How Telegram Reduced the Quality of Media Content

Telegram has rapidly transformed into one of the most influential information platforms in Eastern Europe, yet this growth has come with a significant decline in content quality. Following the trend of extremely short posts, many editorial teams began sacrificing depth, verification, and proper journalistic processing. According to a 2025 monitoring study by the Institute of Mass Information (IMI), 65.8% of posts by Telegram channels belonging to top online media outlets fail to meet professional journalism standards.

Of all analyzed posts, 55.3% lacked verified sources, while nearly one-third contained emotional framing or blurred the line between facts and personal commentary. Alarmingly, IMI found traces of organized manipulation in 8–12% of posts, and in several cases, the monitoring team identified clear elements of foreign propaganda.

This trend is largely driven by platform-specific habits. While Telegram technically supports large publications, the channels with the fastest growth rely on short, one-sentence updates that users can consume instantly. After 2022, when user demand for quick, security-related information surged, the media industry adapted by adopting shorter formats. But the unintended consequence was a systemic drop in verification standards and contextual accuracy.

The analysis of the ten most visited media outlets shows that their Telegram content is significantly less reliable compared to the same news published on their websites. Editors often repost headline fragments without proper context, sources, or background. Only when citing foreign media do channels consistently attribute their information.

The core issue remains the same: speed is prioritized over accuracy. And while rapid delivery is valuable, it cannot replace structured, transparent reporting. For a complete list of editorial recommendations and improvement strategies, refer to the full IMI monitoring report.