Where do Gen Z get their news from? And what does this mean for the comms industry moving forward?
It is a truth universally acknowledged that we now function in an ever-dwindling attention economy. Visibility and engagement act as currency for brands, and more and more stunts have to be pulled to get an audience's attention amidst the bedlam of social media, AI slop ads and general noise.
While millennials and Gen Xers have witnessed this change in real time, this chaotic media landscape is bread and butter for most Gen Zers, who are used to navigating their way through socials to find the content they actually want to engage with. There is a lot of commentary on Gen Z's short attention span, but could it be that they're actually better equipped than most to navigate today's fragmented media landscape?
This raises some interesting questions: where does Gen Z turn for news? Which sources do they trust, how do they separate fact from fiction, and what influences the stories they engage with? And, perhaps most importantly, what can B2B Comms & PR teams learn from the way they consume information?
Rather than speculate, we thought we'd go straight to the source and ask Resonance's own Gen Zers how they consume their news. Their answers offer some useful insight into where younger audiences are turning and what this means for the future of communications.
The behemoth: social media
A common way that Gen Z finds news stories is, of course, social media. For a channel with so much influence on how young people decide to live their lives, from what clothes to wear to which career path they should pursue, it is no surprise that Gen Z also go to social media to help them decide which news stories are worth their attention.
Enter the Instagram account @sh*tyoushouldcareabout. For one of Resonance's resident Gen Zers, this does what it says on the tin: it deciphers and cuts up news stories with a human impact. This kind of account is popular because it takes a clear view on what's actually important amongst the constant chatter.
For one of Resonance's Account Directors, TikTok and Instagram act as their modern-day daily newspaper. Because of the visual nature of the news stories, they are the most "eye grabbing", with the gist of the story "easy to digest". While some prefer a journalist explaining the story to them (see Vic Derbyshire of BBC Newsnight, with over 500,000 followers), others prefer the content of veritable, well-loved and trusted platforms like BBC News and the Independent.
As well as the visual, eye-catching nature of what's on social media, ease and convenience are also a factor. For another resident Gen Zer, "I consume news on [social media] daily, without actively seeking it out". Herein lies another feature of social media news: the algorithm feeds you exactly what you are interested in without you having to lift a finger.
With so much choice when it comes to consuming news, it's perhaps unsurprising that some Gen Zers are gravitating towards a smaller number of familiar sources. In a world of endless scrolling and information overload, sticking to a handful of trusted outlets can feel like a welcome shortcut. But there's a potential downside: relying on a limited number of sources, particularly those shaped by algorithms, risks creating an echo chamber. When your feed is tailored to your interests and existing beliefs, how much of the bigger picture are you actually seeing? And are you getting a balanced view of the stories that matter?
Podcasts over broadcast
Interestingly, none of the Gen Zers we spoke to actively sought out news through traditional broadcast media, such as television or radio. This reflects a wider shift in news consumption habits. According to Ofcom research, the role of Public Service Broadcasters in keeping audiences informed is declining, with BBC One, ITV and Channel 4 all experiencing a drop in news usage since 2019.
Something which seems to be taking over from the role of PSBs is news podcasts, with the Financial Times' 10-minute News Briefing popular with a handful of the Resonance team. This short and snappy style of news, along with longer-form, opinion-based podcasts such as The News Agents and The Rest is Politics, act for Gen Z as the opinion section of the Sunday Times used to, giving expert-led opinions from trustworthy sources.
For the PR and communications industry, the growing popularity of podcasts is something we can no longer afford to overlook. As audiences move away from traditional broadcast formats, understanding whose voices they trust and where they turn for informed opinions has become increasingly important. Podcasts offer brands an opportunity to reach audiences through trusted voices and more meaningful conversations.
What all this means for comms and B2B
So, what does all this mean for the communications industry? How does Gen Z want brands to communicate with them, and what kind of stories are they actually interested in hearing?
There isn't a one size fits all answer, but the recent Deliveroo x Tesco collaboration launch offers an interesting example. Using an iconic 2000s Cheryl Cole meme, Deliveroo announced that Tesco products were now available on the platform. The response has been hugely positive, with one of Resonance’s Gen Zers calling it “the campaign of the year”. While not every campaign needs a viral meme or a celebrity cameo, its success demonstrates the power of culturally relevant, short-form content to get people talking about a brand. And what Gen Z finds engaging is what will really differentiate itself.
This shift isn't just relevant for consumer brands. Gen Z is increasingly shaping the B2B buying landscape, too. According to LinkedIn research, nearly 9 in 10 (89%) B2B marketers say future growth depends on influencing Gen Z and Millennial decision makers. The industry clearly recognises the importance of reaching these audiences, but understanding what captures their attention and how this translates into effective communications strategies is another matter.
For the PR and communications industry, the challenge is to ensure we are communicating with future industry leaders in a way that actually resonates with them today. LinkedIn's research also suggests that short-form immersive video (49%) and content from expert voices (42%) are among the most effective ways to engage Gen Z buyers. This echoes what we've seen in our own team's news habits: attention-grabbing content may draw people in, but it's trusted voices and meaningful information that keep them engaged.
The implications for B2B communications are clear. It's no longer enough to rely on traditional corporate messaging or assume that a business audience will engage simply because the subject matter is relevant. Whether through LinkedIn, industry podcasts, expert-led video or earned media, brands need to meet Gen Z where they are, with content that is considered, credible, and creative.
