A new survey has delivered a stark warning for the news industry, revealing a deep-seated distrust and negative perception of journalism among American teenagers. The study, conducted by the News Literacy Project, found that the vast majority of young people aged 13 to 18 view the media with suspicion and cynicism.
A Generation of Sceptics
The findings are sobering for an industry already grappling with financial and credibility challenges. When asked for a single word to describe today's news media, 84% of teens responded with a negative term. The most common descriptors included “biased,” “crazy,” “boring,” “fake,” “bad,” “depressing,” “confusing,” and “scary.”
This scepticism extends to the core ethics of the profession. More than half of the surveyed teens believe journalists regularly engage in unethical practices. These include making up details or quotes, paying sources, taking visual images out of context, or doing favours for advertisers.
Conversely, less than a third believe that reporters adhere to foundational journalistic principles. Few teens think journalists correct their errors, confirm facts before reporting, gather information from multiple sources, or cover stories that serve the public interest.
Roots of the Disconnect
Experts point to a combination of factors fuelling this disconnect. Peter Adams, senior vice president of research and design for the News Literacy Project, stated, “Some of this attitude is earned, but much of it is based on misperception.”
Several key issues are at play:
- Lack of Exposure: Many teenagers do not follow the news regularly and are not taught in school about the purpose of journalism.
- Parental Influence: Howard Schneider, executive director of SUNY Stony Brook's Center for News Literacy, notes that “The negativity, the feeling that news is biased, is just a reflection of how their parents feel.”
- Political Rhetoric: The pervasive use of the “fake news” mantra by prominent politicians has shaped the environment in which teens have formed their opinions.
- Industry Mistakes: High-profile ethical lapses and errors by journalists reinforce negative stereotypes.
- The Social Media Echo Chamber: Many young people encounter news as a disjointed cacophony of voices on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, without understanding its origin.
Glimmers of Hope and Paths Forward
Despite the grim statistics, there are individuals fighting to change these perceptions from within. Cat Murphy, a 21-year-old graduate student at the University of Maryland's journalism school, has wanted to be a journalist since she was 11. She faces constant questioning from peers who see journalism as a “dying industry.” Yet, she remains undeterred.
Lily Ogburn, a senior at Northwestern University's journalism school and former editor-in-chief of The Daily Northwestern, has also encountered this mistrust firsthand. Following her newspaper's impactful reporting on alleged hazing and racism within the school's football program, some students still misunderstood the paper's role, believing it existed to protect power rather than hold it accountable.
“There's a lot of mistrust toward journalists,” Ogburn said. “But it has firmed my resolve to stick with the profession. I want to be a journalist that people trust, and I want to report news that makes people believe and trust in the media.”
The solution, many argue, lies in proactive news literacy education and industry adaptation. News literacy programmes in schools, while rare, show promise. Brianne Boyack, 16, from Utah, saw her trust in news improve after taking a course where she learned to double-check sources. Her classmate, Rhett MacFarlane, similarly gained a new appreciation for journalistic fact-checking.
However, Cat Murphy identifies a critical hurdle for the industry itself: a resistance to change. She expresses frustration at the media's unwillingness to meet young people where they are, particularly on social media. “The only way to turn it around is going to be to switch to doing things that captivate people today, as opposed to captivating people 20 years ago,” she argued.
For the news media, the message from the next generation is clear: adapt, educate, and earn back trust, or risk becoming irrelevant to an entire cohort of potential readers.
