2025 Reuters Institute Digital News Report,<\/a> 33% of South Africans receive their news from TikTok, while 42% rely on YouTube. This reflects a broader continental trend, with 44% of Africans aged 18 to 24 identifying digital platforms as their primary source of news.<\/p>\nThe result is a growing disconnect between young audiences and traditional media outlets. Many young people favour content that feels personal and direct, fuelling a global move toward personality-driven journalism. Influencers and independent creators often receive greater engagement than established news outlets. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe myth is that young people don’t consume media [and] news or read a lot. The reality is that they do, but have a different view of what, how and where they should find and consume it,\u201d said Anton Harber, author and former professor at the University of the Witwatersrand and of the Mail & Guardian.<\/p>\n
Young people consume considerable amounts of media, but their consumption patterns differ from older generations, Harber explained. Journalists are struggling to connect with them on the platforms and through the formats they prefer. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a disconnect between journalists and young audiences, largely being filled by influencers and chancers who often pretend to be doing journalism but have none of the verification processes, rules and ethics of journalism.\u201d<\/p>\n
Digital platforms have introduced speed and reach, breaking down the traditional gatekeepers of information. This has expanded access to news, but it has also blurred the lines between credible reporting and unverified content. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe are flooded by a rich mix of information and disinformation. We have less quality, in-depth, probing journalism and less capacity to know what is true or fake,\u201d Harber said.<\/p>\n
South Africa reflects the global anxiety over misinformation. In its 2025 report, the Reuters Institute notes that 73% of South Africans are concerned about their ability to discern real from fake information online. This is on par with the United States and Nigeria, but well above the global average of 58%.<\/p>\n
In addition, the report shows that 55% of South Africans trust the news most of the time, placing the country fifth out of the 48 surveyed. This indicates that trust in news remains relatively strong, but it is steadily declining from the 61% recorded in 2022.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere has been a deliberate campaign to undermine trust in traditional media for malicious and disruptive purposes, often by governments and organisations attempting to undermine democracy by flooding the zone with disinformation,\u201d Harber said.<\/p>\n
Mistrust has been amplified by social media algorithms that prioritise aggravating content. Rather than offering clarity, these platforms contribute to information fatigue and deepen public scepticism. \u201cSocial media has facilitated this by using algorithms that favour information that is disruptive, conflictual and anxiety-inducing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite Harber\u2019s concerns about the structural risks of algorithmic media, the fast-paced and personalised nature of social media platforms continues to appeal to many young South Africans.<\/p>\n
Farhana Essop, a law and politics student, said she receives most of her news on Instagram. She explained that she is interested in current affairs but finds traditional forms of news outdated and \u201cunengaging\u201d.<\/p>\n
Essop also believes that some newsrooms contain biases, which become embedded into the news published for public consumption.<\/p>\n
For her, social media is a reliable alternative because it can provide diverse perspectives and first-hand accounts of situations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of people who are dedicated to giving you both sides and showing you what\u2019s actually happening,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Despite the risk of misinformation online, Essop believes the interactive nature of social media provides more context and clarity than traditional media.<\/p>\n
For Sydney, a psychology student, the constant stream of information \u2014 however accessible \u2014 can be overwhelming. She believes that staying informed is important, but not at the expense of mental wellbeing.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to be knowledgeable to some extent about what\u2019s going on. There are real problems. We need to be aware of that. But when it gets to a point where it affects your mental health and it affects how you perceive certain things \u2014 or it clashes with your views \u2014 you can distance yourself from it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Sydney believes that reporting on sensitive topics objectively can underplay the experiences of those affected. This can unintentionally distance readers from the story.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of [journalists] target very personal and intimate topics from an objective point of view, and some things can\u2019t be looked at objectively. When you don\u2019t regard the human aspect of [news], it becomes very impersonal.\u201d <\/p>\n
Shiloh Marsh, a third-year media student, believes the way news is delivered plays a crucial role in how young people engage with it. <\/p>\n
Marsh receives news from multiple sources, including Eyewitness New<\/em>s, public broadcaster SABC<\/em> as well as The Sun<\/em> and The Citizen<\/em>.<\/p>\nTo reconnect with young people, Marsh thinks media houses should employ young reporters and news anchors. \u201cIt\u2019s very much the same people that you saw from 20 years ago. We need new faces to interest us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marsh says news should be kept easy to understand, and argues that some journalists ask interviewees over-complicated questions and write in jargon that makes news inaccessible for young people. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think there\u2019s a huge gap between how the news is told versus how young people interpret it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The challenge lies in the media\u2019s resistance to change, Harber contends. Newsrooms must move beyond rigid, formulaic practices and adopt storytelling formats that reflect how young audiences connect with information today. <\/p>\n
To rebuild trust and remain relevant, journalism must embrace approaches that prioritise transparency and conversation. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe research shows that young people want to see the faces of those bringing them information [to] identify with them and \u2014 most of all \u2014 they must be authentic. [Young people] want conversations, not lectures,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
South Africa\u2019s youngest news consumers are disengaging from traditional journalism. Instead, they rely on digital platforms that prioritise speed, user choice and algorithmic influence, often at the expense of credibility and sustained attention. According to the 2025 Reuters Institute Digital News Report, 33% of South Africans receive their news from TikTok, while 42% rely on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":256,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1577"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1577"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1577\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1578,"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1577\/revisions\/1578"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}