Gen Z and Gen Y aren’t just watching video content—they’re rewriting the rules of engagement. That’s the big wake-up call from DCN’s latest exclusive study for our members, Decoding Video Content Engagement: Gen Z & Gen Y in Focus.
Focused on how younger audiences interact with video across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and X, the research reveals a seismic shift in behavior. “They don’t just watch — they engage,” the report states. This highlights how younger generations like, comment, and co-create instead of being content to passively consume. For media brands, the report offers essential intelligence that profoundly impacts the future of video strategy and audience growth.
Key research findings
DCN’s study delivers a detailed breakdown of how Gen Z and Gen Y engage across platforms, what content and creators they connect with, and how media brands can build relevance in a fragmented, fast-paced digital landscape. Among the key findings:
Younger audiences scroll fast, but they stay for authenticity. The three-second rule rules everything: Bold visuals, compelling storytelling, and authenticity are essential from frame one.
Creators are brands. Independent creators aren’t just influencers—they’re media ecosystems.
YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram lead the pack. While Facebook maintains its hold on older millennials, TikTok has Gen Z’s full attention. YouTube is the universal middle ground, but each platform demands a unique approach and longer-form content.
New rules of engagement
This research unpacks the new rules of engagement in the video landscape, analyzing everything from platform behavior to creator trust and brand perception.
Viewing behavior redefined
Gen Z and Gen Y don’t passively “watch.” They like, comment, remix, and participate. Brands that encourage interaction win their attention.
Creators are the new kingmakers
Independent creators aren’t just more trusted than traditional media, they’re setting the bar for what’s entertaining, authentic, and engaging.
Platform wars
TikTok dominates Gen Z, while Gen Y still lingers on Facebook. YouTube offers depth; Instagram delivers instant hits. Understanding this split is critical.
Vertical video power
Whether it’s News, Sports, Lifestyle, or Entertainment, content verticals play out differently across platforms and generations.
Strategic framework for media brands
“The research shows the mission hasn’t changed: build trust through quality media. But the playbook? It’s being blown up and rewritten by Gen Z,” observes DCN CEO Jason Kint. He points out that “This generation doesn’t just expect content to be authentic and human, they demand it as a price of entry or will scroll right by you. If your video strategy still feels like it was made for TV, you’re already losing. Brands will need to catch up or get left behind.”
To that end, DCN’s research report goes beyond the “what” and delivers the “how.” It identifies clear, actionable strategies for media companies to thrive:
Lead with interactivity
Brands must create video content with participation in mind—think remixable content, Q&As, duets, and challenges.
Prioritize authenticity
In a world where the raw and real outperform the overly produced, brands must sound human and feel genuine to build trust.
Embrace co-creation
Younger audiences want to participate in the content, not just watch it. Partner with creators who have cultural currency and credibility.
Use the right platform for the right story
A one-size-fits-all video strategy is no longer viable. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook all deliver value differently—and DCN’s data shows how to play to each strength.
For this generation, video isn’t just something to watch, it’s something to do. Engagement, co-creation, and alignment with values like authenticity and cultural fluency are increasingly central to how content is received and shared.
The full research report is available to DCN members only. Register to or login to download (on desktop see top right corner of page, on mobile the top center). Download buttons will appear at the top and bottom of the page.
The hype cycle is over for Podcasting. Now that reality has set in, it is exciting to see examples of publishers pushing the podcasting envelope – experimenting to drive innovation in the maturing market. Whether it’s using AI to expand to new audiences, or smart show bundling, there’s a lot of inspiration for those with their own podcasts or looking to launch.
Here are some impressive experiments and innovations in the podcast space:
AI translations
UK news publisher The Telegraph has been producing a podcast called Ukraine: The Latest daily since the start of the war. It has been downloaded over 100 million times since 2022, with episodes exploring military strategy, history, weaponry, economics, and more.
In February, to coincide with the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine, The Telegraph launched translated versions of the podcast in Ukrainian and Russian. This was made possible using an AI-powered voice cloning and translation model. This creates a “digital likeness” of the presenters, closely mimicking the rhythm and nuance of their voices.
“To be clear, this is AI helping to present our journalism, not produce it,” said Associate Editor and presenter Dominic Nicholls in an introductory video demonstrating the technology. The translations help reach those with restricted access to news on the war, as well as expats around the world.
The AI model was adapted by The Telegraph team in-house, before being refined by a native Ukrainian speaker fluent in Russian and English. The Telegraph emphasises that all episodes will be checked to ensure translation accuracy, as well as fine-tune speed and pacing.
Although there have been experiments with AI hosts and translation, this is the first example of a media company deploying it on this scale. For a daily podcast, especially one where the information need is so critical, this is a worthwhile investment that will help it reach the people it needs to.
High quality AI translations like this will be beyond the budgets of many publishers. But as the translational tools improve and become more accessible, using AI translation to reach new audiences is worth considering. Editorial oversight, however, is vital to maintain trust and quality.
One that stood out was the DMG Media’s launch of The Crime Desk. The publisher had seen success with true crime podcasts like The Trial of Lucy Letby. Now, it has brought all podcasts under ‘The Trial’ brand into one subscription bundle.
The Crime Desk offers subscribers ad-free bonus episodes on global trial cases. It also includes access to the archive of more than 200 episodes covering everything from the Holly Willoughby kidnap plot to the Diddy trial. Subscribers will also get new series released in their entirety. However, free listeners will only be able to access one episode a week. The launch offer is £1.99 a month, or £19.99 annually.
“There will always be a free trial to air – we’ve got to have a shop window. It’s arguably a public service as well,” the Daily Mail’s head of podcasts Jamie East told Press Gazette. A soft launch phase “had seen subscriptions well into the thousands, and at a similar conversion rate to the podcast industry standard of 5%.”
Building a paid bundle around groups of podcast topics is viable for publishers that produce a wide range of podcasts or with strengths in specific subject areas. However, East noted that although they’ve had success elsewhere, that doesn’t necessarily mean a paywall is viable. “You can only really launch a subscription model around a hit. There’s no point otherwise,” he told Press Gazette. “It needs to be pretty bedded in before you can do it, or achieve such huge scale that it’s a no-brainer. We’ve not quite reached that with any of the other verticals.”
Reusing popular print content
One unusual podcast launched last year is Your History, from The Times. The newspaper has published daily obituaries for over a century, many of famous people. The team realized that there was an opportunity to highlight some of the Times’ best writing, which happens here, as well as capitalize on audience curiosity in historical figures.
The twice-weekly podcast brings out”‘remarkable tales of lives well lived,” from musicians to politicians, scientists, and sporting legends across episodes averaging 10-15 minutes. Anna Temkin, deputy obituaries editor, presents the podcast.
This is an excellent example of taking existing content and transforming it into another medium. The obituaries pages of newspapers contain a wealth of fascinating life stories, especially when someone well-known dies. By simply reading out the obituary – a low tech and low cost solution – The Times makes this content accessible and relevant to a new audience who aren’t necessarily newspaper subscribers.
Podcasting has room for innovation
Reader revenue is an important strand for each of these publications. The Telegraph and The Times both have hard paywalls, and use podcasts as a top-of-funnel strategy to introduce listeners to their journalism. In these cases, applying strategies that help widen listenership through translation or opening up paywalled content is key.
Although the Daily Mail has some paywalled content, the majority is accessible to read for free. This allows the podcasts to build up a large audience.In this case, The Daily Mail has created a paid bundle around popular shows to monetize a smaller but more dedicated fan base.
The extent to which other publishers can use these tactics will depend on where podcasts sit strategically. If they’re a “shop window” to showcase journalism, it is worth exploring options to leverage podcasts to expand audiences. However, podcasts also have great power as a retention tool superserving a publisher’s most loyal readers. With continued experimentation and innovation, podcasts offer the potential to grow audiences and support, or even build, direct revenue. That’s not hype; that’s just smart strategy.
