With politics in full swing on the national stage a new report released by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation reveals that a majority of young adults (ages 18 to 34) are “concerned about the impact of news on our democracy.”
With politics in full swing on the national stage a new report released by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation reveals that a majority of young adults (ages 18 to 34) are “concerned about the impact of news on our democracy.”
“The study suggests that young people’s confidence in the media is waning, with a majority saying that some news organizations pose a direct threat to our democracy. This erosion of trust has important implications for the way young people will seek and receive information in the future,” Sam Gill, vice president for communities and impact, Knight Foundation said.
Key findings:
Of those surveyed, 88 percent of young adults said they access news at least weekly with 53 percent accessing it daily.
An interest in politics is a factor in news consumption, with 82 percent who are somewhat or very interested in politics accessing news daily.
Approximately 74 percent of young adults said they get news through their social media platforms. African American young adults are more likely to use Twitter to get their news than their white or Hispanic counterparts. African Americans are also more likely to share news with others, 68 percent of those surveyed said they do so weekly.
Many young adults say they believe news sources are biased and have a liberal or conservative slant, even their favorite news source, with 57 percent of Democrats viewing their favorite news source as liberal and 36 percent of Republicans viewing their favorite source as conservative.
Approximately 73 percent of young adults surveyed in the research said their least liked news source divides our country and 64 percent said their least liked source hurts our democracy.
Many young Hispanics and African Americans say the news does not portray their race or ethnicity accurately and they are less likely than whites to see people of their race or ethnicity in news coverage.
54 percent of young adults use their favorite news source to determine their candidate of choice. Young African Americans are more likely to rely on news to inform their decision making for a candidate or policy.
“The study shows that young people believe some news sources are actively hurting democracy and corroding national unity,” the foundation said in a release.
This latest research comes as the Knight Foundation is continuing its commitment to rebuild trust in media and democracy through its support of local news organizations. Earlier this year the foundation announced an expansion of its major initiative which is focused on creating a strong support system for local newsrooms in business development, training, networking and capacity building resources.
As CMF reported in previous coverage, connecting people with information about what’s happening in their community to make informed decisions has become a growing challenge. Several CMF members are supporting community-centered journalism publications around the state to meet the need and lift up positive stories from the community.
Want more?
Read the full report.
