Journalism on social media to translate news to young people

The youngest editorial team in the Netherlands: that is what the recently launched youth news platform SPIL* promises to be. The editorial team, all under thirty, enthusiastically announce their planned videos at the modest launch in an Amsterdam restaurant, such as a week without American products, and vlogging to interview politicians at the Binnenhof. The editorial team is keen to hear what the attendees miss when it comes to news for young people. “How does that work at your editorial team?”, the press present is asked.

SPIL* was officially launched this week by the Belgian company Mediahuis, a major player in the Dutch media sector with newspapers such as De Telegraaf and NRC and radio stations such as Radio Veronica and SLAM!. The new platform will not only make videos for TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, but also release podcasts. The aim is to reach young people, a difficult target group for traditional news media. Research by SPIL* shows that there is news poverty among young people. More than half of 15 to 25 year olds indicate that they want to be better informed about current affairs.

The urgency was underlined again this week by the Reuters Digital News Report , which warned that interest in, use of and trust in news is declining among young people. While the 2024 report already showed that almost 80 percent of young people use social media to follow the news, it now appears that media consumption among young people is not improving as they get older. The Dutch Media Authority warns that Big Tech is becoming the gatekeeper of the news, which reduces the control of traditional journalistic institutions. It therefore calls on news media to look for ways to develop news in forms that appeal to all generations.

SPIL* is one of the initiatives that have been developed in recent years to get young people more interested in news. In 2023, the Foundation for Democracy and Media supported the social media channel Snackpaper, which wanted to make newspapers more accessible to young people. Another example is NOS Stories, which posts short news videos and has 1.2 million followers on Instagram. Cestmocro, which is not part of an established media company, is also an important source of news for many young people. “Young people often consume their news via social media,” confirms SPIL* editor-in-chief Sophie Kluivers. “Many news media just don’t offer it in a form that appeals to young people.”

Irene Costera Meijer, professor of journalism at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam with a specialization in youth news, emphasizes the shift from news consumption to social media. “Because young people receive all kinds of information via social media, they think they are well informed. But social media often lacks explanation and background. In addition, the algorithms of social media are not made for news, because entertainment and extremism are given priority over hard news facts. As a result, the news supply is easily manipulated, without young people realizing it.”

That is why traditional news media should take responsibility and appeal to young people with new forms of storytelling, according to Costera Meijer. "Young people still have the most confidence in newspapers, but they don't read them. Newspapers should use this to attract young people. They should think about new ways to present news: with images, understandable language and personal presentation."

Costera Meijer sees only a few news brands that do this well. “NOSStories was one of the first and has become very good at their form, which is why they retain their popularity. But Cestmocro also knows how to appeal to young people in their own way. These media give them the feeling that the news is made for them. The topics are within their world of experience and they feel part of the target group.”

SPIL* has not yet built up a permanent audience, and must first prove itself. Sophie Kluivers says that the platform wants to distinguish itself by trying out new video formats, based on social media trends. “Our editors bring the news personally and use a vlog style,” she says. These are narrative formats that are also popular elsewhere, that have been copied from influencers. “On social media, you do have to use an audio and video strategy. This not only fits the algorithm, but also ties in with the media behavior of young people.”

In addition, SPIL* is fully committed to journalistic transparency. “Trust in the media is low and we want to eliminate that by involving the viewer in the process,” says Kluivers. “We are looking for ways to involve young people in the platform. We do not just want to broadcast the news, but involve our target group in our reporting. We attach great value to that. We ask young people what is going on in their lives and emphasize the personal relevance of topics for young people.”

SPIL* follows in the footsteps of Snackpaper, which brought newspaper journalism closer to young people by summarizing background articles and long reads in audiovisual form. Founder Janna Nieuwenhuijzen was initially a journalist at Het Parool (part of DPG Media), but struggled with the lack of attention paid by traditional news media to appealing to young people. “It is ten past twelve for traditional media: there is a gap between the news consumption of readers and the news provision of newspapers. With Snackpaper I tried to build a bridge.”

Snackpaper was only active on Instagram and TikTok, where young people spend most of their time. However, Nieuwenhuijzen does not want social media to become the new news platforms, because this is at the expense of journalism. "We should mainly use social media to reach the public. News provision via social media is not desirable: it lacks nuance. You want to appeal to the public and then take them to the platforms where journalism can come into its own, for example the apps of the newspapers themselves."

Because Nieuwenhuijzen realized that Snackpaper did not solve the problem, the platform is now inactive. “Snackpaper was a big experiment, to see if quality journalism could be packaged as social media content. But I did not want to compete with the established news media.” According to Nieuwenhuijzen, it is more important that the traditional news media are shaken up. “Snackpaper made me realize that change has to come from within. We have to strengthen the foundation of the established news media, not only because it is their responsibility, but also because journalistic institutions are in danger of disappearing otherwise.”

That realization has also sunk in among established news media themselves. Nieuwenhuijzen put himself on the map with Snackpaper, and recently took on a new position as 'Head of Future Audiences' at DPG Media. "At DPG, we are developing a long-term strategy to build a sustainable relationship with new audiences, including young people. I am pleased that the urgency is now being recognized."

While Mediahuis is trying to appeal to young people with the new SPIL* initiative, DPG is tackling it internally. “We want to bring young people back to traditional media, but in forms that fit the needs of young people.”

Other newspaper companies are also looking for new ways to reach young people. For example, NRC set up a video editorial team this spring, which translates stories from editors into videos on social media. "We are trying to reach the target group that is not naturally inclined to read a newspaper," says editor-in-chief Patricia Veldhuis. "This is new to us. NOS is already used to working with images, we are now rapidly figuring that out. With the videos on Instagram and TikTok, we are trying to introduce young people to NRC journalism, just as many new subscribers have gotten to know us in recent years through our podcasts, such as 'NRC Vandaag'.

Despite the threats that social media pose to the newspapers' revenue model, Veldhuis believes it is necessary to offer news in this form. "It is free, but it is a long-term investment. In order to continue to fulfill our journalistic duty, we want to involve young people in what is happening in the world and what this means. We want to keep them informed and give them something to hold on to, in whatever form."

Costera Meijer does not yet see the ambition of the media companies reflected in their approach. "The newspapers in particular are lagging behind. A cultural shift is really needed there, and that is difficult. They are not putting their full energy into it." Small social media editorial teams with communication specialists will not lead that shift. "The most experienced journalists, the best storytellers, should be there," says UvA professor Costera Meijer. "They know how to transform complex stories and retain attention. Even if this has to be in a 60-second TikTok. This is the only way to attract the attention of young people, without this being at the expense of depth."