News journalism is valued
The myth is that professionally created content isn’t appreciated. In fact, young people value journalism and its impact on the world.
Fake news and misinformation are rife
Young people want to live in a democratic world where information and power are challenged and held accountable. 75% believe that journalism plays an important role in society today and 85% value investigative journalism that holds power to account.
Fake news is rife in the content young people encounter every day. 71% of young people are concerned about the rise of fake news. This rises the more someone is ‘news literate’: concern rises to 77% among ‘news enthusiasts’ (the two thirds of our sample who are interested in news).
Meanwhile, just over half (54%) of young people are ‘pretty confident’ at distinguishing between fake news and genuine verified news on social media. Only 13% claim to be ‘very confident’. A third (33%) claim to be unconfident.
Ahead of the 2024 UK general election, a separate Newsworks poll found 73% of 18-24-year-olds had seen or thought they had seen fake news circulating on social media.
In reaction to the high levels of fake news they are exposed to, 90% of young people will turn to other sources to verify information they see on social media. News brands are go-to sources for verification, particularly for the most news literate.
Trust in news brands
News brands offer advertisers brand-safe spaces, away from misinformation and fake news. Trust has never mattered more to young people.
News brands play a pivotal role for young people in providing the information they can believe in. 80% trust the information they see from journalists and British news organisations. And young people trust news brand content 85% more than other social media content for news.
When asked about what they like most about news brands, young people cite the professional journalism, in-depth analysis and strong opinions that they can always expect from news brands. As young people work out their stance on big issues, they need expert opinions alongside expert reporting.
When democracy itself appears to be at stake, journalism matters. When distraction threatens entertainment — let alone information — journalism matters. And when finding facts and truth is an effort, journalism matters.
“Fake news is a serious problem right now. On X, I see so many clickbait articles that are just lies. News journalists have a massive role to play just filtering out that misinformation as much as possible.”
Alfie, 21, London
