A survey conducted in August 2022 found that Gen Z news consumers most frequently get their news from social media, with 50 percent of respondents reporting they used social networks as their news source on a daily basis. There was a general preference for online news sources rather than offline outlets among Gen Z, with only five percent saying that they read local newspapers every day.
News consumption: Gen Z vs. millennials
The same 2022 study showed that whilst there were similarities between news consumption among millennials and Gen Z, there were also stark differences between the two groups. Gen Zers were significantly less likely to listen to the radio or watch television for news, and close to 60 percent said that they never read newspapers. Meanwhile, approximately 20 percent of Millennials reported listening to radio news and 15 percent watched cable or network TV on a daily basis.
Despite these differences, both Gen Z and millennial news audiences both demonstrated a clear preference for using social media to get their news. By contrast, Boomers were the least likely group to use social media for news, generally preferring network news for keeping up to date. Indeed, social networks are not without their problems, with consumers growing concerned about the news they find there.
Social media and news
Except for podcasts, social media is the least trusted news source in the United States. Fake news circulates there easily as consumers either unknowingly or deliberately share such content, and younger generations, who are the heaviest social media users, are at the highest risk of encountering biased, inaccurate, and untrue stories.
Frequency of using selected news sources among Generation Z in the United States as of August 2022
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Morning Consult. (October 17, 2022). Frequency of using selected news sources among Generation Z in the United States as of August 2022 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 13, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1124119/gen-z-news-consumption-us/
Morning Consult. "Frequency of using selected news sources among Generation Z in the United States as of August 2022." Chart. October 17, 2022. Statista. Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1124119/gen-z-news-consumption-us/
Morning Consult. (2022). Frequency of using selected news sources among Generation Z in the United States as of August 2022. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 13, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1124119/gen-z-news-consumption-us/
Morning Consult. "Frequency of Using Selected News Sources among Generation Z in The United States as of August 2022." Statista, Statista Inc., 17 Oct 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1124119/gen-z-news-consumption-us/
Morning Consult, Frequency of using selected news sources among Generation Z in the United States as of August 2022 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1124119/gen-z-news-consumption-us/ (last visited December 13, 2024)
Frequency of using selected news sources among Generation Z in the United States as of August 2022 [Graph], Morning Consult, October 17, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1124119/gen-z-news-consumption-us/