Understanding young news audiences at a time of rapid change

5 days ago

Young people (18-24) have shifted from online-first to social-first news access, with social media now their main news source, overtaking news websites.
They rely more on audiovisual platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for news, moving away from Facebook.
Young audiences prefer individual news creators (51%) over traditional news brands (39%) on social media, unlike older groups.
They show higher preferences for watching and listening to news online, though reading remains common across all ages.
Daily news consumption is lower among young people (64%) compared to older groups (87%), partly due to incidental exposure on social media.
Interest in news is lower among young people, with only 35% very interested, and they favor fun/entertaining topics over traditional ones like politics.
Young people are more comfortable with AI for news, using it more frequently (15% weekly) and in diverse ways, such as simplifying complex stories.
They perceive news coverage as less fair and relevant, with higher rates of avoidance due to irrelevance or difficulty understanding content.
News formats are adapting, with publishers integrating vertical video and audio to engage young audiences on platforms they frequent.
The definition of news is expanding among youth to include more personal and entertaining content, highlighting a mismatch with traditional journalism.

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