Content Overwhelm

Finite content → infinite stream

News formats used to be stable and distinctive. Whether it was a newspaper, a magazine or an evening broadcast, the news existed in a finite package or period of time that consumers could opt in to or out of. Stable formats gave consumers clear signals about where to invest their attention and how much attention was required to feel like an informed citizen.

Today, news is pervasive, embedded in many forms of entertainment and information gathering — from social media and short-form video content to search engines. It is no longer easy or even possible to opt in or out of news; it is always potentially right around the corner.

The volume of content far exceeds that of traditional news producers. A 2016 article in The Atlantic reported that The New York Times produced approximately 230 pieces of content per day on average; The Washington Post, more than 500 per day. Although updated statistics are difficult to ascertain, the quantity produced from even one news outlet far outpaces a single reader's capacity.

With news as a near-endless well of information, consumers must decide what their "appropriate" amount of consumption is. Some study participants express anxiety that they are not consuming enough, leaving them feeling uninformed or concerned that they are missing something important. Others are worried they are consuming more news than their mental health can handle. Both groups are struggling to answer the same question: When is enough, enough?

Narrow, news organization-defined boundaries of news → Broad, consumer-defined boundaries of news

In our first report, we stated that:

Young news consumers… feel that anything can be categorized as news so long as it's of interest to the audience. Ultimately, consumers, rather than editors, will decide what is newsworthy given that "The distribution of power within news has changed from producers to audiences. ... Therefore, what the news will look like in 2030 is what the audience wants and needs in 2030."

This more detailed look into young consumers confirms and expands our previous findings. There is no consensus criterion for what makes information "news" — certainly not one that aligns with the traditional idea of "hard news" as defined by traditional news producers.

Concrete examples of news collected from young consumers in our data ranged from classic civic-minded headlines and personally meaningful updates on hobbies or careers to simple human-interest narratives with high entertainment value.

Varying definitions complicate the choice of when and how to opt into news content. The same consumer's preference on how and when to get community updates may differ from his or her preference on personally meaningful information or entertaining human interest content. Creating a single solution or choosing a single trusted source to meet all these preferences is extremely challenging. Instead, consumers cobble together their own consumption strategies, individually defining what constitutes news and finding sources and mediums to match.

Content creators from Brazil, the US and the UK

Pedro L. (Brazil) believes this story about the intensifying trade ward between the US and China is news because it is civically relevant on an international scale, and he believes it's important to stay informed.

Estazia A (US) considers this news because it personally impacts her daily life, since she lives in one of these states and frequently shops at Target.

Daniel G (UK) defines this story as news because it's non-fiction, but otherwise treats it as entertainment content.

Recognizable quality markers → flattened formats

To further complicate the landscape, many traditional markers of news quality and prestige have been blurred. In the past, the difference between tabloid and broadsheet newspapers, the paper and print quality of magazines, and the tone of voice and language of broadcasters determined whether a news source was legitimate and relevant. Now, many of these markers are gone.

Most consumption happens on screens, and, for the younger-than-25 cohort, often in social media applications where only the display name and a tiny avatar may perhaps distinguish professional news producers from everyone else. Beyond social media, barriers to information distribution have disappeared, leading to a news boom that fills aggregators, email inboxes, and podcast feeds with information vying for consumers’ focus.

Traditional news organizations often use attention-grabbing strategies to cut through the noise, but young consumers are uncomfortable with this trend. They know they are the prize in a fierce competition for engagement and are wary of techniques that may be used to capture their attention.

This battle for attention has eliminated many traditional markers of trustworthiness, and consumer skepticism devalues those that remain. The result is that external quality control is difficult to come by. The news landscape feels overwhelming and confusing, with few signposts; as such, young consumers must chart their own path. And they do.