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In today’s world where political news rapidly evolves and dominates headlines, it is more important than ever for media organizations to understand their audience. This is particularly true for Gen Z, a demographic that consumes news in different ways than older generations. For instance, Gen Z largely turns to social media for breaking news, meaning media organizations must adapt their strategies to engage with them on platforms like TikTok and X while upholding journalistic integrity.
To help media partners understand Gen Z readers/viewers and effectively engage with this influential, tech-savvy generation, CivicScience examined Gen Z’s news consumption habits through our extensive database of 150K+ questions.
How does Gen Z consume news?
CivicScience tracking shows that Gen Z’s news-viewing habits are rapidly changing. For instance, social media and local TV news channels were the key sources for breaking news among Gen Z adults during the start of the pandemic; however, national network news channels entered the picture in 2021 and 2022 as one of the top sources for Gen Z.
As of July 2024, social media (30%) slightly edges out local news (28%) for Gen Z, reversing the trend seen in 2023. In contrast, fewer Gen Z members are turning to national network news channels, national cable news channels, and radio broadcasts compared to last year.
However, Gen Z is more likely to say they trust local TV news the most to deliver unbiased news (15%), a slight edge over cable network news (13%) and social media (12%). Yet, this age group is most likely to say they don’t trust any news sources to deliver unbiased news (32%).1
Join the Conversation: Where do you get most of your news?
How closely does Gen Z follow politics?
With the election just months away and recent political developments making headlines, CivicScience data show that 63% of Gen Z adults say they follow politics ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ closely. However, this figure has been consistently declining since 2020, when 82% of Gen Z reported following politics closely.
Similarly, the percentage of Gen Z adults who read political websites or blogs ‘weekly’ has also been steadily declining since 2020, with 52% saying they currently read these sources.
How does Gen Z use news subscriptions?
Additional CivicScience data show that publisher websites, such as the Wall Street Journal and ESPN, are popular among Gen Z. Forty-four percent of this age group pays for at least one content subscription, outpacing all other age groups. Given Gen Z is most likely to turn to social media for breaking news, this could suggest they’re using paid subscriptions for other types of content.
Among those who subscribe, 28% of Gen Z spend under $50 on subscriptions, whereas the majority spend over $50 – which also outpaces other age groups.
Cast Your Vote: Do you subscribe to a print newspaper?
So, how can publishers reach these Gen Z consumers? Here’s what CivicScience data says:
Overall, it’s clear that Gen Z has distinct preferences for consuming news content. They rely heavily on social media for breaking news but place slightly more trust in local news outlets. Their interest in following politics and political content has declined; however, media partners can still effectively engage with them through social media and news subscriptions to specific types of content.
Interested in leveraging CivicScience’s data to drive audience engagement and unlock valuable insights for your media initiatives?
- 4,195 responses from 1/1/24-7/24/24, Among Gen Z adults 18-24 ↩︎
