News Speaking Truth for Whom? Content, Formats, Authenticity, and the Chase for Younger Audiences

News avoidance among young adults presents a critical challenge to news media across democratic societies worldwide. However, existing research has predominantly focused on, firstly, audience studies and the reasons for their lack of interest in news – such as the feeling of news boiling down to politics which they feel powerless about, and the sense that news equals bad news which makes them depressed – and, secondly, on the forms (less often content) of how news media try to reach young people (e.g. using social media, especially Instagram and TikTok; short graphic and video forms; presenting news right before or after popular entertainment programs). What’s more, although evidence points to growing mistrust and avoidance of news (e.g. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism; Toff, Palmer, Nielsen 2024), the broader implications for democratic resilience remain underexplored. After all, the fourth estate is supposed to speak truth to power, protect against disinformation, and, essentially, function as the backbone of democratic societies.

It is therefore clear that exploring the problem of news avoidance requires not only an analysis of the reasons why recipients avoid news, but also understanding how news creators can reach this "escaping" group, where fundamental trust in the media as a source of information is of key importance. This is why this study aims to expand the scope of analysis by examining content-related activities of news media in terms of gaining and maintaining the interest of young adults; exploring alternative sources such as lifestyle podcasts which occasionally focus on “traditional” news topics; and pointing at the issue of personal authenticity as an increasingly important measure of trustworthiness among younger audiences. The goal of this research is thus to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of news consumption dynamics and their implications for the future of democracy.