Study Introduction

The Siraj Opinion Center, an independent Syrian research institute based in Germany, conducted a survey in October 2025 to identify the main sources Syrians rely on for news, their level of trust in these sources, and their habits related to verifying news accuracy.

Results

• 🟦 Facebook: 41% of respondents rely on it as their main news source.
• 🟩 WhatsApp/Telegram: 22% through news channels and groups.
• 🟧 International news channels: 14% (such as Al Jazeera, BBC, CNN).
• 🟨 Online news websites: 13%.
• 🟪 Other sources: 10% (friends, YouTube, Instagram, etc.).

Regarding trust, 75% of participants expressed moderate to good trust in their main news source, while only 3% reported very high trust. When it comes to fact-checking, 59% said they always verify news from multiple sources, and 32% said they do so sometimes.

The most represented age group was 18–34 years (57%), followed by 35–44 years (23%). Women accounted for 58% of all participants.

Conclusion

The survey shows that social media platforms, especially Facebook and Telegram, are the primary sources of news for Syrians. However, trust in these platforms remains moderate, and there is a growing awareness of the importance of verifying information before sharing it.

🔸 Siraj Opinion Center – Independent Syrian Research Center, Germany 2025