The News I Want
Do we want the news, or do we need the news?
This question — posed to me last week in a graduate journalism lecture — gave me pause at first. News is a necessity to keep the world turning and connected, of course — but is that what compels me to pick up my iPhone at 8 every morning, still groggy, and browse the latest stories in bed?
I realized that consumerism — even news consumerism — is driven by wants. And whether it’s a momentary need-it-now want (like a quick click on a buzzy headline) or a desire for a heartier story (like watching a documentary on your favorite topic), it comes from the same longing to satisfy curiosity, feel empowered, and to connect with other people across the world.
To better understand my media consumption routines, I tracked how I got my news — every newspaper I flipped through, every tweet I favorited, and every piece of click-bait I was successfully lured by — for 72 straight hours. My results revealed a wide range of habits. I’m soaking in news morning through midnight on a mix of hardcopy and digital platforms, sometimes for a brief minute, sometimes for hours. I sought some pieces of news from my favorite trusted sources, but most were spur-of-the-moment, curiosity-fueled clicks on links filling my Facebook feed.
This led me to wonder: in a world where we’re inundated with stories and where thousands of media outlets are offered like a buffet, flooding our social feeds, how can any one outlet distinguish itself and build a following? A true audience stays after the initial click; it’s not enticed just once — it comes back. Admittedly, most of my news clicks were one-offs, where I grabbed the bit of info and ran, without gaining a sense of loyalty. So, how can a media outlet make its target group of readers want to come back? What makes me want to be loyal?
In answering this question, I recognized — for me — my desire to return to a news organization isn’t steeped in loyalty to a certain device, like a love of reading the paper or an addiction to my phone. As technology has shifted, my media habits have become more fluid, but my favorite sources have remained steady. (For example, when I sold my TV, I started watching my go-to public TV programs on Hulu; when my car broke down, I switched from tuning into the radio on drives to listening via Stitcher on walks.) Building a cross-platform range of easy accessibility could be important in media outlets’ audience retention into the future, especially if their intended audience — like me — is both passionate about its content and open to expanding the ways in which they consume it.
So, if the medium or device isn’t what primarily draws me in, what does? I think the most vital factor in building and maintaining a passionate and loyal audience will always come down to quality of content.
While today’s online community seems to be racking up brief clicks, those aren’t always fulfilling; sites that rely on click-bait aren’t fostering a sustainable business model for growing an audience that cares. Sites that grip our attention for longer periods of time — regardless of platform — will be the ones we care about and return to. The news I really want, again and again, is in-depth, creative, and interactive. If I find that quality, I’ll seek it out on any medium it’s offered on: mobile, TV, radio, etcetera.
Whether it’s by developing engaging content that targets small, personalized, niche audiences, or broadening the accessibility of that content to attract multi-platform users, I believe there are many ways outlets can stand out in our expanding media landscape and make it easy for people to find a home for news they truly want.
