I should be a target
I don't, like, have time for news.
That's the impression I got of youth culture when I read the article in the Sacramento Bee about (surprise) the ailing mainstream media.
And it's the truth. Most young people don't care about the news. Why should they care when the mainstream media neglect our interests? A mainstream newspaper runs a story targeted at middle aged consumers about why kids just don't care. The irony actually burned my nostrils.
When I worked at the University Daily Kansan, our advisor was right to criticize us for often failing to write stories that would interest KU students. At least the Kansan attempts to do this.
Based on a research study that my classmates and I did, the number of students reading the paper has decreased in the last few years.
But an average of 70 percent of students looked at the Kansan everyday and mostly for news. Only 31.5 percent of respondents between 18-24 "definitely" or "generally" agreed with the statement: "I need to get the news (world, national, sports, etc.) every day," according to the article.
The Kansan's ability to target its audience has helped it maintain a strong readership. The mainstream media ought to follow suit by carefully targeting its audiences. Or else, it will continue its path toward obsolescence for younger generations.
But how? If newspapers want the young professional demographic, for instance, they could include an online supplement that contains articles on how to manage money. I don't know much about pension plans, 401Ks, IRAs or investing and I blame the mainstream media for failing to inform me. These complicated subjects deserve the attention of a journalist, whose job it is to simplify.
Some blogs do well at narrowing the focus of their content. It's easier when nature of the blog lends to this type of niche content. Take, for example, the successful Gawker media . A number of people collaborate to produce content focused on politics, much of it centering on Washington D.C. and gossip.
Don't decrease the space or time devoted to important issues for young people who, like, don't have time for the news. Just give us what we need.
Comments
Interesting post--I really appreciated you providing the research to back up your points.
To me, the biggest mistake made by the MSM is that it thinks news for kids/young adults means totally x-treme news that rocks!. I sense that news directed toward younger audiences isn't really about news--it's about entertainment (and it's not very entertaining at that). Like you mentioned, where are the stories that introduce younger audiences to the subtleties of investment portfolios, or what hoops you need to jump through to buy your first house? Or perhaps more important, where are the stories that discuss how future generations will have to deal with an ever-growing national debt and a nebulous war on terror?
Instead, there is a very condescending tone that assumes kids want fast-paced, action-packed, totally rad news that tells us more about Lindsay Lohan's latest car wreck than whether or not a military draft looms in the future.
Part of me thinks that this condescension will not disappear until the Baby-Boomer generation fully retires. It's not fair to pin it all on them, though. Hopefully, the blogosphere will give younger writers--who may not be in positions of power within the MSM--a chance to address relevant topics that just don't seem to be on the radar right now...and that, in turn, will cause the MSM to pick up on the trend--if simply for commercial gain.
Posted by: Ranjit Arab | February 24, 2006 10:18 AM