Understanding how young generations think seems to be an eternal struggle for marketers and parents everywhere. As our world evolves, so do our habits and the way we make sense of it. The current generation of young people (in this blog post, defined as ages 18–24) has grown up in an increasingly digital environment. The internet and smartphones have always been part of their everyday lives, and now AI is shaping that environment even further. This has inevitably influenced how they navigate the world.
Over the years, the Reuters Institute has conducted extensive research into young people around the world and their relationship to news, and in this blog post, we summarise some of the key findings. You can read the full original report via the link.
Young people ten years ago were already online-first when it came to consuming news. Today, they have shifted to social-first. Already, 39% of young people say social media is their main source of news, an increase of 18 percentage points since 2015. At the same time, the share of those whose main source of news is news websites and apps has fallen from 36% to 24%. While 64% of young people still access news daily, that daily use is declining faster among younger audiences.
Because most people use social media primarily for other purposes, news is often encountered incidentally. Content appears in feeds, selected by algorithms for each user. As a result, people do not necessarily form direct relationships with specific news outlets. Brand loyalty becomes harder to build, and the willingness to pay for subscriptions is lower. Consuming news through social platforms also undercuts traditional revenue models that rely on subscriptions and advertising.
The success of news content on these platforms is also highly dependent on algorithm changes and decisions made by tech companies. This was clearly demonstrated when referral traffic from Facebook dropped significantly following algorithm updates that deprioritised news content in 2023.
Young people have not only shifted towards social platforms, they have also moved towards video. They are more likely to prefer visual and audio formats, as well as the platforms built around them. In fact, 32% of young people prefer watching news, and 16% prefer listening, the highest shares among all age groups. Still, reading remains the most common way of engaging with news (42%), even among younger audiences.
Much of this shift towards video is linked to the rise of vertical video platforms, popularised by TikTok. But young audiences are not only consuming short-form content. They are also watching more long-form video and live streams on platforms like YouTube.
When it comes to platform preferences, Instagram is the most used for news among young people (30%), followed by YouTube (23%) and TikTok (22%). YouTube’s role in news consumption has remained relatively stable over the past decade, while TikTok’s growth has been rapid. At the same time, Facebook has lost much of its relevance: ten years ago, 47% of young people used it for news, compared to just 16% today. This decline is partly due to falling popularity among younger users, and partly due to the aforementioned algorithm changes. Overall, young audiences use social media more than other generations, and they tend to use multiple platforms in parallel, making it harder to reach them through any single channel.
Video-led platforms have also created opportunities for independent creators and digital-first media startups to step in where traditional outlets are losing ground, especially in countries where trust in established media is weakening. In response, many media organisations have adapted by producing more personality-driven, fast-paced, and entertaining content. This approach can be effective, but it comes with risks. Audiences often form attachments to individual creators rather than the brand itself. When those creators leave, audiences may follow. For example, The Washington Post saw a noticeable drop in views after its TikTok presenter, Dave Jorgenson, left to start his own media venture. He cited a lack of support for video content on behalf of the paper's leadership as one of the reasons for his departure.
Podcasts are also part of the picture, though their role is slightly different. 59% of young people report listening to podcasts monthly, compared to 24% of those over 55. Young people are also more likely to consume podcasts in video format, often on platforms like YouTube. However, when it comes specifically to news podcasts, older listeners are more engaged: about half of podcast-listening older audiences consume news podcasts, compared to roughly a third of young listeners. One possible explanation for this disparity is that younger audiences do not always categorise the content they consume as “news,” even when it overlaps with journalism.
Two newer ways of accessing information are gaining ground among young audiences: individual creators and AI chatbots.
51% of young people say they pay the most attention to creators and personalities for news on social media, while 39% say they focus on news media. That said, the size and influence of creator networks vary by market. In regions where traditional media still holds a strong position, such as Western and Northern Europe, it is harder for creators to break through. In these markets, young people are also more likely to pay attention to established news outlets.
