Young people and the news: where is the disconnect and how can we fix it?

One of the fundamental challenges facing newsrooms everywhere is the need to reshape news products to better suit young people. Research has found that young people feel that the news simply does not speak to them – they just do not see themselves in the news. We have new platforms and a new generation of people who cannot relate to the world outside of TikTok, for example - so the challenge is exciting as much as it is existential to the future of journalism. What we do know is that innovation in thought and process has to occur in order to develop news products that better include young people. There are ripples of encouragement. But one of the biggest problems facing many traditional news organizations is that their audience is ageing – And they have no way of broaching a new market that is younger without fundamentally altering what they do.

As the International Fund for Public Interest Media develops, it seeks to help guide a transfer of knowledge, of ideas and best practice, to bridge the chasm. Taking a global perspective, the panel will share examples of approaches and interventions that offer promise and discuss key challenges and opportunities for news media organisations seeking to better engage younger audiences.

Organised in association with International Fund for Public Interest Media.