With traditional news consumption declining amongst younger demographics, Sheffield University students reveal their true feelings towards the news.
In 2019, a report found that 18-24 year-olds are becoming increasingly disconnected from mainstream news media. Lack of relevance, diversity of opinion, and trust were all reasons cited as to why traditional news outlets are failing to engage younger audiences. This has raised concerns that this generation are much less informed on important matters such as politics than they ought to be, and ultimately begs the question: do students and young people care about the news at all? We interviewed 12 Sheffield students of differing courses and year groups to find out.
Of the twelve students surveyed, only two said that they regularly watch the news on TV, with 10 only occasionally watching or not watching at all. In contrast, nine said that they regularly read the news online, with three only occasionally reading or not reading at all. This suggests that it is not for a lack of interest that is turning young people away from the mainstream media. This is backed up by the responses to the following question, which asked if students proactively sought out the news or if the news found them: nine said they actively sought out the news and three stated that they were more passive receivers of news.
The clear indication is that students do care about the news, but the way in which they want to receive it is changing. Students are far more interested in reading the news themselves online, either on websites or on social media. More than just the medium however, it appears many students are also discontented with the content and style of national news stories.
Regarding relevance, the sample was fairly evenly divided in that five felt most national news stories were relevant to them and their interests, whilst seven felt that most were irrelevant or only somewhat relevant. This split demonstrates that there is certainly a chasm opening between students and the types of stories that make the news, with a majority feeling disconnected or distant. When quizzed further, it was found that a significant reason for this was because of dissatisfaction with the media’s focus on particular issues.
For well over a week, the Gary Lineker controversy dominated headlines and news bulletins to such an extent that the scandal could be said to have taken precedence over the Illegal Migration Bill, the document that Lineker’s comments referred to. It was found that celebrity scandals such as this were a massive turn-off from the national news for many of the students. Half said that they were not interested in the story at all and believed that the media should be focusing on more important issues.
The same amount, half, also stated that they were distrustful and sceptical of the mainstream media due to such focus. Jack, a third-year Law student said: “It’s less about relevance and it’s more about certain issues serving as a distraction from what’s important.” Indeed, ‘distraction’ was a recurring theme in many of the students’ testimonies.
Jonathan, a second-year English Literature student, said: “It makes me angry when outrage is used to obscure the true story, usually to protect the government from criticism.”
In the context of Linekergate, media focus on the outrage provoked by his tweets could be argued to be a distraction from the details of the Illegal Migration Bill itself and the UK Government’s potential breach of international human rights law. On the 10 o’clock news, Gary Lineker’s tweets about the bill was the BBC’s number one headline, rather than the details of the bill itself. In this sense, the BBC is arguably not as impartial as it claims to be, and instead often functions to shield the government from criticism.
This appears to have shaken students’ trust in the mainstream media. Krissi, a second-year Geography student, said: “I think it diverts attention and causes more harm than good. It definitely turns me off from the news.”
Similarly, another student, who preferred to remain anonymous, said: “I think the way stories are prioritised is biased and directional.” This goes someway in illustrating students’ distaste for the national media and the kind of stories that make headline news.
Nevertheless, a third of the students said that they had mixed feelings about such stories. Those in this bracket were somewhat invested in Linekergate and were keen to emphasise that media focus on scandals is often necessary for attracting a wider audience.
Another student who wished to remain anonymous, studying History in their second-year, said: “I think a certain amount of scandal is good for drawing people in,” whilst Frances, a second-year Sociology student, said: “I think there’s two-sides to it. It can increase the interest in the story but it does expose something dubious about journalism as only stories about celebrities can get headlines.”
However, one of the students we spoke to, Sarah, a fourth-year Medicine student, was keen to defend the media’s focus on Linekergate. They said: “I followed the story and actually found it important. There were subsequent articles released from BBC whistle-blowers that Tory MPs choose headlines for them, which I think is important to be known.”
Indeed, in this instance, the story of Linekergate serves as an example of how such issues can actually be greatly beneficial for public education. By reporting on the silencing of Lineker, the media was able to inform the public on the issue of freedom of speech, exposing how media ‘impartiality’ can hinder public education by silencing the views of those who disagree with the political consensus.
The responses from students we spoke to therefore demonstrate one of the ways in which students and the public can miss out on important information by virtue of their distaste for the content and style of the news. Ultimately, the example of Linekergate underlines why students and young people today are likely to be sceptical of the mainstream media, but why we ought to not let this prevent us from learning the important lessons that can still be found in major news stories.