Within the creator space, more controversial and often partisan commentary tends to attract the most attention. At the same time, there is a growing group of creators who focus on simplifying and explaining mainstream news for their audiences. It is also worth noting that creators do not necessarily replace traditional media. In many cases, they complement it. People who consume news from online creators are often also active consumers of mainstream news.
Use of AI for news is still relatively niche, and people remain cautious. Even so, young audiences are leading adoption: 15% use AI to access news on a weekly basis. They are also more open to its role in journalism. Around 30% say they are comfortable with news being mostly produced by AI, and 43% are comfortable with AI-assisted production. There are clear regional differences, however, with European audiences generally more sceptical than those in the United States.
Younger audiences are also using AI in different ways compared to older generations. Many use it to navigate the news and make it easier to understand (48%), as well as to evaluate sources. Some publishers, such as NRK and Aftonbladet, report that AI-generated summaries are particularly popular with younger users. Young people are also more interested in using AI to transform news into different formats, such as audio or video, than older generations.
At the same time, the spread of AI-generated content is raising concerns about misinformation among both publishers and the public. Around 60% of young people say they are worried about what is real and what is fake online. Interestingly, AI is also being used by young people as a fact-checking tool, though in this role it still lags behind established and trusted news sources.
When it comes to attitudes towards news, younger people tend to be slightly more negative than older generations, though the difference is relatively small. They are more likely to feel that their generation receives too little coverage (31%) and that, when they are covered, it is often unfair (35%).
Average differences in trust between age groups are relatively small. Trust also varies significantly between countries, and the factors that shape it differ from one market to another. However, it is rare to see higher levels of trust in news among younger audiences compared to older ones.
Younger people are also more likely to think that, while news outlets should generally remain impartial, there are certain topics where neutrality does not make sense. They tend to be less tolerant of views they see as harmful or hateful, particularly in areas related to social justice, while still broadly supporting the idea that different viewpoints should not be suppressed.
Interest in news is lower among younger audiences (35%) than among older generations, and this interest has declined over time. The share of young people who say they are very interested in news has dropped by 25 percentage points since 2013.
At the same time, young people are no more likely to avoid news than any other age group. News avoidance has increased across all generations. In 2025, 42% of young people said they avoid news at least sometimes. The main reason for this is the negative impact news can have on mental well-being. Where younger audiences differ is in their reasons for disengaging: they are more likely to say that news feels irrelevant to their lives or is difficult to follow.
Both younger and older audiences are most interested in local and international news. Where they differ is in emphasis. Younger people are more drawn to “fun” news and entertainment, and are less interested in political news than older generations. There are also some differences between genders. Young men tend to show more interest in science, sport, and politics, while young women are more interested in topics such as mental health, crime, and entertainment.
While news continues to perform well in the areas people consider most important, such as keeping audiences up to date and helping them understand issues, younger audiences feel it falls short in other areas. In particular, they are less likely to feel that news content is entertaining or uplifting, even though around half think it should be.
To respond to this, some outlets have begun experimenting with more constructive and solutions-based reporting, as well as giving greater visibility to more positive or uplifting stories alongside major news events.
The way young people engage with the news has fundamentally changed. News is no longer something they actively seek out in the same way as previous generations. Instead, it is encountered through feeds, formats, and independent creators that compete with all other types of content for attention.
This shift creates clear challenges. Building direct relationships with audiences is harder, loyalty is more fragile, and traditional revenue models are under pressure.
What stands out across these findings is that there is no single solution. Young people move across platforms, combine formats, and approach news in different ways depending on context. Reaching them requires a mix of approaches rather than a single channel or strategy.
For publishers, this means adapting not only distribution but also tone, format, and storytelling. Clear explanations, strong formats, and a better understanding of audience needs matter as much as the content itself. At the same time, maintaining trust remains essential, especially as AI and new types of content continue to reshape the information environment.
Understanding young audiences may still feel like an ongoing challenge, but the direction is clear. Those who are willing to experiment, adapt, and meet audiences where they are will be in the strongest position going forward.