How can newsrooms engage with younger audiences?

Newsrooms have a difficult task – not only are they under constant pressure to keep and retain their audiences, but they’re also facing another issue. Their audiences are getting older, and they need to find ways to make their content interesting and engaging enough for the younger generations. As if that alone isn’t enough, many media outlets are realising that they do not know much about those younger generations whose needs they are supposed to satisfy.

With the rise of social media platforms directed mostly towards young people, many newsrooms are missing out on the opportunity to capture their attention and build new audiences. Instead, we see a significant rise of content creators who are doing their job instead.

How can newsrooms overcome this gap? Are there instructions or tools media organisations can use to make the process less turbulent? What content do the young media consumers expect from sources of information and where do they access it?

In search for answers, we are bringing you a discussion between media organisations from the Western Balkans that are founded by and for young people, as well as an expert in audience engagement and media development.

Authors: Marina Zec, Norbert Šinković, Lorin Kadiu, moderator Sanja Lazic
Language: English
Publication Year: 2023