THE NEWS MEDIA NEEDS TO CATCH UP: A CONVERSATION WITH STUDENTS
Earlier this year, we ventured out to Ontario universities and colleges to find out how students consume the news.
What we asked
We started every interaction with two questions:
- Do you follow the news?
- Do you think the news is important?
Full disclosure: this was not a research project. Our objective was to understand how students consume the news so that our team could adjust future plans for Pressed to habits and trends.
What we heard
Almost everyone answered “no” to question #1 but “yes” to question #2.
The reasons ranged from “I don’t have time” to “I don’t really care.” If the news — or any type of content — isn’t being delivered to preferred platforms in preferred formats, students prefer not to consume it. Many students also (nervously) admitted that long form articles are intimidating and often filled with too many political or historical references to easily understand.
As expected, an overwhelming number of students told us that the only news they consume is the news that’s trending on Facebook, or the news they see on Twitter. But clicking on a Twitter link to read a full article is rare. Going from reading 140 characters to 1,000 words doesn’t make sense to these students. And actively seeking out the news is pretty much out of the question because, as mentioned above, “I don’t have time” or “I don’t really care.”
Word of mouth was another common “news outlet.” Talking about an issue with a friend or parent (many students still live at home) makes difficult topics more accessible.
There were anomalies. Al Jazeera, CP24, and apps like Flipboard came up a few times each. The CBC and a physical newspaper each came up only once. To be honest, we were surprised a physical newspaper came up at all.
What we learned
Students want to learn. They don’t mind that there’s “too much” content out there. But they are picky. The young millennial communicates in 140 characters and through pictures and videos. Words are important and you have a limited amount of time to make those words count. Don’t expect them to speak your language. You need to speak theirs.
If world issues don’t come up in every day conversation with friends, there’s little to no motivation for students to follow the news > If students don’t follow the news, world issues don’t come up in every day conversation with friends. In fairness, professors are trying to do their part to change this. Many students said that their professors start each class with a discussion about world issues. But those same students admitted that they participate only by nodding and smiling.
So, let’s start from the beginning. Let’s make it ok to ask “stupid” questions. How many political parties are there in Canada? Where is Syria? What’s the difference between first degree murder, second degree murder, and manslaughter? Then, let’s speak in real words. Terms like “legislature,” “militants,” and “foreign officials,” are not terms that people use in real life.
The way the news is delivered to people has largely stayed the same over the last three decades (I use three decades because the millennial generation stops at around 35). But media platforms — think: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat — have changed consumption patterns at an accelerated rate. News outlets have just not caught up.
I launched Pressed because it is something that I need. What I learned from talking to students face to face is that I’m not alone.