In any enduring relationship—whether it’s a marriage, a business partnership, or a loyal audience—some truths always apply. Trust matters. Communication is key. And one-size-fits-all approaches rarely work.
Today’s digital landscape is full of shifting audience expectations, platform dependencies, privacy regulations, and revenue challenges. In the midst of it all, one thing is increasingly clear: the future belongs to publishers who treat visitor relationships as living, evolving engagements…not just transactions.
It’s time to put relationships at the center of publishing strategy.
The relationship is the product
Visitors are not anonymous “traffic.” Your audiences are composed of individual people—each with different motivations, levels of loyalty, and preferred ways to engage. Treating them all the same? That’s the digital equivalent of proposing on the first date or ignoring someone you’ve known for years. It doesn’t work in personal life, and it doesn’t work with audiences.
Instead, think of each visitor relationship as a continuum. One person may be discovering your content for the first time; another may visit daily but hasn’t subscribed. Some may be loyal readers who want more ways to support you. Others may be disengaged and at risk of vanishing without a trace.
What’s needed is a thoughtful approach that reflects where each audience member is in their journey. Then, you need a plan to help grow that relationship over time.
Relationship lessons from everyday life
Here are a few lessons from personal relationships that publishers would do well to apply:
1. Listen first
In healthy relationships, both sides listen. Media companies often prioritize outbound messages—popups, banners, promos. But listening to behavioral signals is just as important.
Did a visitor just land on your site for the first time? Did they browse for three minutes without clicking? Did they just turn off an adblocker? These are signals—not of conversion intent, but of where the conversation should begin.
2. Start small, build trust
Relationships grow over time. The first ask shouldn’t be a subscription or donation. Instead, start with lightweight value exchanges: newsletter signups, social follows, or app downloads. These are the handshakes before the deeper commitments.
Progressive engagement models—where the ask aligns with the visitor level of loyalty and readiness—see higher conversion rates and lower churn.
3. Consent is foundational
In both personal and digital relationships, consent builds trust. That means transparent data practices, well-timed privacy prompts, and respecting visitor preferences. Publishers who embrace consent-centric strategies don’t just comply with regulations—they strengthen their credibility.
4. Don’t take loyalty for granted
Just like personal relationships can fade from neglect, even the most loyal visitor can drift away if their experience stagnates. Stale content, repeated prompts, or poor mobile UX can erode the goodwill built over time.
Check in. Refresh the value you offer. Make loyal readers feel recognized and rewarded.
The risk of losing touch
When visitor relationships aren’t nurtured, the costs show up as:
Declining newsletter engagement
High bounce rates
Flat or falling subscription growth Low registration rates
Increasing reliance on third-party platforms to reach your own audience
These aren’t just performance issues. They’re signs of a deeper relationship breakdown.
The case for an audience relationship strategy
Most publishers have dedicated teams for content strategy, ad ops, and subscriber acquisition. But few have a centralized visitor relationship strategy—one that spans from first touch to paid conversion, and integrates consent, engagement, and retention into a cohesive journey.
Some in the industry have begun exploring Visitor Relationship Management (VRM) as a strategic framework—an emerging category aimed at helping publishers track, measure, and grow these relationships intentionally.
Whether through dedicated platforms or custom-built workflows, the goal is the same: shift from transactional tactics to long-term relationship building.
What makes relationships thrive
So, what does a healthy publisher–visitor relationship look like?
Mutual value: Readers get great content and respectful experiences; publishers earn loyalty and support.
Respect: Visitors are seen as individuals, not metrics.
Growth mindset: The relationship is always evolving—there are new ways to engage, contribute, or connect.
Shared purpose: Visitors feel part of something bigger, whether it’s supporting journalism, joining a community, or getting smarter about a topic they care about.
In a world of fleeting clicks and algorithm-driven content, relationships may be the most enduring competitive advantage publishers can build.
The publishing industry is no longer just about content. It’s about connection.
By learning from the fundamentals of human relationships—listening, trust, consent, and progressive commitment—publishers can build visitor experiences that not only drive revenue but inspire long-term loyalty.
After all, when visitors feel known, valued, and respected, they don’t just return.
The world of news is changing – and the pace of transformation isn’t slowing anytime soon. As social media commands ever-increasing attention and content creators continue to gain traction, it’s no surprise that audiences are switching from broadcast news or reading an article to hearing a 30-second news synopsis on TikTok. In fact, companies like Influencer Journalism are already actively working to connect legacy media with influencers, while others like NBCUniversal have announced mobile-first news initiatives.
To keep up with evolving preferences, it’s vital that legacy media adapts, and news executives remain tuned into to audience expectations. That means learning from those who have found success from social media. News influencers, who are content creators that post about current events and happenings, are already popular with young audiences. And their preferences will undoubtedly shape the future of news.
Here are five tips from three successful, TikTok news influencers that media organizations can learn from, and put to work, as they build their audience growth strategies.
1. More fun, less complicated
News influencer @SmallTownIndiana, 48, who is located in Indianapolis – and refrains from using his real name to protect his privacy – has garnered about 179,500 followers on TikTok. He posts videos about local happenings and breaking news in Indiana.
He says that when it comes to viewer engagement, legacy media should focus on being a little less serious and a lot more comprehensible.
In fact, SmallTownIndiana says that after the January TikTok ban, his news stories no longer perform best on his account; it’s those like his series about finding the state’s best pork tenderloin sandwich that do better. The serious news topic that does perform is related to the high-profile Delphi murders, involving two teenage girls, which he also has a series about. Videos related to both of these topics have garnered over 100,000 views.
Although incorporating fun isn’t possible for every news story, especially those that are sensitive, it is important to balance serious topics with lighter ones, or perhaps create social content that is centered on lighter material or approaches. And for almost any topic, simplifying subjects and making them accessible will help engage broader audiences.
2. Short form news delivery
Another point that SmallTownIndiana cited was that traditional media organizations have the tendency to give people information in large doses and deep dives. For example, broadcast news requires people to sit through a 30-minute to one-hour long newscast to see what they are interested in. Yet, many news consumers want their information delivered conveniently and quickly.
“TikTok, to me, it has landed at a time where people are always on the go,” he said.
SmallTownIndiana said that his TikTok page gets a lot of traction because he relays information about what’s happening in his city or state in less than two minutes. As a result, he said, many viewers have told him that they come to his page first if a newsworthy event is happening. This is evident in his view count, which consistently sits in the thousands range.
His big takeaway is to think about ways in which audiences can find what they are interested in easily and consume it in a quick, easily digestible way.
3. Prioritize authenticity
Twenty-seven-year-old news influencer @_imjustzander, who has nearly 224,000 followers on TikTok, advises legacy media to appeal to Generation Z and Millennials in a respectful, yet authentic way. “People are smart, especially Gen Z,” said Zander (who prefers to use only his first name for privacy reasons). “They know when companies are trying too hard.”
Zander, who is located in Georgia, has been creating content since 2020 and makes videos primarily focused on political and global news. His experience growing an audience has shown him that authenticity is key.
His videos are quick-hitting and timely. He posts about six to eight times a day, while working a full-time job. He says his legal background has helped him succeed when talking to an audience on social media – and that news companies need to hone their communication style to resonate with their values, especially in the digital age.
“The pendulum is always swinging when it comes to social media,” he said. “And right now the pendulum has swung to where people just crave authenticity. People are so done with influencers; people are so done with just all of this over-professionalism.”
For legacy media, Zander believes that means leaning less into trends, which come and go quickly. Instead, they should focus on topics that are important to younger generations and do so in a way that respects their perspective.
