Where do Kazakhs get their news? Social media. But they don’t necessarily trust bloggers, opinion leaders, or influencers. 

The results of a recent survey by the DEMOSCOPE Express Public Opinion Monitoring Bureau, implemented by the MediaNet International Center for Journalism in cooperation with the PAPERLAB Research Center and with the support of Konrad Adenauer Foundation, reveal a complex media consumption landscape shaped by language and age.

More than 45 percent of respondents said they preferred to receive information in Kazakh, and another 31.1 percent in Kazakh and Russian equally. 21.1 percent said they preferred to receive information in Russian. 

Social media was the dominant source of news reported by survey respondents, at 55.9 percent, followed by online sources at 30.6 percent and television at 30.2 percent. 

Diving more deeply into social media, respondents reported spending the most time on Instagram (58 percent), followed by TikTok (39.1 percent), WhatsApp (29 percent), and YouTube (28.1 percent).

But while Kazakhs reported getting their news from social media, they don’t necessarily trust what they read. 62.9 percent of respondents said they “rather do not trust” social media publics and groups. Bloggers and opinion leaders – often native to social media platforms – are also not trusted, with 66.1 percent stating they “rather do not trust” such sources.

What sources do Kazakhs trust? Their relatives, friends, and acquaintances; 54.4 percent said they “rather trust” these sources. Kazakhs also trust state media; 57.4 percent said they “rather trust” state media. Foreign media is not broadly trusted (48.9 percent said they “rather do not trust” foreign media), and Russian media in particular is distrusted, with 60.7 percent responding that they “rather do not trust” such sources.

Across the board, however, a sizable proportion of respondents said it was “difficult” to answer the question of trust in sources of information. This ranged from 11.7 percent unsure how to answer in regard to state media, to 21.2 percent for Russian media, 29.3 percent for foreign media, and 20.4 percent for social media.

The respondents were split on distinguishing reliable information from unreliable information. 33.4 percent said it was “very difficult” or “rather difficult” to do so; 39 percent respondents that it was “rather not difficult” or “not difficult at all.” A full 23 percent replied, “I do not think about it.”

Curiously, 46.9 percent of respondents said they always verify information before sharing it with others. This may be rooted in meeting expectations rather than actual practice; i.e. respondents said they verified information because they did not want to admit that they do not. This is important because Kazakhs place so much trust in their friends, relatives, and acquaintances.

In Reporters Without Borders’ Press Freedom Index, Kazakhstan ranks 141 out of 180 countries and in Freedom House’s latest Freedom in the World ranking Kazakhstan was again judged “not free.”*

In light of Kazakhstan’s disappointing press freedom standing, the responses to questions about the safety of criticizing the authorities and their perceptions of freedom of speech are particularly interesting.

When asked “how safe is it today to criticize the actions of the authorities on the internet?” 28.5 percent said it was “extremely dangerous,” followed by 27.6 percent who said “It is dangerous. One may face pressure or legal action.” A smaller share – 14.4 percent – said, “It is possible to criticize, but in a careful manner and without mentioning names.” Only 9.8 percent said it was “absolutely safe” top criticize the authorities. 19.7 percent said it was “difficult to answer.”

When it comes to freedom of speech, most respondents (33.6 percent) assessed the situation as “average.” 34.9 percent responded either “very good” or “rather good” and 27.2 percent replied “rather bad” or “very bad.”

DEMOSCOPE provided deeper assessments of the data:

Perceptions vary by age: respondents aged 50–59 are the most critical (36.3%), while younger respondents aged 18–29 demonstrate lower levels of dissatisfaction (23%). These findings correlate with levels of trust in official media, where younger respondents are the most loyal, while the 50–59 age group shows the lowest trust.

Although the survey – conducted from February 24 to March 6, 2026 with 1,100 respondents – is small relative to the Kazakh population, even this brief snapshot provides valuable data on how Kazakhs obtain information, what sources they trust, what languages they prefer to read, and therefore how – and where – to best reach them.

*The author served as an adviser on the 2026 Freedom in the World report.