In 2026, the number of sources of information continues to increase, and it is becoming more and more difficult to distinguish between a trusted expert and the personal opinion of a blogger. Media holding agency Rambler&Co asked Internet users what strategy they would take when faced with information noise.
When a hot topic appears in the news, the majority (59%) of respondents check the information in several places. One in five (20%) first turned to official sources (departments, companies, press agencies) for explanations, 11% turned to professional editors of the media. Personal social networks of subject matter experts or channels in instant messaging applications reached 5% respectively.
Respondents noted topics on which they trusted the opinions of only professional editors. The first place is politics and international events (36%), followed by science, medicine and technology (23%). At the same time, a quarter (25%) said there was no such topic for them and it was more important that the content be interesting. Economy, finance and labor market increased by 11%. Incident rating was chosen by 5% of respondents.
When asked in which cases it is acceptable to receive information from non-professional sources, 35% of survey participants chose the “never” option. But 27% think personal opinions on social networks about app topics – recipes, daily life, hobbies and “how to” material – are appropriate. Tourism and urban content (reviews of places and services) reached 17%, and complex public topics (politics, economics, security) – 14%. Minimal interest was recorded in culture (4%) and sports (3%).
Russians believe that the transparency of the source and the ability to verify are the main factors that create trust in a news report. 48% of respondents noted links to primary sources, documents and direct quotations, another 31% noted their fact-checking and clear presentation. Responsibility for errors in the form of public corrections and updates was important to 15% and author identity or editorial experience was important to 6%.
The survey was conducted on media resources held by Rambler&Co from February 16 to February 20, 2026 and 2,977 Internet users participated.
