The news is not always the ‘news’
Journalism has taken a turn. And if you spend any time reading, watching, listening, and talking about the news, you must be aware of a trend that is changing the ways some of us receive news and information. It may depend partly on when you were born.
Once upon a time there was “news” on the radio and in black and white newspapers — the go-to places for straight news. Then the New Journalism emerged in the 1950s and 1960s. It was a movement in which great writers blended journalism, personal narrative, and often fiction. Objectivity took a backseat to journalists’ feelings and, of course, great and lively storytelling. Among those who focused beautifully on social and cultural issues of the time were Joan Didion and Tom Wolfe.
And then in the 21st century we had “fake news.”
Today, there’s a new face of journalism that’s practiced by everyone and anyone with access to a phone and the vast internet. One can hear “news” not heard on cable or the legacy news outlets from friends and others who usually say, “It’s all over the internet!”
And that led me to do a little research about who’s using the internet for news reporting and gathering. Naturally, I went to the internet for an explanation of the named generations we hear so much about. And I was even more curious because there is some chatter about lowering the voting age to sixteen.
Who are we?
- Silent Generation: 1928-1945
- Baby Boomer: 1946-1964
- Gen. X: 1965-1979
- Millennial: 1980-1994
- Gen. Z: 1995-2012
- Alpha: 2010-2024
- Beta (proposed): 2025-
We should be interested, then, in Generation Z, a demographic consisting of individuals born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s (now between ages thirteen and thirty). They primarily get their news and information from social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. Half of them hit social media for news and information daily.
In another report, the figure is higher, with 71% of fourteen-to-sixteen-year-olds relying on social media for news daily and 91% using it weekly.
In other words, younger Gen. Z or “zoomers” are more likely to rely on social media than older members (ages eighteen to 26) or other generations. Social media is the preferred source rather than traditional news sources. About 63% of Gen. Z use social media for news at least once a week, significantly more than those using broadcast news (27%) or cable news (30%). However, traditional media such as national newspapers, television, and radio still are used for certain types of major news like pandemics or weather or mass shootings.
More importantly, Gen. Z are active “sharers” of news content, with around half of them sharing news on social media daily. Oddly, Gen. Z also expresses low trust in the accuracy of social media news — only 37% report trusting it generally or fully — and often resorts to fact-checking information by analyzing comments sections, as Politico observed.
Amidst media platform research, we find the following:
- Instagram is the most popular platform for news among young adults (eighteen to 29) in the U.S., with 39% using it for this purpose.
- TikTok is also a significant source, particularly among women. In fact, 15% of 18-to-24 year olds use TikTok as their primary news source, according to one report.
- YouTube is more popular with men for news consumption.
- Facebook is declining in popularity for news among Gen. Z compared to previous years. In 2022, 32% of Gen. Z said they got news from Facebook daily, compared to 43% of younger millennials and 45% of older millennials.
Having been a journalist all my adult life, I do wonder about the impact social media is having on our society and politics. A main concern is the quality and accuracy of news and information, particularly when we see new generations so reliant on it. Hopefully, these platforms will develop more safeguards as they evolve.
But the fact remains, just about anyone with a phone can have some influence. That’s why it’s important to keep in mind that we need accurate information to make informed decisions in our daily lives and especially when we vote.
It’s no coincidence that democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, 33, effectively used social media to advance his message and to win the New York Democratic mayoral primary. He captured the vote of younger New Yorkers.
Taking into consideration the demographics of Gen. Z and its social media presence, let’s recall a related topic – lowering the voting age to 16, something left-leaning politicians desire.
Are we getting an informed electorate if Gen. Z admits to relying on social media outlets for news and information?
Hopefully, journalism will be revived in classrooms and board rooms and in the hearts of young truth-seekers who will dominate various news formats. And, hopefully, social media will be true to its promise.
And, hopefully, we keep the voting age at 18.
Pat Wandling hosts Speak Your Piece weekdays at noon on WBCB 1490.
