Young people are still watching the news

Young people are often criticized for being out of touch with what’s going on in the world, but that’s not the case. According to a recent survey, 79% of Americans belonging to generations Y and Z follow the news every day.

They consult social networks for their news, but also traditional media and platforms like LinkedIn, Reddit and even NextDoor.

It’s a fact: the younger generations have an ambivalent relationship with the media. They have little confidence in the different ways of accessing news and in journalists, which leads them to seek information in different ways from their elders. 

The latest report from the Media Insight Project looks at the media consumption of 5,975 Americans between the ages of 16 and 40. Three-quarters of them consult traditional media at least once a week to get the latest news. Even more surprisingly, 45% of respondents do so every day. These figures contradict the idea that traditional media have no place in the lives of (young) consumers.

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Consumers are even willing to reach into their pockets to get access to news: 28% of respondents pay to access content from magazines, newspapers and specialist apps. Unsurprisingly, Millennials are more likely to do so than their younger Gen Z counterparts. 

Concern about fake news

Nevertheless, younger generations continue to turn to social networks to follow the news. The vast majority of Americans (91%) head to these platforms to read the latest news every week. They appreciate the informal tone of the news content they find on these sites, as well as the freedom of media coverage they allow.

However, young consumers are concerned about the proliferation of misinformation on social networks and the role they play in this phenomenon.

For example, 48% of Americans in Generations Y and Z are concerned that they have shared misinformation without realizing it. Two-thirds of them also wonder if their relatives have done the same.

While so-called fake news is commonplace on social networks, Millennials and Gen Z are convinced that it is also found in traditional media. This explains why these outlets struggle to find favour in their eyes, even if these consumers do go to them for news.

Only a quarter of 16-40 year olds have a positive image of the media in general, compared to 35% for local news outlets.  

Young people are a challenging audience for traditional media

Another notable fact is that Millennials and Gen Z are taking less and less pleasure in keeping up with the news. Most of them feel obliged to do so to be good citizens, even if they get little satisfaction from it.

This feeling of weariness perhaps explains why only 37% of young consumers talk about the news with their friends and family — down from 53% in 2015. These results represent a real challenge for the news industry. “News organizations are constantly struggling with how they can better serve younger audiences,” said Michael D. Bolden, CEO and executive director of the American Press Institute.

“These generations have both traditional and novel views about what they want from the media, and there is a great deal of diversity in how they follow news.” One of these expectations concerns how the media deals with issues relating to diversity and equality.

Nearly half of 16-40-year-olds feel that media coverage does not accurately portray immigrants, low-income individuals and African Americans. “This is important, actionable guidance for our industry,” says Michael D. Bolden.