When it comes to getting news out to people, Telegram and Facebook don’t just differ in size-they operate on completely different principles. One is a broadcast tower with no filters. The other is a crowded town square where the loudest voices get heard, and most of your posts never make it past the gatekeepers. If you’re a journalist, a newsroom, or even just someone trying to stay informed, understanding this difference isn’t optional-it’s essential.
How Telegram Delivers News: The Broadcast Model
Telegram’s news system isn’t built for viral moments. It’s built for reliability. Every news channel on Telegram is a one-way street: publishers post, subscribers read. There’s no algorithm deciding what you see. No hidden feed. No paid promotion buried under memes and cat videos. When a channel with 50,000 subscribers posts a breaking story, every one of those subscribers gets it-unless they’ve muted the channel.That’s because Telegram’s architecture is simple: public channels with unlimited subscribers, real-time view counters, and no interference. You can see exactly how many people opened your message. That transparency lets news organizations know if their content is landing. The New York Times’ Telegram channel might have only 10,000 subscribers, but each post gets seen by nearly all of them. Compare that to Facebook, where even a page with 17 million likes might only reach 5% of them organically.
Telegram also lets you send long-form reports, PDFs, videos, and audio files up to 2GB. No character limits. No truncated headlines. A single post can be a full investigative piece. That’s why outlets like The Guardian and Reuters have built serious Telegram presences-they’re not chasing likes. They’re delivering depth.
How Facebook Delivers News: The Algorithmic Maze
Facebook’s news distribution runs on EdgeRank, a secret sauce that decides what you see based on your past behavior, your friends’ reactions, and how much money a publisher paid to boost the post. It’s not a platform for news. It’s a platform for engagement. And engagement, in Facebook’s eyes, means outrage, emotion, and clicks-not facts.Since 2018, Facebook has quietly slashed organic reach for news pages. What used to be 15-20% reach per post dropped to 5-10%. Today, many news organizations spend over $1,200 a month just to keep their posts visible. And even then, it’s not guaranteed. The algorithm changes every few weeks. One day, your post goes viral. The next, it vanishes. No explanation. No control.
And the content you do see? It’s filtered. If you follow 50 news pages, you might only see 2-3 posts from them each day. The rest? Buried. Facebook doesn’t care if you want to read the latest UN report. It cares if your cousin liked a post about a celebrity scandal. That’s the system.
Who’s Actually Reading? The Audience Divide
Telegram’s users aren’t scrolling mindlessly. They’re hunting for news. About 24% of Telegram users are between 18 and 24. Another 30% are 25 to 34. These are people who don’t trust mainstream feeds. They want direct access. They subscribe to channels like TR.news, Summit.news, or independent journalists-not because they’re trendy, but because they deliver what others won’t.On Facebook, news consumption is accidental. Over half of UK users say they stumble on news while checking updates from friends. That’s not engagement. That’s noise. And it’s why trust in Facebook news has collapsed. App Store reviews for Facebook’s news section average just 2.8 stars. Users complain about misinformation, biased algorithms, and content that feels manipulated.
Telegram, by contrast, has a 4.3-star rating on Trustpilot for news features. Why? Because users feel in control. They choose who to follow. They see every update. They aren’t being trained by an algorithm to click on outrage.
Reach vs. Engagement: The Real Numbers
Let’s talk numbers that matter. According to DemTech’s 2020 study, Telegram channels average a 36% view-per-subscriber rate. That means if you have 1,000 subscribers, you’re likely getting 360 views per post. Facebook? Around 5.2%. So even a small Telegram channel can outperform a massive Facebook Page.Take TR.news and Summit.news-two outlets labeled as "junk news" by researchers. In 2020, they collectively got more views on Telegram than The Guardian and Daily Mail combined. Not because they were more popular. But because their audience was actively seeking them out.
Facebook’s reach is broad. Telegram’s is deep. Facebook has 3 billion users. Telegram has 1 billion. But on Telegram, those users are intentional. They don’t just consume news-they share it, discuss it, and trust it more.
Virality vs. Intentionality
Facebook is designed to go viral. A post gets shared, liked, commented on-and the algorithm pushes it further. That’s great for memes. Terrible for accurate reporting. Viral content thrives on emotion, not truth. And Facebook’s system rewards that.Telegram doesn’t encourage virality. You can’t see what your contacts are sharing. You can’t easily repost someone else’s channel. That limits spread-but it also limits misinformation. News on Telegram doesn’t explode. It spreads slowly, through trusted networks. A study found that a single message from the TommyRobinsonNews channel was shared across 145 other Telegram channels, on average, 2.7 times. That’s not mass exposure. That’s targeted dissemination.
