By Lauren DeFilippo
November 13, 2017
If Kora Stines, an undeclared freshman, doesn’t hear about news from her friends, she probably wouldn’t hear about it at all. She is a prime example of the decrease in millennial engagement in the news.
“The news is boring to me, and I just don’t think to check it,” Stines said.
Professor Paula Poindexter, founder of News Engagement Day, said one of the biggest threats to the news media is the lack of interest by millennials. According to a 2017 study by the Pew Research Center, millennials are the largest living generation by population size, but Poindexter said only 22 percent seek news daily. News engagement is at an all time low, and the news media are in trouble.
“If this continues, then we are going to be in serious trouble because it will only get worse for future generations. It is a serious problem and threat…” Poindexter said. “If you’re not interested in something, you’re not going to pay attention to it and it will just continue to decline.”
News executives and educators believe news engagement continues to decrease, because of mistrust in the news media. At a Denius Symposium panel discussion on Oct. 3, news executives shared their thoughts and expertise.
“The question of trust in the media and integrity is the essential question of our times,” said Nancy Barnes, editor and executive vice president at the Houston Chronicle. “Integrity is about not having an agenda. It’s about going out and reporting news and the issues important to your community.”
Journalists contribute to this mistrust in the news media, guest speakers said. The credibility of the press is at a historic low, and has been exacerbated by President Trump who calls the press the enemy of the American people. According to Keven Ann Willey, vice president and editorial editor at The Dallas Morning News, the media have an obligation to be as fair, factual, and accurate as possible. “Consumers ought to be able to discern from news reports the facts on which they are based and be able to judge the credibility as a result.”
Mark Feldstein, professor at the University of Maryland, said that journalists should do their jobs. “You work for the public, it’s a public trust, and it’s protected by the first amendment…that should be your guiding light,” said Feldstein. Originally, the wrong person was named as the shooter in the Las Vegas shooting. “It’s an example of why you want gatekeeping and those who are professionals [to vet] that information.”
The journalists and the consumers are both to blame for the decrease in engagement. David Sternlicht, senior vice present legal affairs at NBCUniversal News group, said NBC always strives to be right with the facts 100 percent of the time but there is a rush for speed that leads to errors.
“There is an unnecessary emphasis on trying to be first. Everyone can get the news now and report it on a constant basis,” said Sternlicht. “No one ever remembers who got anything first, but they will always remember who got it wrong!”
Finding a solution to this decline won’t be easy, but journalists can start by getting their facts right, Willey said. To have a healthy democracy, the news media must report accurately, transparently, and fairly.
“It is the responsibility of everybody. It is not one person’s responsibility. We want to have information so we know what is going on. We rely on the news media to bring us information so we know what is going on,” said Poindexter.
This isn’t something that can be done overnight and a bigger effort is needed to educate the public, especially the millennials. The news media needs more transparency with the principles and the ethical codes by which news organizations function. With these efforts, a student like Stines might increase her news engagement.
“There is a different perception about journalism. It is a commitment, long-term, to being transparent,” said Poindexter. “We need to have news literacy at all educational levels.”
