Social media top news source for GenZs: Google & Kantar report

Social media is the leading source of news for 91% of Gen Zs, says a new report from Google and Kantar.

Bridging the Gap: Reimagining News for Gen Z sheds light on how this generation is reshaping news consumption. The multi-module study, which included a qualitative exploration, as well as a survey of over 4,000 Gen Z respondents (ages 15-28) across 40 markets and 8 language clusters, finds that Gen Z's relationship with news is changing.

Key insights into Gen Z's news habits

A push-based, always-on generation
● 96% of Gen Z news readers are digital natives. (Kantar ICUBE Urban 2024)
● For a majority (65%), news discovery is incidental and happens during moments like idle scrolling.
● Social media (91%) and video platforms (88%) are the leading sources for news.

Creators capture eyeballs, but trust rests with institutions

● Gen Z's feeds are a blend of news organisations, creators, and meme pages.
● They are more likely to follow creators (48% for niche or civic creators) than news organisations (43%). Creators are highly effective at capturing attention by delivering content in engaging formats, using an approachable tone, and providing immersive narratives.
● However, when it comes to trust, traditional news organisations triumph with 47% trust for news organisations vs. 38% for civic news creators and 39% for niche creators.

Language preferences are driven by format

● Gen Z prefers English for reading articles (42%) but strongly favours local languages for audio and video content (56% for videos and 57% for audio).
● This preference is fueled by local languages being ‘easier to understand’ (62%), ‘easier to share with family and friends’ (62%), and a stronger emotional connect (55%).

AI is a tool for accessibility
● A vast majority of Gen Z (84%) have used Generative AI tools to dive further into news they come across and bridge gaps in comprehension and accessibility.
● They use it to get quick answers (43%), simplify complex topics (38%), and translate content (36%).

Biswapriya Bhattacharjee, Director - B2B & Technology, Insight Division, Kantar, said, “This generation, which is 86 million strong, isn’t just consuming news; they’re curating their own experience of it. Gen Z expects news to be credible, but also emotionally resonant, visually engaging, and deeply relevant to their everyday lives.”

“Our collaboration with Google has helped surface powerful insights into how publishers can evolve - not by abandoning journalistic rigour, but by adapting formats, tones, and platforms to meet Gen Z on their terms. For newsrooms, this is more than a challenge - it’s a moment of reinvention."

Durga Raghunath, Head of News Partnerships, Google India, said, "Gen Z is actively shaping culture and conversation, presenting a powerful new dynamic for news organisations. This is a generation that wants news that is accurate, trustworthy, and emotionally engaging.”

“The study underscores that to genuinely connect with this audience, it is critical to adapt storytelling and formats to be native to their digital lives. With this report, our aim is to surface critical insights that empower publishers to build new and lasting connections by meeting this audience where they are and in a way that builds trust for the long term," adds Raghunath.

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