Our research found that there are clear gaps between what young consumers want from the news and what is being provided by news producers. We explain this through the lens of The Ideal News Experience framework. The framework identifies the most important factors for the next generation and explores what news producers can do now to begin closing the gap.
We found that the ideal news experience for our 18-25 year old respondents encompasses three important factors.
Trusted Source
“I want information from a source that I know and trust”
Personal Significance
“I want information that is significant to me and those I care about”
Desired Storytelling
“I want information presented in a way that works best for me”
Within each of these factors, we have also identified subfactors. In this section, we will dive into each factor and their subfactors to help you identify the evolving needs and preferences of the next generation.
Trusted Source
Young consumers seek information from the sources that they trust.
However, our research found that their idea of what constitutes trustworthiness can be somewhat different from previous waves of consumers. Our research participants shared that there was no definitive rule of thumb for determining a piece of content’s trustworthiness. Rather, there are three subfactors that they weigh up: Credibility, Affinity and Transparency of Intention.
Credibility
“They know their stuff and I can count on them”
The next generation places greater emphasis on the credibility of lived experiences and topic specialisation than on awards, education, and brand association.
Research participant
“I trust the people who lived through that experience over those that were reporting on the experience.”
Faith, 24
Female, Lagos
Advisory Board
“My daughter follows Cloda [a reporter at The News Movement] because she goes to the festivals and has the same kind of vibe, so she is willing to listen to her.”
Kamal Ahmed, Editor-in-chief & Co-Founder,
The News Movement
Consider
How might we better make use of the lived experiences and personal stories of journalists and other subject-matter experts to build deeper connections with the next generation without undermining journalistic notions of balance and fairness?
Personal Significance
Young consumers want information that is significant to them and to those they care about.
Our research found evidence that the idea of what is considered ‘newsworthy’ is changing drastically. In the past, editors at recognised outlets decided what was relevant. However, as the number of sources of information exploded, power has increasingly shifted to the consumer to judge for themselves what is ‘news’ to them. This has led to a significant widening in the definition of news. There are two subfactors that contribute to Personal Significance: Topic and Actionability.
Topic
“I am interested in this subject”
The next generation has a broader definition of news and ‘infotainment’ is an easy first entry point.
Research participant
“I will pay attention to some of the things that are really big… the two [topics] that come to mind are LGBTQ rights and women's reproductive rights.”
Rylie, 20
Female, Chicago
Advisory Board
“There will be more diverse coverage as people are moving away from pure politics which has dominated Indian society. People are saying the news is not just about politics, but about many other things, and ultimately it's about curiosity.”
Mohit Jain, Board Member & Executive Director,
Times India Group
Consider
How might we adopt a broader definition of news that doesn’t prioritise ‘hard news’ over ‘soft news’ and that caters to changes in topic preference and needs over a consumer's lifetime?
Desired Storytelling
Young consumers' definition of engaging storytelling looks very different to the traditional news report or typical television broadcast segment.
The mass appeal of social media platforms and the explosion of new storytelling methods - including video, personalised interactives and documentary-style podcasts, to name just a few - has shifted consumer preferences towards being more visual and graphic, more immersive and more readily available. Three factors contribute to Desired Storytelling: Convenience, Language and Format.
Convenience
“I don’t want this to require more effort than is necessary”
The next generation wants news to be available on their preferred platforms, personalised and customisable, digestible without being dumbed down, and devoid of any other barriers.
Research participant
“I like reading news from the apps I have, because the newspaper and the TV channels give so much information it is not easy to understand.”
Harsheet, 18
Male, Dehli
Advisory Board
“People really don’t want to inconvenience themselves, even for things they care about. Some people take it very seriously [the news] and they will usually be the ones that ultimately end up driving changes, but usually, in other people's environments [those who are less engaged], it's about making it convenient…”
Jodie Jackson, Director,
News Literacy Lab
Consider
How might we better leverage the platforms that younger consumers use regularly to build brand awareness in such a way that leads to a direct relationship over the longer term?