4. Allow reporters to be real people
Fortesa Laitifi – @hifortesa – is a 31-year-old Los Angeles based news influencer who posts videos about politics, abortion rights, and the lives of child influencers. Given her background in journalism, which she received a master’s degree in, and her success in garnering an audience of about 42,500 followers on TikTok, she advises legacy media to have their reporters post on social media.
“Legacy media needs to meet people where they are,” said Latifi. “Either you want people to consume your stories or you don’t.” And to do that, they need to be present on social media not hidden behind a masthead.
Latifi cited The New York Times as an example, as the publication has seen success on TikTok and received hundreds of thousands of views by having its reporters explain their stories.
Another way for legacy media to accomplish this, she said, could be by having a designated TikTok person who posts videos. Dave Jorgenson from The Washington Post was one of the first and remains one of the best. With his presence on TikTok, the newspaper has amassed 1.8 million followers. “That really changed the way people think about TikTok and news,” she said.
Beyond simply building a younger audience, Latifi says that misinformation is an important reason journalists need to be on TikTok. In a time where it is easy for fake news to run rampant, she points out that is crucial for people to have reliable sources of news, no matter where they consume it.
5. Consistency is key
Given the impact of algorithms and virality, an important component is posting consistently on social media. According to Latifi, it is crucial to spend a lot of time on TikTok to get to know the platform and figure out which videos perform well.
As with other social platforms, posting consistently is essential to build a relationship with an audience and build a habit, where they are looking for the content on a regular basis. It is also critical to engage and learn from comments to cater to audience needs.
“People might think it’s a lot of effort and it is a lot of effort, but young people, we know from the data, are getting their news from places like TikTok, from places like Instagram,” she said.
Additionally, finding a niche or area of expertise can be beneficial. Latifi, for example, gets tagged in videos related to family vlogging because of her content about them, which receive thousands of views.
Ultimately, she says, it’s in the hands of legacy media to meet their audiences where they are. “We can grunt and groan about how the kids aren’t reading newspapers, or whatever. The important thing is that they do want to hear the news,” said Latifi.
See the big picture
News in this era is a delicate balance of finding new ways to attract audiences while also staying true to impartiality and delivering truthful, fact-based information. While social media connections are heavily reliant on authenticity and being personable, traditional journalists must simultaneously focus on maintaining professionalism and accuracy in their reporting.
Despite changes in news consumption habits, long-form content is still going strong, given its ability to tell in-depth, meaningful stories. But that doesn’t mean that short-form content shouldn’t be leveraged as a means of getting people there.
The 2025 DCN Next Summit kicked off in Miami April 22 with an energizing atmosphere as senior media executives from DCN’s member companies came together to discuss the biggest issues and opportunities impacting the future of media.
In his welcome, DCN CEO Jason Kint highlighted the challenging environment the media finds itself in. “Let’s be honest, the last 12 months have been volatile,” Kint said, “And the volatility isn’t just economic, it’s institutional. The forces testing our economy are also now testing our democratic norms, including a free and plural press itself. [We face] a direct challenge to the independence of the press and the principle that journalists, not governments, get to determine the language of truth.”
This, Kint said, is the new normal: accelerated pressure, relentless power grabs and heightened scrutiny all at once. “It’s messy, it’s uncomfortable, and it’s redefining the rules that we all play by.”
In the midst of this, Kint highlighted premium content still matters but what defines it is changing. “Growth is harder, but it is possible, especially as you strengthen your direct relationships with your audience and customers. Trust… is everything. It’s foundational and it must be defended. And, in times of vulnerability is when you build on it.”
While the topics of discussion both on stage and off were wide-ranging, three significant themes emerged: the importance and evolution of trust, the value of direct audience relationships, and new influencer dynamics impacting media brands.
Trust in a fragmented world
In an era where audience attention is fragmented across numerous platforms, trust is the core value exchange between a media brand and its audience. Katherine Maher, president and CEO of NPR, emphasized the importance of maintaining editorial independence and impartiality as essential components of trust.
Katherine Maher, president and CEO of NPR
She said, “Our editorial independence is paramount. People listen to NPR and they care about public media because they trust it and they know that it is independent. To my mind, if we cannot maintain that editorial integrity, we cannot serve our audiences the way we need to be served.”
This foundational trust faces new challenges. New research from DCN and Magid on Gen Z’s video consumption reveals a significant difference in trust levels between individual creators and brands, with individual creators generally being perceived as more trustworthy. The study, called “Decoding Video Content Engagement,” talked to 1,000 young people aged 13-40, to understand how they saw media brands. The results (available to DCN members) suggests that Gen Z’s understanding of what is trustworthy is evolving based on where they spend their time and energy.
“When you talk to Gen Z, it’s the individual that’s most valued. It’s the influencers, it’s the streamers,” Andrew Hare, SVP, head of quantitative research at Frank N. Magid Associates explained to attendees. Media companies face a significant challenge in building trust with Gen Z and Gen Y, and being seen as trustworthy, authentic and interesting, compared to individual creators, who are overwhelmingly trusted more by these generations.
Hare mentioned an opportunity for digital media companies to “collaborate and co-create with creators themselves to maybe even add some trust back to the brands.” He noted that digital media companies must focus on humanizing their brands, fostering direct relationships with audiences, and finding ways to be real and relatable while upholding their journalistic standards.
The evolving role of creators
Discussions at the summit frequently touched upon the evolving role of journalists in today’s media landscape and the rise of individual creators/influencers as a force in news. According to a November 2024 study by the Pew Research Center, 21% of U.S. adults now regularly get news from influencers. This figure rises to 37% among those under 30—an age group that is increasingly difficult for traditional outlets to reach.
Tiffany Sam Chow, SVP, strategy and business development at NBCU News
Tiffany Sam Chow, SVP, strategy and business development at NBCU News Group, pointed out that news anchors are becoming personalities on platforms like TikTok, which allows them to build individual connections with audiences. This shift changes the role of anchors from authoritative figures to relatable personalities, she explained.
Chow cites the example of Savannah Sellers on TikTok. “She does these behind the scenes where people can understand her as a person,” Chow explained. “People start following her on social as a person and then start following her on social as a news anchor.” As people engage with the on-air talent on a personal level, they begin following them as journalists, and in turn, engage with the NBC News and Today Show handles, Chow said.
Sam Felix, SVP, Strategic Partnerships & Business Development, at CNN echoed this shift. She noted CNN has also been thinking about how to drive that relationship between their on-air talent and audiences. “Part of our superpower is our ability to produce video at scale and this amazing talent. We have the right ingredients to engage with this audience. But we have to figure out (how) to pull back the curtain, get them sort of like closer, one-on-one, with this audience in a way that they seek us.”
In addition to their shows, CNN personalities produce multiple vertical videos per day, published on social channels and on CNN’s platform, Felix said. “Over the next several months, as you see the kind of next phase of CNN come out into the world, you’ll see that same type of production format be at the center of the content and our products, because it is resonating.”
MLB’s VP, Social Media and Innovation Cameron Gidari noted that some baseball creators are as popular, if not more so, than baseball players “kids are recognizing them!” Thus, their strategy involves empowering these creators. “We have a really robust crop of up and coming baseball creators,” Cameron. “They’re non-traditional media for a new age.”
MLB’s creator strategy involves helping empower creators, to help them grow, giving them access to events and sharing their content. “We went to help them grow because we know that they’re Baseball Tonight for the next generation, right?”
Building deeper connections with direct relationships
Publishers have long held direct relationships with audiences, built on trust and high-quality content. These relationships allow media companies to understand and anticipate audience needs. Strategic insights also inform monetization strategies like subscriptions, events and advertising.
In 2025, strengthening direct relationships with audiences has never been more critical. As media companies expand beyond traditional advertising into licensing and other D2C strategies, deepening audience connections is essential for sustainable growth.
