[Digital Brief] How Youth Navigate the News Landscape (Knight Foundation)

March 21, 2017

Teens and young adults (ages 14-24) express low levels of trust in the news media and use a variety of strategies to confirm, verify, and clarify the stories they care about, according to a study produced by Data & Society and supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, "How Youth Navigate the News Landscape." Among the key findings:

The way young people encounter and understand news in their daily lives is rapidly evolving In an age of smartphones and social media, young people don’t follow the news as much as it follows them. News is frequently encountered by accident and in interstitial moments, as young people dip into flows of news across various platforms. Youth news sharing practices are varied, and certain behaviors—such as taking screenshots—may elude current tools to record and track traffic to news platforms. Many young people assume that a news industry that is driven by advertising will continue to take on new forms and eventually permeate every aspect of their lives.
Most teens and young adults express low levels of trust in the news media and are relying on networked strategies to help them navigate the stories they most care about. Teens and young adults expressed widespread skepticism about the news and assume that much of the information they encounter may be inaccurate or biased. Teens and young adults often consult multiple news sources to verify the stories they encounter. A news source is considered more credible when its biases are known.
Many of today’s news-related attitudes and behaviors among youth can be traced to larger structural changes in the journalism industry. Young people’s concept of what constitutes “the news” is amorphous and often extends well beyond the content produced by traditional journalistic institutions. News is “depressing,” but it is something you need to know. Sharing news and opinions on social media is seen as having the potential to negatively affect one’s online reputation. Many participants consider user-generated content—especially live video—to be more trustworthy than mainstream media sources.

The way young people encounter and understand news in their daily lives is rapidly evolving
- In an age of smartphones and social media, young people don’t follow the news as much as it follows them.
- News is frequently encountered by accident and in interstitial moments, as young people dip into flows of news across various platforms.
- Youth news sharing practices are varied, and certain behaviors—such as taking screenshots—may elude current tools to record and track traffic to news platforms.
- Many young people assume that a news industry that is driven by advertising will continue to take on new forms and eventually permeate every aspect of their lives.

Most teens and young adults express low levels of trust in the news media and are relying on networked strategies to help them navigate the stories they most care about.
- Teens and young adults expressed widespread skepticism about the news and assume that much of the information they encounter may be inaccurate or biased.
- Teens and young adults often consult multiple news sources to verify the stories they encounter.
- A news source is considered more credible when its biases are known.

Many of today’s news-related attitudes and behaviors among youth can be traced to larger structural changes in the journalism industry.
- Young people’s concept of what constitutes “the news” is amorphous and often extends well beyond the content produced by traditional journalistic institutions.
- News is “depressing,” but it is something you need to know.
- Sharing news and opinions on social media is seen as having the potential to negatively affect one’s online reputation.
- Many participants consider user-generated content—especially live video—to be more trustworthy than mainstream media sources.