Most news organizations chase likes, shares, and comments. They optimize headlines for outrage, shorten videos for attention spans, and post constantly to feed the algorithm. But on Telegram, none of that matters. No one ranks your news by how many people react. No one hides your post because it didn’t get enough clicks. Telegram doesn’t care if you go viral. It only cares if you’re relevant - and if someone decides to forward it.
Why Telegram’s News Reach Works Differently
Telegram’s architecture is built for broadcasting, not interaction. News channels can have up to 200,000 subscribers. When you post, your message goes straight to every one of them. There’s no feed to scroll through. No algorithm deciding whether you’re ‘worthy’ of being seen. If someone subscribes, they see your content - unless they mute you. This changes everything. On Facebook or Twitter, your reach is a lottery. You need engagement to survive. On Telegram, your reach is a subscription. You don’t need clicks. You need trust. You need to be the source people turn to when they want facts, not noise. A 2024 Reuters Institute report found that 67% of news outlets using Telegram saw higher-quality audience engagement than on other platforms. Not because they reached more people - but because the people who saw their posts were already interested. They subscribed. They didn’t stumble upon the post. They chose it.The Hidden Cost of ‘Views’
Telegram used to count every time a message was seen - even if it was forwarded 12 times and viewed 50 times by the same person. That created fake growth. A single post could show 200,000 views, but only 15,000 real people saw it. In late 2024, Telegram changed that. Now, views are cleaned up:- Passive views - where someone scrolls past without stopping - don’t count.
- Forwarded views are de-duplicated. If you see the same post in three chats, it counts as one view.
- Bots and automation are filtered out.
- Regional ranking limits visibility in places with strict content laws.
What Actually Drives Reach on Telegram
If engagement doesn’t matter, what does? Forwarding. Telegram’s real growth engine isn’t the algorithm. It’s the people. When a user finds a post useful, they forward it to friends, groups, or other channels. That’s how news spreads - organically, peer-to-peer. Research from PostMyPost shows that news channels posting once a day get the highest view rates. Post twice? Reach drops 37%. Post four times? It crashes 68%. Except for dedicated news channels - the ones people expect daily updates from. They can post more and still hold 82% of their reach. Why? Because people don’t want noise. They want value. A single, well-timed update beats five rushed posts. Think of it like a newspaper. You don’t get 10 editions a day. You get one - and it’s the one you trust.Content That Gets Forwarded
Not all content is created equal. Text posts? They get forwarded rarely. Long articles? Even less. The most forwardable content on Telegram is short, fast, and easy to share:- Voice messages under 30 seconds - 3.2x more likely to be forwarded than text.
- MP4 clips under 15 seconds - quick, visual, no sound needed.
- Breaking news alerts with a single line of text and a photo - perfect for forwarding to a group.
- PDFs or documents with summaries - used as lead magnets to grow channels.
The Economic Trade-Off
Telegram doesn’t pay you. No ad revenue share. No creator fund. No tipping. If you want to make money, you have to build your own system - newsletter subscriptions, Patreon, paid briefings, affiliate links, or Telegram Ads. Telegram Ads now run in TON (Telegram’s cryptocurrency), with a minimum CPM of 0.1 TON - roughly $0.36. That’s cheap. But it’s also limited. You can’t target by user behavior. You target by channel topic. If your channel is about Ukraine war updates, your ad might show to anyone subscribed to similar channels. This creates a new economic model: audience ownership. You don’t rent attention from an algorithm. You own your subscribers. You build loyalty. You turn them into customers - not just viewers.Who Wins on Telegram?
Small, niche, or regional news outlets thrive here. A local Ukrainian news site with 3,000 subscribers gets an 83% view rate. On Facebook? They’d be lucky to hit 12%. Independent journalists, investigative reporters, and fact-checkers find a home on Telegram. They don’t need to chase outrage. They just need to be accurate and timely. But big media? It’s harder. They’re used to mass reach through engagement. Telegram’s model is slow, quiet, and deliberate. It doesn’t reward flashy headlines. It rewards consistency.The Dark Side: Echo Chambers and Extremism
Telegram’s lack of engagement filtering has a downside. If you search for ‘Donald Trump,’ you’re 92% likely to be directed to QAnon or conspiracy channels. The algorithm doesn’t judge content. It follows topics. The Southern Poverty Law Center found that Telegram’s topic-based recommendations actively push users toward extremist content. There’s no human moderation. No fact-checking layer. Just bots and algorithms matching keywords. This makes Telegram risky for mainstream news brands. If your channel gets associated with fringe content - even by accident - your reputation suffers. That’s why some newsrooms avoid Telegram entirely.