Daniel Alegre, CEO, TelevisaUnivision
CEO Daniel Alegre credits his company’s success to TelevisaUnivision’s vast Spanish-language content catalog, built over 80 years, which helps nurture a direct, multi-platform relationship with audiences. TelevisaUnivision integrated its operations and created a single content strategy that serves linear TV in both the U.S. and Mexico and ViX, its streaming platform.
Alegre noted that the company continues to innovate in video content to engage new audiences. They are developing one-minute “micro telenovelas” specifically designed for mobile consumption. “These are essentially made for the phone, and can create new commercialization opportunities for subscription and advertising … We can also work on microtransactions,” he said.
At the Athletic, Publisher David Perpich explained that the company is exploring partnerships to leverage its content and audience, including a partnership with MGM which integrated betting coverage, and Stubhub which allowed users to purchase tickets within The Athletic’s content.
And in a move that is certain to be a fan favorite, MLB formed a “partnership with eBay where we have a collectibles vertical and you can buy on eBay,” he said. The focus of these initiatives is on “how do we create content that consumers would love but then let’s figure out the right business model on the other side to take advantage of it.”
Relationships are also changing between media companies, brands and advertisers, with a greater emphasis on direct relationships and mission alignment.
Shannon Watkins, CMO, Fiserv
Shannon Watkins, chief marketing officer at Fiserv, explained that Fiserv increasingly bypasses media agencies, instead partnering directly with media companies, viewing them as extensions of their own marketing team. This direct model allows Fiserv to keep strategy development in-house while collaborating with media partners to execute.
“It’s less about the dollars and cents and more about that symbiosis that you can have with your partner media or otherwise, where it is a true mission alignment because then the conversation moves beyond placements and dollars, but how can we grow together? And that’s what we’re looking for,” she said.
Persevering and pushing forward
As digital media companies grapple with the challenge of maintaining trust amid increased scrutiny and competition from more personalized, often more relatable creators, the importance of direct, authentic relationships with audiences has never been clearer. Media are learning to adapt to this shifting landscape, where collaboration with creators can help rebuild trust while still maintaining journalistic integrity.
Media companies must evolve to stay relevant. However, they must also safeguard the foundational values that have long underpinned their role in society, including press freedom. This Summit highlighted how they are persisting through challenges. As Kint pointed out, “We must keep pushing for fair value, for IP protection, for a level playing field, in equal competition. And above all we must defend the role of a free and plural press at a moment when institutions are being tested from every angle, even at the highest office in the land.”
Differences in international and generational media preferences inform evolving technology and industry patterns and continue to keep things interesting in 2025. Conventional media categories are becoming more fluid, inviting new opportunities. A new report by Nielsen Media Analytics, the 2025 Global Media Planning Guide, provides actionable insights.
Overall, an accelerating trend is the convergence of multiple platforms – from streaming services to social media. This presents significant challenges:
Adapting to current generational media preferences. Different age groups engage with media uniquely across various markets, calling for customized strategies.
Understanding international users’ media habits. Media trends and the pace of transition differ across countries, requiring flexible approaches.
Harmonizing traditional and digital media. It’s essential to allocate investments effectively across established and emerging platforms.
Streaming audiences vary internationally
According to Nielson’s data, traditional TV remains the dominant choice among older U.S. audiences and some countries outside of the U.S., while U.S. residents in general, and younger audiences around the world, are gravitating increasingly towards digital media. Connected TV (CTV) reach has steadily surpassed live and time-shifted TV reach over the past few years, but total use of the television has remained steady since the first quarter of 2022, demonstrating its resilience.
The specifics vary significantly across global markets, however. Take Poland versus the U.S., for example. In the U.S., CTV devices and streaming services have become the dominant viewing method. Whereas, in Poland, traditional TV remains the primary viewing platform. Only about 8% of total viewing time in Poland was spent on streaming in the first half of 2024, according to the Nielson data. In the U.S., streaming accounted for around 40% of TV viewership during the same period.
Americans spent about half of their TV viewership on broadcast and cable combined. In Poland, the combination of satellite and cable amounted to almost two-thirds of viewing time. U.S. audiences spent 38% of their time on streaming- significantly more than Polish viewers at 22%. The data emphasizes the need for flexible global media strategies, with traditional and digital platforms coexisting to meet diverse audience preferences.
Streaming audiences vary across generations
As younger audiences worldwide gravitate toward digital media, older generations retain their preference for traditional television. In the U.S., individuals aged 2-34 spend more than 60% of their TV viewing time on streaming platforms. Those ages 50-64 spent well over half of their time on broadcast and cable TV as opposed to streaming, while those 65+ spent fully 75% of their viewing time on broadcast and cable TV combined, and less than a quarter on streaming media.
In Thailand, a similar pattern prevails, with adults over 40 preferring TV to social media or video streaming platforms. Gen Z shows the lowest preference for traditional TV viewership of all age groups in Thailand (47%), favoring digital alternatives, whereas the 55+ demographic exhibits the highest linear TV viewership (62%), according to Nielson’s data.
However, it’s important to note that older viewers generally watch significantly more total TV compared to younger audiences. This holds true in the U.S. as well as Thailand, where all types of media have a greater reach among older audiences. According to a recent Deloitte report, Boomers spent an average of 3.5 hours per day watching TV shows and movies on streaming video services, cable, or live-streaming TV, while Gen Z audiences spent about 2.1 hours per day on those activities.
This dynamic has implications not only for how content is consumed but also how it is created, delivered, and marketed. As digital natives grow up, they are driving a new era of on-demand streaming, mobile media consumption, and personalized content algorithms. Meanwhile, the media industry must continue to accommodate older people, who remain loyal to traditional formats and are often heavy consumers of media. For example, older generations are more likely to keep their cable or satellite TV subscriptions long-term, while Generation Z and millennial cable subscribers are more than twice as likely to indicate that they plan to terminate their subscriptions within the year, according to Deloitte’s 2025 Digital Media Trends report.
Why some audiences still prefer linear TV
Linear TV retains some advantages in addition to the loyalty of older and international audiences, as pointed out by Vijya Amirtham on VPlayed. It is conducive to live events, such as sports, games, and award shows, which have massive appeal to large audiences. Linear TV also enables targeting by advertisers based on channel, genre, and airtime. Viewers tend to find TV ads more credible, especially on trusted channels, and are conditioned to expect ads when watching linear TV. Amirtham also asserts linear TV audiences “are predominantly associated with affluent groups.”
Boundaries between traditional TV and digital media are blurring with the evolution of Cloud TV and Over-the-Top-Television (OTT)- traditional TV content such as series and movies watched over the internet. These technologies are enticing viewers by combining the benefits of linear TV and more fluid digital mediums that offer on-demand viewing and are sometimes free of traditional ads. Amirtham recommends developing a linear TV app as one method for media leaders to expand and enhance audience engagement.
Maintaining and growing audiences
As DCN previously reported, younger generations are gravitating towards streaming services and social platforms and away from traditional TV. However, while media companies keep a keen eye on Gen Z trend-shapers, it is also wise to accommodate mature and international audiences, who are loyal and heavy consumers of traditional media formats.
For media leaders, it’s still too soon to abandon linear—if the goal is to reach the widest audience possible. Instead, deliver integrated solutions that merge linear TV and streaming assets, while working to enhance cross-platform integration. Effective strategies across age groups, international markets, and media platforms will depend on accurate measurement, outreach, and partnerships. The growing convergence of platforms invites opportunities to cultivate deeper connections with viewers around the world.
In today’s digital world, young audiences increasingly immerse themselves in screens, from smartphones to social media and video games. As technology becomes an integral part of the daily lives of young adolescents, it raises critical questions about its impact on their social interactions, mental health, and overall well-being. New University of South Florida research finds that young adolescents overwhelmingly possess smartphones and are using them for hours a day.
While the Life in Media Survey does find negative correlations between certain online activities and their emotional health, it also makes some surprising discoveries. For example, contrary to the idea that smartphones lead to isolation, they find that smartphone owners tend to spend more time with friends in person than those without phones. However, for ethical media companies – who care about the audiences they serve – it is important to consider how best to optimize digital experiences to support young teens’ wellbeing.
The Life in Media Survey, a collaboration between the University of South Florida and The Harris Poll, explores digital media use and well-being among those aged 11-13. Although numerous researchers, educators, parents, and policymakers have advocated for reducing digital media usage among children, the USF study shows an increasing level of connectivity. A significant 78% of all participants possess their own smartphone, with 72% of 11-year-olds included in this group; additionally, 56% have their own tablet.
Kids estimated that they spend an average of 4.4 hours on their smartphone and/or tablet on schooldays, 6.3 hours on non-schooldays. And for some of these kids, smartphones are disruptive given that 20% of kids reported that push notifications on their smartphones and other devices are always on.
Social media, gaming and cyberbullying
The study also shows that children who game daily or frequently use social media spend more time connecting online with friends. However, these connections can have negative effects. For example, cyberbullied kids spend more time online, potentially exposing them to harmful environments, which can exacerbate emotional distress. Balancing the benefits of technology with its risks remains a central challenge in shaping healthy digital environments for the next generation.
The survey uncovers a link between cyberbullying and engagement with social media influencers. Cyberbullied kids are more likely to interact with influencers—whether by sending money, messaging them, or purchasing endorsed products. This interaction suggests that some bullied children may turn to influencers for emotional support or validation, using them as an escape from online bullying in other spaces.
What kids think of technology’s impact
While there are concerns about technology’s impact on children, many kids still express enjoyment in using digital devices, particularly social media. Around 74% of kids enjoy social media, whether they experience bullying online or not. However, the emotional impact of technology is more complicated. Cyberbullied kids are more likely to feel that technology interferes with their daily lives. This highlights the need for platforms to ensure a safer online environment for young audiences.
One in three kids agreed with the statement “Social media causes more harm than good,” and about the same proportion disagreed with that statement (34% and 33%, respectively). Three in 10 kids (29%) say that they believe that A.I. causes more harm than good, and respondents were slightly more likely to agree with the statement if they’d previously used A.I. tools (32% vs. 28%).
What young audiences are doing online
Streaming platforms are also a significant part of children’s media consumption. Three out of four children use Netflix and Disney+ (77% and 73%, respectively), while half or more use Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Spotify (68%, 56%, and 52%, respectively).
When asked to list their most-used platform, more respondents selected YouTube than any other program, followed closely by TikTok (17% and 15%, respectively). Entertainment tops the favorite genres of online videos, with gaming listed by 35% of respondents, followed by music and comedy (29% and 23%, respectively, based on selecting up to two favorite genres).
The research findings show that users spend almost four hours a day on their most-used app. Those who favor Netflix report using the app for an average of 4.0 hours a day, which is slightly higher than the average 3.6 hours reported by those who prefer YouTube, Roblox, and Instagram. The slight bump might be due to the longer-form content on Netflix. TikTok use averaged slightly lower, at 3.2 hours a day.
The “more-and-more” phenomenon
The data here points to a “more-and-more” trend, where kids who engage in one type of media activity, such as gaming or social media, are more likely to binge on another media activity. This phenomenon underscores the need to create content that spans multiple platforms. By doing so, they can capture and hold the attention of young audiences more effectively.
The Life in Media Survey provides valuable insights into how digital media shapes young adolescents’ lives. While technology fosters connection and entertainment, it also brings risks related to cyberbullying, excessive screen time, and emotional well-being. For the media industry, this means developing content that engages young viewers and supports their mental health. By prioritizing positive and age-appropriate media experiences, the industry can help mitigate these risks while embracing digital media opportunities.
Gen Z is rewriting the digital playbook, setting new standards for content discovery, engagement, and consumption. This generation is social-first, always on, and hyper-connected, and the details are outlined in Gen Z Culture Decoded, a new research report that I co-led with Mary Ann Halford of Halford Media Advisory.
Our study revealed that 71% of Gen Z consumers turn to social platforms and YouTube as their primary discovery hubs. This deeply impacts their entertainment choices across TV shows, sports, podcasts, and more.
At a time when capturing attention and loyalty is more complex than ever, Mary Ann and I designed this study hoping to understand Gen Z better ourselves and to provide a roadmap for brands, creators, and advertisers looking to connect with this influential demographic. We surveyed 2,000 U.S.-based Gen Z respondents (ages 16-27) in a study conducted by Toluna in December 2024 and January 2025, with key input from QuickPlay and Swerve Sports executives.
Key takeaways from Gen Z Culture Decoded
Social media dominates: At least 74% of Gen Z consumers engage with social media at any time of day.
Hyper-connectivity defines behavior: On average, Gen Z participates in seven different digital activities daily, with the number rising to eight in the early evening.
Viewing habits shift throughout the day:
Video consumption increases steadily, peaking in the evening.
Sports and gaming peak in the evening.
Music, audiobooks, and podcasts see higher engagement in the afternoon and evening.
Radio and news updates are most popular in the morning.
Comedy is king: Across entertainment platforms, comedy emerges as the #1 genre, influencing both content creation and advertising.
Short-form and vertical video formats are ascendant:
81% of Gen Z video viewers said they watch videos in vertical format weekly.
79% of Gen Z users indicated that a “shorts” feature would increase their engagement with a streaming service.
What this means for the future of digital engagement
We found that, for marketers, advertisers, and media strategists, winning Gen Z’s attention requires a multi-platform, video-driven, and socially integrated approach.
Our research points to opportunities for media companies to engage audiences on their own platforms with formats adapted from social platform norms, such as vertical video and short-form video with text on screen. The platforms of these media companies – from Hulu to Peacock to Netflix – currently primarily focus on long-form and horizontal video.
Our partners weigh in
Gen Z Culture Decoded aimed to provide a roadmap for connection and relevance. We and our research partners knew that Gen Z habits and preferences would differ from older generations. It is clear that breaking through to this savvy and surprising generation will require unprecedented levels of agility and investment in new skills and tools.
Halford said the research shows a clear pathway for streamers to reclaim engagement lost to social platforms: “While social media and YouTube are the starting points for Gen Z content discovery, their consumption patterns are complex and sometimes surprising. The demand for integrated short-form content experiences is undeniable.”
Quickplay Co-Founder and CBO Paul Pastor said it confirmed what he has seen among the Gen Z demographic: “Gen Z demands short-form, engaging content across all platforms, and it’s where and how they discover new content. They are a hyper-connected generation that expects content to be readily available, personalized, and easily digestible.”
Understanding how Gen Z’s attitudes and behaviours differ from other generations is essential, said Jasen Holness, EVP Commercial Strategy, Toluna. “This research provides a practical blueprint.”
A deep dive into Gen Z’s digital universe
Gen Z Culture Decodedcovered over 60 key questions, exploring topics such as: content discovery, YouTube consumption trends, news consumption, advertising preferences and more. We explored how Gen Z is reshaping media engagement and connection by examining cultural interests, habits, and preferences, looking for deeper understanding of what meaningful interactions look like.
We all know that Gen Z has a digital first mindset. However, they consume content differently than other digital first audience groups, and it is critical to understand how these different consumption habits impact brand perception, trust and loyalty. With the insights from this study, we hope to enable media leaders, brands and advertisers to better find Gen Z and to satisfy their expectations now and as they grow into adulthood.
For subscription-driven publishers, newsletters can be a valuable way of building relationships with potential paying readers. But it can be a challenge to effectively promote newsletters and justify the extra work required to create them. However, MIT Technology review has seen success with a portfolio of editorially-driven newsletters published across the week. Key to their growth strategy is effectively reusing the newsletter content online to drive sign-ups, and maximizing opportunities to promote the newsletters across all MIT activity.
