Going Viral: Student reads the newspaper online

BuzzFeed's article on 23-year-old sociology and education graduate student Kelsey Russell reveals the thirst that Gen Z has for accurate information. She received 1.7 million views on one reading of the New York Times.

While at least half of Gen Zers say they get their news from social media, Russell said she realized she wasn't getting "the full picture."

Unfortunately, the onslaught of constant information and misinformation is creating a weary audience among our Gen Z and Millennial consumers. According to a 2022 study by the American Press Institute, 79% of 16-40 year-olds report getting the news daily. And a full third pay for news subscriptions. But only about a quarter of them have a positive view of the news media generally, including in social media. Interestingly, trust in their local newspapers in print or online was higher at 59%.

Reaching younger audiences through their peers, such as Russell's novel approach, is crucial to the future of newspapers. The evidence is there that they are hungry for helpful and accurate information to make sense of and shape their world. That's why journalism exists in the first place.