Introducing newspapers to the next generation

If you asked someone of Gen Z (born between 1997-2012) where they get their news, many of them would likely say social media — at least, that's been my experience when asking this question. As a Millennial myself, I know that many people in my generation are also social media news consumers. While social media is a useful outlet for disseminating news, it can also be a breeding ground for rumors and flat-out disinformation. This is a battle we face every day, and one that doesn't seem likely to resolve any time soon. With that in mind, I've given some thought to ways we can introduce — or reintroduce — newspapers to a younger crowd. At the Times News, we've recently embraced a couple opportunities to do just that. This past Wednesday, we hosted the fourth annual Six Rivers Media College Media Day, during which local students spent a day learning more about careers in journalism from people who are on the ground working these jobs every day. Our editors and reporters — many of whom are young and can relate to the college audience — led sessions on first job prep, beat reporting, public records requests, photography and more. We concluded the day with a mock press conference and an AP style bowl, where students could put some of their own skills into practice. While I unfortunately had to miss this year's event, I heard we had an engaged group of students from East Tennessee State University, Milligan University, Emory & Henry University and Northeast State Community College, and hopefully we convinced at least a few of them to pursue this noble profession — or at least pick up a newspaper next time they come across a newsstand. Earlier this fall, we also welcomed a work-based learning student from Dobyns-Bennett High School. Siah Owen is a senior at D-B, and you may have already seen his byline on a few stories in recent weeks. Siah has gotten a chance to job shadow all our reporters and immerse himself in the day-to-day happenings of a newsroom, while also earning class credit. I'm in my first year serving as a mentor through this program, and I can already say it's been both eye-opening and rewarding. We are, of course, also active online and on social media — specifically Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and occasionally TikTok — but I'm still of the belief that there is value in a print newspaper. Many people my age and younger grew up seeing a newspaper in the homes of their parents or grandparents — myself included. It's not too late to instill that habit in the homes of Millennials and older Gen Z's who are starting families of their own. As we continue to look for ways to grow and diversify our audience, I'd love to hear your ideas. Those of you who are parents or grandparents to teenagers or young adults: What kinds of topics are they interested in? What would they like to see in a newspaper? What can we do to better reach the next generation? You can reach out to me any time at hviers@sixriversmedia.com. Holly Viers is the managing editor of the Kingsport Times News.