Gen Z and Gen Alpha are putting their trust in news influencers. According to data from Pew Research, nearly 40% of 18-29-year-olds and 81% of 13-17-year-olds say they regularly stay informed through news influencers. (News influencer was defined as a creator who talks about current events with at least 100K followers, but we know follower count doesn’t matter so much to young people.) These creators often rely on viral clips and personal branding to attract viewers—which can make it difficult for them to produce unbiased journalism, and even more difficult for young viewers to assess the veracity of their claims. But because of the attention they’re getting, some legacy newsrooms are revamping their strategies to meet young people where they’re at. The NYT launched a TikTok-style “Watch” tab on their app for short clips describing current events, while The Washington Post has worked on growing its TikTok following, which is now over 2M. (The American Prospect)
👀 Read more from YPulse: What Platforms are Gen Z and Millennials Getting News From?
