To get information, Italians use different channels and means: if social media represents the primary source of information for young Gen Zs, Baby Boomers are still tied to the use of traditional media such as radio and television. Millennials are somewhere in between, combining TV with online publications. This is what emerges from the research «News consumption in the age of platforms and the role of public service» created by Ce.RTA (Centre for research on television and audiovisuals of the Catholic University) and anticipated by ItaliaOggi.
In short, the way in which we inform ourselves about what is happening in Italy and in the world changes depending on the generation to which we belong: for those born between 1997 and 2012, social networks such as Instagram and TikTok represent the average par excellence, while for the 61-79 age group, television news and print media constitute the most authoritative sources of information. As regards Millennials (1981-1996), however, the Internet and social networks such as Facebook and Youtube remain central, even if television remains a reference from the point of view of trust.
Gen Z informs themselves on social networks such as Instagram and TikTok
Generation Z, therefore, obtains information mainly thanks to social media, especially Instagram and TikTok, by consulting the profiles of newspapers. Above all, we like news related to society as a whole: among the sources recognized as most reliable by the sample interviewed, we at Geopop are also there, together with the online newspaper Tgcom24.
The research shows that for younger people “the preferred information is rapid, updated, personalized and dynamic on a formal level”, with news that “is received by scrolling through the feed on social media rather than actively sought”.
The mixed approach to information of Millennials: a mix of Internet and TV
The situation changes slightly with regards to Millennilas, i.e. those born between 1981 and 1996: while on the one hand the 29-44 year olds mostly get their information online, with Sky Tg24 and news agencies considered as the most authoritative sources, this generation “feels at the mercy of a fake, elusive, relentless information system, where it is difficult to find points of reference”. And given that Millennials grew up with television, Rai «is still perceived as a point of reference», while the character who became famous on TV and is now active on social media has become «the main driver of trust».
The Baby Boomers and the relationship with TV, radio and press
Finally, the Baby Boomers, i.e. the generation born during the years of the economic boom (1946-1964): for this age group, television is the means par excellence for obtaining information and understanding what is happening in the world. More generally, in addition to television, radio and print media also remain central: «TV, radio and press are the means capable of combining habit, ease of access and a credit of trust accumulated over time that is constantly renewed, thanks to the presence of well-known and familiar faces on the small screen». The Internet and, more generally, social media, however, still play a marginal role.
