Newsworks, Office of Ideologies, Map the Territory and Tapestry Research
Newsworks’ insight director Denise Turner spoke to a large audience at Mediatel’s Future of Media event today about the role under 35-year-olds play in our media ecosystem and how their news consumption fuels their hopes, ambitions and curiosities.
There are countless myths surrounding younger audiences and how to catch their attention.
Who are they? And what do they do in their spare time?
What we are certain of, is that the under 35s find news increasingly important.
Since the start of the pandemic, 77% of under 35s feel that they have been made more aware of the value and importance of journalism in our society, with 68% agreeing that a world without journalism would harm democracy.
Turner commented: “When it comes to the news consumption of under 35-year-olds, it is clear from our research that the pandemic has brought into focus the need for trusted sources of information.
“Our findings really do highlight the power of trust in its ability to influence behaviour, something that is crucial for advertisers looking to engage with a younger target audience”.
Here is a snapshot of key facts and stats about the role under 35s play in our news ecosystem.
The number one source of news content
Nearly 70% of under 35s agree that ‘I find myself checking the news whenever I get a spare moment in the day’, with many confirming that news brands are their number one source of news content on social media.
Due to the rise of misinformation and fake news, many are scrutinising what they read and as a result, are turning to news brands as a trusted source. This is particularly apparent amongst the under 35-year-olds, with 73% saying that they feel less anxious when they read a news brand than reading content on social media.
Interestingly, they are forming new habits thanks to the introduction of news aggregators such as Apple News and Google News. This has made 69% of younger readers value news brands more and 64% agreeing that it has made them take more notice of news brands.
Curiosity, ambitions and relationships
Partly brought on by the use of news aggregators giving them an insight into a variety of news brands, 74% of young readers agree ‘I like to read different newspapers so that I understand all the different opinions.’
This connection with others is clear, with 61% feeling that ‘when I haven’t read the news I feel like I’m cut-off from other people’.
Younger readers are also turning to news brands more than anything else when they want to improve their understanding of something. This is a notably different trend in comparison to the over 35-year-olds who would, at first, turn to TV.
In addition to turning to news to improve their understanding of various subjects, they also use news brands to get ahead. 72% of under 35s agree that ‘keeping up with news can help you to get ahead in your career’.
Why should advertisers take note?
News brands present advertisers with a trusted environment that can capture the hearts and minds of consumers and fuels their curiosities, ambitions and relationships with others.
In fact, when people under 35 read news brands, they are four times more likely to say that it ‘made me change my behaviour’, than those who are over 35.
For more information about the news consumption of your target audiences, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
The data from this article comes from Newsworks’ latest study ‘World Without News’ exploring the role of news brands in a contemporary landscape. You can download the study here.
You can view the event presentation below:
