• by Wayne Friedman , 10 hours ago

Only 10% of people ages 18-24 watched any local news content within a given week, according to research from a September survey commissioned by Ring Digital. This further emphasizes a trend of young media consumers moving to digital media platforms.

This comparesto 64% of older TV viewers  65 years and up who watched local news in a given September weekly period.

A more specific question focused on how much they watch of a local TV newscast, with the finding that 14% of young viewers saying they watch some news content on that platform. compared to 52% for older (65 and up) viewers.

When asked on which channels, apps and platforms news content was viewed on, 30% of those surveyed cited local TV station news broadcasts in a given week. 

Right behind local TV was Fox News Channel (29%), followed by ABC News Live (25%), a free ad-supported/streaming television (FAST) channel, CNN, and NBC News Now (18%), another FAST channel.

A broader look at traditional TV in general, says 31% of 18- to-24-year-olds watch TV “every day," while viewers 65 years and up came in at 81% when it comes to watching TV “every day”.

So where do young viewers get the news on digital media platforms? 

That remains social media, in particular one major brand:  60% of 18- to-24-year-olds watched TikTok on their mobile devices for news content. (It was 11% for those 65 years and older).

Research comes from 1,376 U.S. adults 18 years and older in September weighted to 2023 U.S. Census population survey by age and gender -- 18-24 (105); 25-64 (965); and those 65 and older (306).