Hey media, here’s where you can find me.
I’m a millennial and a journalism major who loves to read the news. I genuinely enjoy knowing what’s going on in the world, and check my phone constantly for news updates. I spend a lot of time on my phone throughout the day, and most of that time is spent texting and on social media. I tracked my screen time on the “Moment” app for a day and ended up spending two and
a half hours on my phone. I picked up my 75 times that day. Many millennials also spend a significant portion of their day on their phones. A study conducted by Priceonomics found that on average millennials check their phones 150 times per day. Since millennials spend so much time on their phone, news outlets should meet us where we are and focus on digital publications.
I primarily get my news digitally and on my phone. This is a trend for millennials in general. Research conducted by the Reuters Institute found that millennials prefer catching up with the news online. This research also found that up to 64 percent of millennials use digital outlets to find out what’s happening in the world.
Millennials, like myself, who get their news online, tend to get their news from social media sites. The American Press Institute found that the millennial generation “tends not to consume news in discrete sessions or by going directly to news providers”. A Pew Research Study found that 72 percent of millennials in the United Kingdom read their news on Facebook, Twitter or other social media sites.
Out of all of the social media sites, millennials primarily use Facebook to get their news. LendEDU poll revealed that 40 percent of millennials use Facebook as their news source. With 88 percent of millennials on Facebook, news outlets do not have to worry about attracting millennials to a new site. A survey conducted by Fluent found that 41 percent of millennials check Facebook at least once a day. Since millennials already check Facebook on a regular basis, news outlets could rely on a consistent audience if they succeed in making millennials interested.
Most millennials do not pay for their media either. According to a study by the Media Insight Project, only 40 percent of millennials pay for at least one news-specific subscription service or app. When I scroll through Facebook and see a headline that keeps reoccurring, I usually want to learn more by reading an article. However, if the article I click on requires a subscription or I’ve
exceeded the free article limit for that month, I will choose another news outlet where I can read the article for free. As a college student on a budget, I prefer not to spend money when I do not have to.
The news media can find me using my phone to read free articles Facebook, where I can have a selection of news outlets to choose from.
