"It's often said that the digital era has bestowed young people's brains with short attention spans and wired them to seek the thrill of the next pixelated dopamine hit. When it comes to journalism, it's true that young people have gravitated towards short-form video for their news, with TikTok and Instagram becoming major sources. News organizations have not been blind to this shift."
"However, solely focusing on short-form video to temper those pesky attention spans is a disservice to people in my generation (and those younger than me) who regularly consume long-form content whether it be through podcasts, YouTube, or Twitch. YouTube is Gen Z's default video home. YouTube's dominance is not only highlighted by our research at the Reuters Institute, but also by the Pew Research Center and British regulator Ofcom."
"Ofcom has also noted that about half of trending YouTube videos now resemble traditional TV (long interviews, game shows), with viewing on TV sets growing. While the pendulum might not swing completely back towards an era dominated by long-form video, this suggests that an appetite for long-form content among young people is on the rise."
Many narratives claim the digital era shortened young people's attention spans and increased preference for short-form video news on TikTok and Instagram. News organizations have pursued audiences on those platforms but focusing only on short clips overlooks widespread long-form consumption. YouTube serves as Gen Z's default video home, with dominance noted by the Reuters Institute, Pew Research Center and Ofcom. Ofcom reports about half of trending YouTube videos resemble traditional TV and viewing on TV sets is growing. Podcasts remain a preferred news medium for young people, with many now distributed as video podcasts on YouTube.
Read at Nieman Lab
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]