“Once someone has signed up to our newsletters, they’re two or three times more likely to become a subscriber,” said Niall Firth, executive editor, newsroom at MIT Technology Review.
With newsletters forming a key part of the publication’s subscriber funnel, promotion and growth of these products is a priority. Here’s how MIT Technology review structures its newsletter portfolio and promotes sign-ups to begin building those vital reader relationships.
Using the editorial to go deeper
MIT Technology Review has a variety of editorial newsletters in their portfolio. The Download is a daily weekday newsletter that features short, snappy summaries of key stories. It also includes a quote of the day, links from around the internet, and a throwback to a feature story that was published during the last year.
MIT also offers a selection of weekly “beat” newsletters. AI newsletter The Algorithm publishes every Monday, led by AI and hardware reporter James O’Donnell. Energy and climate newsletter The Spark comes out every Wednesday, and The Checkup, focused on health and biotech news, is released on Thursdays. Editor in Chief Mat Honan then publishes The Debrief, an analysis of the biggest tech news story, every Friday.
In terms of editorial strategy, these newsletters begin with a full editorial piece of around 700 words, which can be used for scoops, analysis, or context around bigger stories. “These are written from scratch every week,” Firth explained. “[The writing] that goes in there is in there first, so if you sign up to a newsletter, you’ll get to read it before it appears anywhere else.”
The second half of these beat newsletters is used for other relevant links, news and bite-sized updates, as well as subscription upsells and event promotions.
Each beat newsletter is led by a named editor, as they find readers connect better with a person or expert. Editors are encouraged to be conversational. “They’re like your smart friend guiding you through [topics]. So, if something is complicated in the world of your beat, your reader can rely on them. They’re going to lay it all out to you and tell you what’s important, which bits you can ignore, what you should be aware of,” said Firth.
It also offers the opportunity to go behind the scenes in a way web-first articles don’t. Casey Crownhart, MIT Technology Review’s senior climate reporter and writer for The Spark newsletter was at the ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit recently, a conference dedicated to energy technology. For the newsletter, she wrote about what it was like to be there, and the undercurrents around emerging technology and climate change. “The vibes were weird,” she reported, using a more explanatory and informal tone than would normally be used for an article.
Publishing newsletters as stories
One of the key drivers of MIT Technology’s newsletter growth strategy is effective use (and reuse) of the content. Although newsletter articles are written first and foremost for the inbox, they are then republished the following day as a story on MIT Technology’s website, with a note pointing out that newsletter subscribers saw the story first.
This achieves an often tricky balance between offering newsletter readers exclusive content. It offers an exclusive window to subscribers, yet allows MIT to promote articles to as wide a readership as possible.
“Once they’re on the site, they get treated and promoted like every other story,” Firth said. He also pointed out that sometimes these newsletter-first stories do as well as, or even better than, standard web-first pieces.
When newsletter articles are published online, they appear with multiple notes about originally being published as newsletters, with sign-up boxes to capture interested readers. This also provokes a bit of FOMO (fear of missing out), and highlights that the value of the newsletter is in being the first to get relevant news.
MIT’s newsletter-first strategy lets the editors go deeper on stories that have already been published, as well as smaller or more timely scoops. Firth explained that there may be a big story from earlier in the week with off-cuts or reporting that didn’t fit into the story, but can be used as a whole new story for the newsletter. “That does double-duty: It’s cool to read an interview with a researcher on a topic that only got a line in the main story but is worthy of a whole separate interview. But then it calls back to the main story, and all fits together,” he said.
Although newsletter stories contain multiple calls-to-action (CTAs) for the relevant newsletter, Firth also noted that contextual newsletter sign-up boxes are promoted on relevant stories throughout MIT Technology’s site. Energy stories will have a promotion for The Spark, AI stories for The Algorithm, and so on. This means site visitors are given visible and frequent opportunities to sign up to newsletters, even on a first visit.
Linking newsletter strategy with events
Another tactic which has seen success in driving audience growth is visible promotion of newsletters at MIT events. The publisher has a stable of large-scale conferences and focused gatherings, from their flagship EmTech emerging technologies summit to digital leadership “classroom,” Future Compute.
“At all of our events, we have these massive boards in the lobby of the event. They have QR codes for all the different newsletters, with a specific UTM so we know it came from that event for that newsletter,” Firth outlined.
He explained that both new event registrants or new subscribers to the brand get a dedicated email about the newsletters they can sign up to. For example, a registrant for their EmTech AI conference would also get an email from James O’Donnell, newsletter writer for The Algorithm, showcasing their weekly AI deep dive.
Relevant newsletters are also promoted at online events, including webinars and live streams.
Other growth tactics
Firth outlined a number of other strategies used to grow their newsletter audiences. MIT Technology Review has a hard paywall for around a third of the stories on the site. But for stories promoted on social media platforms, the team will offer access in return for signing up to a related newsletter.
“On Instagram, if we have a new big feature around AI, we do Instagram Stories where the ‘front page’ of the story would be the article, and the second page is a sign-up box to The Algorithm to get access to it,” said Firth.
The team has seen success using this tactic with some more surprising platforms like Reddit, too. Firth noted that Reddit attracts people who want to go particularly deep into various topics, rather than surface-level technology coverage; an audience their newsletters suit well.
Last year, the publisher experimented with exit intent popups – banners that appear when a user looks like they’re about to click off the page. Firth shared that these drove 4,000 new sign-ups over the test period last year. They are hoping to roll out a wider test of exit intent popups this year.
In October last year MIT launched a free six-week limited series newsletter, Intro to AI. Newsletter courses like this can be a good way of letting potential readers sample work without committing to a more regular newsletter. Each newsletter in the course takes the opportunity to promote the Algorithm.
Chief Executive Officer and publisher Elizabeth Bramson-Boudreau told A Media Operator that since launching, the course had attracted 17,000 subscribers with an average open rate of 57%. Now, the publisher is looking at other complementary areas to its regular beat newsletters, like healthcare.
MIT Technology review has also been experimenting with newsletter promotion swaps as part of its growth strategy. Axios and Semafor have been early partners for this, with newsletters exchanging ads for the other publication to attract interested audiences who are already engaged with newsletters.
Crucially, all newsletter promotions make it as simple as possible to sign up, with readers being asked for just their email address.
There’s no silver bullet or one tactic that will result in sustainable newsletter growth. MIT Technology Review’s approach is to ensure that beat newsletters are consistently promoted across relevant pieces online. Every opportunity is taken – from events to social stories – to funnel audiences into topical newsletters. It is this combined, holistic approach that fuels MIT’s success.
England Women’s National Team soccer player Lucy Bronze is sitting in an armchair, in front of the camera, being interviewed for the BBC by her former teammate turned TV presenter Alex Scott. She explains that she was diagnosed with autism and ADHD four years ago and outlines how the conditions have impacted her hugely successful career.
It’s a significant conversation, but it didn’t go straight to a BBC channel. Instead, the final six-minute edit appeared on the BBC iPlayer last week and then YouTube. It was a perfect demonstration of an increasingly popular and important video format – and length.
Standing out from the video crowd
Videos that are a few, even 15, minutes long might not seem on trend in our scroll-happy world. However, in genres such as news and explainers this content length has proved to be powerful and increasingly popular.
There is an overwhelming amount of video available now and certain formats and lengths of duration are starting to stand out. Most noticeable are very long podcast episodes (think three-hour Joe Rogan episodes) and tightly edited, punchy social media clips lasting 60 to 90 seconds.
However, structured, often scripted, work lasting in the region of six to 15 minutes, is becoming a crucial part of some publishers’ strategies. Adam Tinworth, a lecturer at City St George’s in London and a commentator on audience strategy, said that “seven to 15 minutes is a kind of nice slot,” because publishers can “get a decent amount of depth without boring people.”