Regional Divide: Where Telegram Dominates
Telegram’s role in news distribution isn’t global. It’s regional.- 68% of news audience in Russia
- 52% in Ukraine
- 37% in Iran
- 12% in Western Europe
- 8% in North America
What You Need to Succeed
If you’re a news organization considering Telegram, here’s what actually works:- Post once a day - no more. Quality over quantity.
- Use voice and short video. They get 3x more forwards than text.
- Don’t chase views. Chase forwards. Ask your audience: ‘Who should see this?’
- Use Telegram’s built-in analytics: track view rate, forward rate, and subscriber growth.
- Integrate with Crescitaly or Postiz for real-time geo-tracking and performance.
- Build a lead magnet - a free PDF, checklist, or briefing - to turn viewers into subscribers.
- Accept that growth is slow. It’s not viral. It’s steady.
The Future of News on Telegram
Telegram’s news ecosystem is growing - fast. eMarketer predicts 29% annual growth through 2027. Why? Because people are tired of being manipulated by algorithms. They want control. They want truth. They want to choose what they see. The platform’s upcoming news-specific ad product in Q3 2025 could be a game-changer. Instead of targeting users based on their past behavior, ads will be shown based on channel topics. That means your ad appears only where your message belongs - not where the algorithm thinks you might click. But the biggest threat isn’t competition. It’s regulation. If governments force Telegram to add engagement ranking or content moderation, the platform loses its core advantage. Newsrooms that built their strategy on ‘no engagement’ could be left behind. For now, Telegram remains the last platform where news can exist without being turned into entertainment. It’s not perfect. It’s not safe. But it’s real. And for many, that’s worth more than a million likes.Does Telegram have an algorithm for news distribution?
Yes, but it’s not based on likes, shares, or comments. Telegram uses topic-based recommendations and forwarding patterns to surface content. If your news post is forwarded often by users in a specific topic group, it’s more likely to appear in related channels. Engagement metrics like reactions or replies don’t affect visibility.
Why do news channels on Telegram lose views after the 2024 update?
The 2024-2025 algorithm changes removed inflated view counts. Passive views, bot traffic, and duplicate views from multiple forwards were filtered out. A post that showed 100,000 views before may now show 60,000 - not because fewer people saw it, but because the numbers are now accurate. This gives a clearer picture of real audience size.
Can you make money on Telegram news channels?
Telegram doesn’t pay for views or ads like YouTube or TikTok. But you can monetize through external methods: paid newsletters, Patreon, affiliate links, sponsored briefings, or Telegram Ads (which pay in TON cryptocurrency). The key is building direct relationships with your audience, not relying on platform payouts.
How often should a news channel post on Telegram?
One post per day is optimal for maximum reach. Posting twice a day reduces reach by 37%. Four or more posts drop reach by 68.5% - unless you’re a dedicated news channel where audiences expect frequent updates. In that case, you can maintain 82% of your usual reach with higher frequency.
What type of content gets forwarded the most on Telegram?
Short-form voice messages (under 30 seconds) and MP4 video clips (under 15 seconds) get forwarded 3.2 times more often than text posts. Breaking news alerts with a single line of text and a photo also perform well. Content that’s quick, clear, and useful is most likely to be shared.
Is Telegram safe for mainstream news organizations?
It depends. Telegram’s topic-based algorithm can push users toward extremist or false content, creating brand safety risks. If your channel is linked to conspiracy channels through keyword matching, your reputation could suffer. Many mainstream outlets avoid Telegram for this reason. But others use it carefully - focusing on verified reporting and avoiding controversial topics that might trigger algorithmic associations.
Why is Telegram more popular for news in some countries than others?
In countries with strict media controls - like Russia, Ukraine, and Iran - Telegram is often the only reliable source of uncensored news. In Western Europe and North America, users have more choices and higher trust in traditional platforms. Telegram’s lack of moderation and encryption features make it attractive in repressive regimes but less appealing where media freedom exists.
