The 2025 State of the Media Report indicate that 27% of Kenyans used social media as a source of news in 2025. Television follows at 25%, with radio at 19% and print media trailing at 13%.

The report further shows that online news websites account for 8% of news consumption, while 12% of respondents obtain news through family, friends, and colleagues.

The survey also recorded a decline in television viewership, which fell from 63% in 2024 to 57% in 2025. Similarly, reliance on radio as a news source dropped, down from 26% in 2024.

Print media audience has also declined significantly, dropping from 26% in 2023 to 20% in 2024, and further falling to just 13% weekly readership in 2025.

According to the Media Council of Kenya, urban centres such as Nairobi have largely shifted away from print media in favour of digital platforms, while the Rift Valley and Nyanza regions remain the last strongholds of physical newspaper circulation.