Eighty-five percent of millennials say that staying up-to-date with the latest news is at least somewhat important, according to research conducted by the Media Insight Project. That number is staggering considering that many people blame millennials for the death of the modern newspaper.
When you take a closer look at how millennials consume news, though, it makes sense. The millennial generation doesn’t rely on newspapers like baby boomers and some Gen Xers do. Instead, the generation uses social media to get their news. This hasn’t just changed the way they come across news stories. It has actually changed the way they consume it in at least three ways.
1. It’s integrated into their lives
Older generations tend to set aside time to consume news. They start the day off by reading the local paper and sit in front of the TV every night to watch the evening news. That’s not true for millennials, though. Instead of setting some time aside, they have made it a part of their daily lives, due in large part to social media. In fact, 60% of millennials say they come across news when they are engaging in other activities, often on social media.
They don’t occur on random social media networks, either. Most millennials get their news from Facebook. Unlike fast-paced Twitter feeds and photo-centric Instagram pages, Facebook is about relationships. Millennials visit the site over and over again throughout the day to find out what their friends and family are doing. When they do this, they come across tons of news stories, and they often click to learn more. That’s why 61% of millennials get their political news on Facebook.
You don’t have to be a politician to grab millennials’ interest on Facebook. If you have something newsworthy, put it on this channel and increase your potential to reach this demography.
2. They’re exposed to opposing viewpoints
On average, Americans spend 36% more time reading news stories that match up to their views than they spend reading stories that have opposing views. The reason is simple. People don’t want their views challenged. They want to read information that supports what they already believe.
[Source:-fORBES]