One outlet that produces this kind of content as part of a wide range of output is The News Movement. It publishes an eight-to-15-minute video on YouTube each month. Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Hutson told Digital Content Next that the work is “a kind of reinvented or slightly deconstructed documentary”. She explained that her team strips out b-roll and lots of the other quirks we are accustomed to seeing on television because “it just doesn’t quite suit the medium”. The objective is to balance pace as well as depth. “The sequences are tight,” said Hutson.
Again, YouTube is the destination. Quite simply, the media companies want to go where they already know there is an audience, instead of trying to drag them to their own website.
“All our content appears quite differently on different platforms,” Hutson added, and this impacts the kind of work published there. “On Instagram, it’s a little bit more of a kind of leaning in experience, people are in a slightly different headspace…that content is appearing next to people’s friends and family.”
It’s a point Tinworth echoes. He noted that TikTok is “not an environment where people are hunting for news-based stuff. They will encounter it, and they might consume it, but it’s not where they’re looking for it.”
Longer, perhaps more serious videos are viewed in a whole different context. Videos of longer lengths will be much more palatable on somewhere like YouTube. Viewers are increasingly comfortable with longer formats as they watch more YouTube on big TVs. Data from Tubular Labs published in July 2024 found that the number of videos over 20 minutes long being uploaded to YouTube each month rose from 1.3 million in July 2022 to 8.5 million in June 2024.
Specialist shows optimized for video length
Indeed, there are companies that are built around making highly produced videos in the six-to-15-minute-length sweet spot. Complexly, for instance make a range of shows, including science education content for children. Underknown also do this kind of work. (I particularly enjoyed learning what would happen if I fell into Jupiter as part of their “What If” series”.)
Explainers, in which a specific topic is unpacked in depth, work well “because those videos have an inherent longer life,” said Tinworth. “You can build up this sort of body of explainer videos, which then drive traffic over long periods of time.”
Complexly is, at least in part, supported by Patreon. However, in general monetization of this kind of content seems to be based on the familiar pillars of advertising and brand sponsorships, sticking with the consensus where it is published.
Traditional broadcasters are experimenting with this format too. In addition to the Lucy Bronze interview, the BBC has previously created Ranked, a game show where groups compete for cash by guessing the correct ranking of things related to their shared passion or profession. It went out on both YouTube and the iPlayer CNN has created the more documentary-style Great Big Story on YouTube too. Nigel Dacre, a former editor of ITV news who now works as a media and digital executive said:
“In TV News, there’s an ongoing debate about how much TV news organizations should cut up their normal TV programs into short form reports. It’s not just for social media (which they all do), but also for their new streaming apps. ITV News really focuses on short form videos on ITVX, for example… a lot more than BBC News does on the iPlayer.”
Keeping control of your work
Giving work over to third parties who have… changeable… algorithmic and monetization criteria is something Jane Ferguson is trying to push back against. The eminent former foreign correspondent spent much of her career at PBS and has now founded Noospere, a subscription-based service that lets journalists own their own work instead of giving it to giant tech platforms. Think of it as a mix between Substack and a social media feed.
Yes, it’s another platform but “we’ve taken control of the distribution and put it in the hands of the journalists so effectively, you know, disintermediating the news business,” Ferguson explained.
Furthermore, “many of our colleagues and our contributors come from a Vice background where they really leaned into longer form filmmaking, but also that magazine length. I think that many field reporters have felt has been something that audiences, for years, have responded so well to. They want these more substantive pieces, but they don’t want to give you 45 minutes of their day,” said the Noosphere boss.
Ferguson also refutes the idea that not posting on giant tech platforms means you’re not going where consumers are. “We’ve gone to where the eyeballs are by going on our phones app first,” she said. For her, the hardware platform seemingly matters more than the software one.
As media executives strive to engage younger audiences, finding the sweet spot for digital video will be critical. Certainly, it’s not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Like the vast breadth of content that appeals to people, different lengths will suit different individuals.
As ever with creative work, this as much an art to finding the right length for video as there is a science. Testing with your audience will always be crucial. However, the success of companies like Complexly and Underknown, and the successful individual pieces of content like the Lucy Bronze interview demonstrates that seven to 15-minute-long videos are a powerful way to get in-depth information to viewers in an accessible format, particularly in the news and explainer genres.
Gen Z gets a bad rap from the news industry. Whether it’s news avoidance, the refusal to pay, or the rise in following news influencers rather than media organizations, myriad issues make it challenging for publishers to build relationships with younger audiences. Yet young audiences will pay for products that add value to their lives.
The belief that younger audiences will engage – and even pay – for media products drove the foundation of Youthquake. Danuta Breguła, MD for Paid Products at Ringier Axel Springer Polska and Liesbeth Nizet, Head of Future Audiences Monetization at Mediahuis nv are the people behind the Substack publication that focuses on how publishers can connect with young people.
Crucially, it’s no longer the case that young people will simply “grow into” paying for news as they get older and have more disposable income. Nizet explained that this is a change that she’s seen over the 15 years she’s worked in journalism. “News is not a destination any more,” she observed. “[Young people] consume news between all the other cool things. That’s why platforms are really interesting for them, because they give you news, but also all the other stuff.”
Although the push to go directly to a news app or site may be lower, Nizet believes that younger audiences can be persuaded to pay for news. That belief drives her work every day at Mediahuis.
“You see that young people want to pay for a new skin in Fortnite, or something on Roblox, or a nice feature on Airbnb for example, because it inspires them, or triggers them,” she explained. “Why aren’t we able to find what triggers them [to pay] for something as important as independent journalism?”
Thinking beyond the article
One issue Nizet highlighted is that many news organizations still think in text and image. Even video on news sites is usually landscape with a clumsy play experience. “It’s not the experience that they have on other platforms, and there is really some space for us,” she emphasized.
Short-form video — in portrait for mobile viewing – is the preferred consumption format for 61% of Gen Z and young millennial consumers surveyed by the Reuters Institute. Short-form text was the next most popular (40%), with long-form text ranking third in young audiences’ preferences (32%).
One example is looking at explainer videos which perform well for creators and influencers. News brands are ideally placed to do well from these, but Nizet said that this requires journalists showing their faces. To engage young news audiences, “we need to show our vulnerability,” she outlined. “We need to show how much effort it is to create a really good article, that it’s not just some piece of content like an influencer unboxing something.”
Nizet pointed to Danish news publisher Zetland as an example of offering alternative formats. Zetland identified that many of its readers wanted to get an update on their commute, and didn’t necessarily want to be looking into their screens. They invested in building an audio app with journalists reading out their stories. Now, 80% of their audience consume the news that way, and 45% of their subscribers are in their 20s and 30s.
Building trust off-platform
As well as innovating around publishers’ own platform experiences, there is value in investing in a presence wherever younger people are, in order to build those relationships. French daily newsbrand Le Monde told Press Gazette that investing in content for primarily Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube had helped initiate relationships with new audiences, who they then saw become paying subscribers after two or three years.
Nizet noted that although the end goal of being visible on social media should be to tease audiences back to publishers’ own work, there is a bigger role at play. “We can show them [on social] what our journalism looks like, how trustworthy it is, how we show different perspectives, and how we make content that is relatable to their world,” she said. “That is what will make them pay for it.”
“They don’t want to pay for some instance that is preaching to them how they need to live their lives. That is often what we still have in traditional media: we are going to tell you how the world is, and how you should think. It worked for other generations, but it doesn’t work for [young people].”
Although younger audiences are more likely to turn to social media for news, they are also very distrustful of the information they find on it. A Gen Z Report from Oliver Wyman Forum & TNM found that Gen Z are almost twice as likely to fact-check news, but also that they trust people like them 2x as much as “mainstream” news outlets.
