BY SANJAY TALWANI
For generations, folks have complained that the kids today don’t care about the news. Now some fresh data confirms that even when the Gen Z-ers do care, they’re less likely to watch it on the TV.
Only 30% of 15-to-29 years-olds get local news from TV, and barely one in five watch national news or cable news networks. Only 45% even think it’s important to have access to local or national news shows.
About a quarter said they don’t even care about local or national news.
That’s according to research by GetWizer Consumer Insights as reported by Gavin Bridge at VIP+, the industry intelligence and analysis platform published by Variety.
Their grandparents, on the other hand, are still catching plenty of the local news, sports, and weather — 73% of the 60-plus set reported getting local news from the TV, 58% get national news on TV, and 48% watch cable news. Only about 15% get news from social media or streaming services.
“The solution is to knock down walls and distribute everything free and ad-supported. The new consumers expect content to follow them, not the other way around.”
— Gavin Bridge
If Junior’s getting the news at all, it’s probably from their phone: More than half of 15-to-29 year-olds reported getting news from social media, where misinformation festers. More get it only from social media (23%) than from national TV programming (21%).
Even in the 30-44 set, more folks (45%) get their news from social media than from anywhere else.
Despite cord-cutting and the rise of streaming services, only 31% of those 44 and under get news from streaming. VIP+ figures this may be because so many news sources are available for free, and advises broadcasters to change with the times before they become irrelevant.
“The solution is to knock down walls and distribute everything free and ad-supported,” Bridge writes. “The new consumers expect content to follow them, not the other way around.”