Fatigue, Traditionalism, and Engagement: The News Habits and Attitudes of the Gen Z and Millennial Generations

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Survey of 16- to 40-year-olds showing their news habits and attitudes.

A new in-depth survey of 16- to 40-year-olds shows that members of the Gen Z and Millennial generations are active consumers of news and information, with nearly a third of them willing to pay for it. But their relationship with the news in complex—their trust in the press is low, many are experiencing digital fatigue, and they are worried about misinformation in both traditional and social media. 

The report is the latest study from the Media Insight Project, a collaboration of the American Press Institute and The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The study features a survey of 5,975 American ages 16 to 40, building upon a 2015 study of Millennials.  

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

  • Millennials and Gen Z use traditional news outlets, not just social platforms, and pay for news
  • These generations have both traditional and novel expectations from the news media, but at the same time, enjoyment of the news is falling
  • Millennials and Gen Z are feeling digital fatigue and have adopted different tactics to combat it
  • Trust in the press is low, but so is trust in social media, and local news fares better than national
  • Many believe the media fails to accurately cover communities of color and immigrants in America

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