Another opportunity social platforms present publishers is the ability to engage and interact with young news audiences. This isn’t a new phenomenon, of course. Nizet noted that older generations also comment and read what others are saying with as much interest as the original content.
“We are not just senders, but we act like senders,” Nizet explained. “We see platforms as traffic drivers. But a platform can do so much more than just traffic building. It’s about building trust and engagement, and letting people get to know your journalism.”
Crucially, this requires a re-adjustment of who publishers assess as their competitors. “We’re not competing against [traditional] media any more,” Nizet pointed out. “We are competing against cat movies, and influencer drama… that is the real competition.”
There is a balance to be struck between investing in building audiences on platforms publishers have little control over, and showcasing work to build trust. Nizet draws a clear distinction in her work at Mediahuis. Off-platform is the hook, where the question should be how journalism can be showcased and trust can be build. On-platform is about the reward, the value, the exclusivity and the community.
Looking outside publishing for inspiration
However successful individual publishers might be at attracting younger audiences, Nizet believes that real change will come from looking outside the industry at what works in other areas. This is the focus of her and Breguła’s Youthquake newsletter, and a report on How publishers can grow with today’s youth.
“We really want to go beyond the obvious things. So for example how Taylor Swift or Red Bull can help us understand and monetize younger people,” Nizet said. “There’s also a link between content creators, influencers and news brands…which could offer you a totally different perspective as a journalist than what you are used to, and it can be so enriching.”
It’s a sentiment that Zetland CEO Tav Klitgaard echoed to The Publisher Podcast this week. “The product has to be much better,” he said, referring to news sites and apps. “You have to compete with Spotify and Instagram. You shouldn’t compete with a legacy print paper, and it seems like a lot of people in the media industry are still believing that’s [who] you need to compete with, which is just totally wrong. You need to compete with YouTube.”
A shift in thinking to engage young news audiences
Nizet is optimistic that publishers can build a relationship with younger audiences, even a paying one. She pointed out that there will always be a need for news, and that there is a lot of opportunity for those who can think outside the box.
Crucially, the answer to these challenges won’t come from the way publishers are used to doing things right now. “We need to shift how we think,” Nizet emphasized. “We don’t control the internet… but we can see how we can adapt to it in formats that [young people] like, and stories that they like and feel relatable.
“At some point, they will pay for it. I don’t mean when they are 30 or 35, I mean at the moment that they are feeling the value that we can offer them.”
Building a relationship where that value becomes evident to Gen Z is not a quick task. Strategies put in place now will take years to pay off, as with the example of Le Monde on social media. But it is a vital job that news publishers need to actively be planning for, if they want young audiences to pay for news in the future.
Understanding the difference between having an audience and building a community isn’t just semantics—it’s a strategic necessity. With social referral traffic declining, third-party cookies being (semi) deprecated, and generative AI reshaping search, media organizations must reclaim their communities from third-party platforms. By fostering deeper engagement and stronger loyalty, they can create sustainable revenue streams and drive long-term growth.
Arc XP recently hosted a webinar featuring Mark Zohar, President and CEO of Viafoura, to explore how publishers can cultivate thriving communities. Below, we break down the key insights, strategies, and real-world examples that highlight why community-building is essential for long-term success.
Why community matters more than ever
Traditional approaches to audience acquisition, like relying on social media platforms for referral traffic, are no longer reliable. Social networks like Facebook and X are sending less traffic to publishers, and the rise of alternative content platforms like Substack and podcasts has further fragmented media consumption. Meanwhile, changes in Google’s search algorithms, which prioritizes user-generated content and community engagement, are shifting how audiences discover information.
Anthony DeRosa, former Head of Content and Product at ON_Discourse, expresses the urgency of this shift when he said, “Media companies should own their audiences. They’ve allowed tech companies to steal their content and monetize it by providing a platform for readers to discuss it. How absurd is that?”
The solution? Own your audience. Create spaces where audiences don’t just consume content—they engage with it, discuss it, and contribute to the discourse. As Mark Zohar put it, “An audience listens, while a community interacts, shares, and grows together.”
The benefits of community-building
An effective community strategy provides tangible benefits, including:
Higher Engagement & Retention – Community members spend 5.3x more time on-site and visit more frequently than anonymous users.
Increased Conversions – A strong community drives higher registration and subscription rates, with members being 31% more likely to pay for a subscription.
Reduced Churn – Engaged community members are 2.5x less likely to unsubscribe compared to passive readers.
Better First-Party Data – Communities provide valuable user insights, helping media organizations develop targeted advertising and personalized campaigns.
Stronger SEO – Google now prioritizes user-generated content, meaning active community engagement can significantly boost search rankings.
The Financial Times’ Next Gen News: Understanding the audiences of 2030 study found that younger, digitally native audiences are particularly drawn to participatory experiences. Many skip over full articles and head straight to the comments section to gauge the conversation. For them, community interaction isn’t just a feature, it’s the primary draw.
Building a community: the TRIBE framework
To successfully transition from an audience to a community, Zohar introduced the TRIBE framework, originally developed by Greg Isenberg, CEO of LateCheckout and former TikTok and Reddit Advisor. This framework serves as a guide for media organizations to evaluate how they are fostering community within their brand. TRIBE stands for:
Togetherness – Are we creating spaces where users can engage directly with our content and each other?
Rituals – What habits or recurring experiences keep our users coming back, such as weekly Q&As or interactive polls?
Identity – How are we fostering a sense of belonging through shared interests and values?
Belonging – Are we giving users a reason to feel invested in our community’s success?
Engagement – What opportunities are we providing for active participation, from commenting to user-generated content?
Leveraging the creator economy
A thriving community attracts creators, influencers, and contributors who can help expand reach and enrich discussions. To tap into this potential, media brands should actively collaborate with content creators, bringing fresh perspectives and loyal audiences into their ecosystems. This can be achieved through partnerships on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, as well as influencer collaborations within their own channels. By offering monetization opportunities and fostering engagement-driven spaces, media brands can encourage influencers to participate directly on their platforms rather than relying solely on external networks.
Examples of media brands successfully leveraging the creator economy include:
Yahoo for Creators – A platform that offers writers a community to share expertise and connect with engaged readers.
Forbes Contributor Network – A model where industry experts contribute content while benefiting from Forbes’ audience reach.
Community-building is a strategic priority
Community-building isn’t just about engagement. It is a direct driver of business growth. Organizations that invest in fostering vibrant communities see measurable benefits across key revenue and operational metrics:
Higher Revenue Per User – Community members generate 5x more revenue than general audiences.
Registration Growth – Implementing community features can double registration rates by offering a compelling value exchange.
Sustained Engagement – For some early adopters, community interactions now drive over 30% of total site registrations.
A well-designed community strategy transforms media brands from content distributors into engagement hubs, where audiences aren’t just passive consumers but active participants contributing to the brand’s success.
Foundations for a successful community strategy
For media brands looking to build a thriving community, success depends on three core pillars:
Intention – Community-building must be treated as a business strategy, not an afterthought. Define clear goals, KPIs, and secure executive buy-in to ensure long-term commitment.
Cultivation – A strong community is built on trust and inclusivity. Active moderation, clear user guidelines, and engagement incentives create a safe space where discussions flourish.
Operationalization – A community can’t sustain itself without consistent efforts. Media organizations must develop editorial playbooks, monetization models, and regular engagement cadences to ensure continued growth and participation.
The path forward: own your audience
Media companies can no longer afford to rely on third-party platforms to engage their audiences. Instead, they must take control by fostering direct relationships through community-driven experiences.
The future of media isn’t just about publishing content. It is about facilitating conversations, connections, and shared experiences. By embracing community-building as a core strategy, publishers can create deeper loyalty, drive sustainable revenue, and future-proof their businesses in an era of increasing digital fragmentation.
