An alarming number of young people are turning away from the news, according to the Reuters Digital News Report presented at DW's Global Media Forum. Despite this, the report's author says, "journalism still matters."
If my little social sphere is any indication, lots of people in general are avoiding the news for various reasons.
Not that I’m a young people, per se, but the thing I’m finding is that more traditional news sources have destroyed their value and self-limited their reach.
News on local TV stations is positively dystopian. One moment they’re telling us about six orphan children burned to death in a bus accident, and then seconds later, everybody is all happy and smiling and giggling about last night’s game. Happy smiling cheery faces telling us “in these unprecedented times” and then following up with a presentation about whatever random show “TONIGHT ON LOVE ISLAND XXL” as though that’s actual news and not just a blatant advertisement for their corporate owners.
All the local news websites are locked behind paywalls (3 free articles per month, subscribe for $8.99 a month to view more) and absolutely plastered with scummy, scammy ads that make the whole thing illegible. Obviously some of us know how to bypass all that, but sadly in 2026, it feels like we’re but a tiny minority. Most people view the workarounds as more trouble than its worth, and I honestly can’t blame them. Besides, did you know that the new Star Wars Marvel Baby Groot versus Baby Yoda Season 4 is coming out July 17th, and it’s bigger news than the power rates going up 18% starting this fall?
So, what folks are left with, the easiest news to catch, is the stuff that’s practically forced down our throats, for free. It may not be accurate. It may actually be purely false and opinion only. But it’s a short form video from a fitness influencer with so much filler in her lips that you can’t help but stare and you don’t actually have to pay attention to what she’s saying and besides she’s got Charlie XXXXCSSCCCSSXXXXXIEE’s latest hit playing in the background and she says cool shit like “Girl Same”.
And anyway, my observation is that all these people who say they don’t keep up with the news are actually still getting exposed to it, it’s just that the news is coming from their friends and neighbors and church members and so on who got their info from the totally reliable and unbiased sources of … Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and TikTok. So, not only is it poor quality, it’s gone through a game of telephone. Yay!
If my little social sphere is any indication, lots of people in general are avoiding the news for various reasons.
Not that I’m a young people, per se, but the thing I’m finding is that more traditional news sources have destroyed their value and self-limited their reach.
News on local TV stations is positively dystopian. One moment they’re telling us about six orphan children burned to death in a bus accident, and then seconds later, everybody is all happy and smiling and giggling about last night’s game. Happy smiling cheery faces telling us “in these unprecedented times” and then following up with a presentation about whatever random show “TONIGHT ON LOVE ISLAND XXL” as though that’s actual news and not just a blatant advertisement for their corporate owners.
All the local news websites are locked behind paywalls (3 free articles per month, subscribe for $8.99 a month to view more) and absolutely plastered with scummy, scammy ads that make the whole thing illegible. Obviously some of us know how to bypass all that, but sadly in 2026, it feels like we’re but a tiny minority. Most people view the workarounds as more trouble than its worth, and I honestly can’t blame them. Besides, did you know that the new Star Wars Marvel Baby Groot versus Baby Yoda Season 4 is coming out July 17th, and it’s bigger news than the power rates going up 18% starting this fall?
So, what folks are left with, the easiest news to catch, is the stuff that’s practically forced down our throats, for free. It may not be accurate. It may actually be purely false and opinion only. But it’s a short form video from a fitness influencer with so much filler in her lips that you can’t help but stare and you don’t actually have to pay attention to what she’s saying and besides she’s got Charlie XXXXCSSCCCSSXXXXXIEE’s latest hit playing in the background and she says cool shit like “Girl Same”.
And anyway, my observation is that all these people who say they don’t keep up with the news are actually still getting exposed to it, it’s just that the news is coming from their friends and neighbors and church members and so on who got their info from the totally reliable and unbiased sources of … Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and TikTok. So, not only is it poor quality, it’s gone through a game of telephone. Yay!