It’s the difference between a wildfire and a controlled burn. Facebook burns everything in its path. Telegram moves carefully, through curated paths.
Trust, Moderation, and the Dark Side
Telegram’s lack of moderation is its biggest strength and weakness. No content filters. No fact-checkers. That’s why extremist groups, conspiracy theorists, and disinformation networks have found a home there. A 2022 study in Information, Communication & Society found misleading sources were shared more often on Telegram than professional news.Facebook, for all its flaws, has invested $500 million in fact-checking partnerships since 2020. It removes fake news, labels misinformation, and bans repeat offenders. It’s not perfect. But it’s trying.
So if you’re a news organization, you’re caught in a bind. Telegram gives you reach and control. Facebook gives you credibility and scale. Many outlets use both. But the smart ones know: if you want to be trusted, you need to be present where the audience is-and where they’re looking for truth.
What News Outlets Are Doing Right
The Guardian launched its Telegram channel in late 2024. Within six months, it hit 150,000 subscribers. Why? Because they didn’t try to turn it into a Facebook clone. They posted long-form explainers, live updates during crises, and exclusive interviews. No clickbait. No videos forced into Reels. Just journalism.Meanwhile, outlets that stayed on Facebook only are struggling. A 2025 Twiplomacy survey found that 78% of major news organizations still have Facebook Pages-but only 42% use Telegram. Those that use both report 3x higher engagement from loyal readers.
Telegram’s new Topics feature (launched in 2025) lets users browse news by category-politics, tech, climate-making discovery easier. Revenue-sharing for creators (since October 2024) is also attracting professional journalists. For the first time, a Telegram channel can pay its operator. That’s a game-changer.
Which One Should You Use?
If you’re a reader: Use Telegram if you want to control what you see. Subscribe to a few trusted channels. Skip the noise. Use Facebook if you want to stay connected with friends and catch news by accident-but don’t assume it’s complete or accurate.If you’re a publisher: Start with Telegram. It’s free, fast, and gives you full control. Build your audience there. Then use Facebook to reach the masses-but pay to play. Don’t rely on organic reach. It’s gone.
If you’re a journalist: Use Telegram to publish deep work. Use Facebook to drive traffic to your main site. But never let the algorithm dictate your story.
There’s no winner here. Just different tools for different jobs. Facebook is the megaphone. Telegram is the letter you hand directly to someone who asked for it.
Why does Telegram have higher engagement than Facebook for news?
Telegram has higher engagement because it uses a broadcast model with no algorithm. When you subscribe to a news channel, you see every post. Facebook hides 90% of posts from your feed unless you pay for promotion. Telegram’s 36% view-per-subscriber rate is nearly 7 times higher than Facebook’s 5.2%.
Can I trust news on Telegram?
You can’t automatically trust news on Telegram. The platform doesn’t fact-check or remove misinformation. Many reputable outlets use it, but so do conspiracy groups and fake news sources. Always verify stories from multiple sources. Look for channels with clear authorship, history, and links to primary sources.
Is Facebook still useful for news distribution?
Yes-but only if you’re willing to pay. Facebook’s organic reach for news pages is near zero. To get visibility, you need to run ads. It’s expensive, and the algorithm changes constantly. Facebook is still the best place to reach casual users who don’t actively seek news-but not the best place to build a loyal audience.
How do I start a news channel on Telegram?
Open Telegram, tap the menu, select "New Channel," give it a name and description, then choose "Public." Share the link on your website, email list, and other social media. You don’t need any technical skills. It takes less than 15 minutes. Start posting consistently, and encourage subscribers to invite others.
Do major news outlets use Telegram?
Yes. The Guardian, Reuters, BBC, The New York Times, and Al Jazeera all have official Telegram channels. They use them to distribute long-form reports, live updates during breaking events, and exclusive content that doesn’t fit Facebook’s format. Telegram is becoming a key tool for professional journalism, especially for audiences who value accuracy over virality.
What’s the future of news on these platforms?
Facebook’s news audience is projected to shrink to 2.1 billion by 2027 as users move away from algorithmic feeds. Telegram’s news audience is expected to grow to 350 million by 2027, driven by younger users, revenue-sharing for creators, and improved discovery tools. The future of news distribution is moving toward direct, intentional channels-not passive feeds.
