The Media Authority is concerned that young people are making less and less use of quality media and professional journalism. Their media use takes place according to the information published on Tuesday Media monitor 2023 “increasingly online and on platforms of major international players”, instead of watching television, listening to the radio or reading paper newspapers.
Teenagers frequently use TikTok for news, for the age group of 18 to 24 years Instagram is the most popular social medium for news and for people between 25 and 34 years old it is Facebook. There are also many sources on social media “that do not observe journalistic norms and values.” And according to the Media Authority, this may ensure that young people “do not build trust with professional news brands”. The media watchdog therefore wants policymakers to think about the visibility of professional journalism, especially in the online environment.
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Linear television, podcasts and AI
According to the Dutch Media Authority, the younger generation continues to make less use of traditional media such as linear television as they get older and there is therefore no ‘age effect’. For example, the use of linear television channels does not increase as the viewer ages. Young people listen to podcasts relatively often. While 28 percent of all adults sometimes listen to a podcast, this is more than two-thirds among the 18 to 24 age group.
The Media Monitor also points out the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence (AI). While generative AI offers opportunities for the creation of text, images, video and audio, AI applications also carry the risk of “generating and spreading incorrect information.” The Media Authority will therefore monitor in the near future how AI will play a role in news creation and news use.