Attracting young audiences is an ongoing challenge

I don’t think anyone ,or any media outlet that I am aware of, has the solution on how to attract readers between 18 and 34, who, according to the recent study by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ), spend just over a minute a day reading news, or did so in 2019.

We can’t generalize, but I am sure that it is about 5 minutes tops, in any case.

A recent article, with emphasis on UK publications, outlines ways to attract young audiences, citing examples from brands like The Guardian, Financial Times, BBC.

Here is a quote:

So what can media organisations do to rekindle young audiences’ relationship with news? The answer could lie in rethinking the news agenda that many young people find repetitive, coming up with new formats and changing the overly “negative” tone of voice…..Data shows that when the under-35s do read news content, the Guardian, Buzzfeed News, HuffPost and the BBC do better than their competitors.

What are these outlets doing that makes them gain points with young readers?

-The Guardian appeals to the young because of its left-leaning views, but also because of its focus on issues that matter to them, such as identity politics, the environment, housing and inequality. This shows that content selection matters if a brand is serious about attracting and retaining young readers.
The BBC: To counter negativity in news, the BBC offers solution-based content. This allows them to talk about the problems but also examine solutions which makes the audiences feel more empowered and hopeful about the future. We know that young audiences do not like to be passive observers. They prefer engagement, which happens only if the content is right.
The Financial Times offesr free access to students as a way of engaging them earlier, or reformat the content in third party sites, for example, Snapchat and Instagram.

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–In the US, news brands spend considerable time on projects to attract young audiences. The New York Times publishes a monthly supplement For Kids. The Washington Post most recently has started posting content in the youth-favorite Tik Tok.

My take

All of the above strategies are right on target and merit applause.

However , to me the best way to attract the young is to have content managers on board who, on a daily basis, make sure that content that is of interest to the 18-34 set appears,

It is also important to do storytelling that is aimed at mobile, such as linear storytelling weaving text and visual assets, a preferred mode for the young who are doing whatever news reading they do on a mobile device.

Let the experiments continue, but, attracting the young works best when it is not a PROJECT, but more like a part of the daily routine of how content is selected. Projects have a shelf life. The issue of attracting the young is an ongoing project, and I can imagine that attracting future young audiences may be more of a challenge——if what I see my youngest grandkids doing is an indication.

They are curious, impatient and tech savvy. Tall order for those content managers trying to engage them.

But not impossible.

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