Young Audiences Seminar

How can news media break through to a generation that lives in vertical video, demands authenticity, and values community over institutions? This rapid fire case study packed seminar explores how Gen Z and millennial engagement has evolved over the past years, from TikTok-native formats and Discord communities to peer-driven storytelling and identity-first journalism. Learn how publishers are building trust through interactive formats, co-creating with young voices, and experimenting with youth bundles, newsletters, and creator-style memberships. With short-form video, purpose-led coverage, and platform fluency now central to success, this session showcases the global innovations turning next-gen audiences into loyal participants. Walk away with the insights and inspiration to future-proof your connection with tomorrow’s news consumers.

Location:
Hotel Adlon Kempinski
Unter den Linden 77, Berlin

Young audiences aren't hard to reach. They're hard to reach with journalism that wasn't built for them. This session opens the day with a frank look at where the industry actually stands and why so many well-resourced newsrooms are still struggling to connect with audiences who consume more news than ever. INMA will draw on real-world cases to map the shifts that matter: how trust is built differently now, why identity and participation have replaced passive consumption, and why you can no longer expect audiences to find you.

UseTheNews, led by dpa, brings together research and real-world experiments to help publishers connect with the next generation of news consumers. Vanessa Bitter shares hands-on examples from the UseTheNews initiative, highlighting how publishers are connecting with younger audiences today. The session also touches on media literacy and why it's become central to any serious young audiences strategy. Expect practical cases, real results, and clear takeaways you can apply in your own newsroom.

Younger audiences aren’t disengaged from news — they’re overwhelmed and highly intentional in how they consume it. Drawing on insights from FT Strategies’ latest research, Next Gen News 2, this session explores how behaviours are shifting across platforms, formats and trust models, and what this means for publishers. From “scroll” to “sensemake,” the findings unpack the emerging modes of engagement shaping the future of news, alongside the strategies publishers need to cut through the noise, build trust and stay relevant.

Rainer Esser and Shruti Gottipati come together for a cross-generational conversation on the future of media leadership. As younger audiences reshape how news is consumed and trusted, what does it take to adapt — not just in content, but in how organisations are built and led? What can legacy learn from entrepreneurial journalism and what can media start-ups learn from legacy? And what happens when legacy media and entrepreneurial journalism stop talking past each other and actually compare notes? A candid exchange on experience, innovation, and what comes next.

Reaching young audiences isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing things differently. This session explores new formats, fresh thinking, and bold experiments redefining how journalism connects with the next generation.

A final reflection on the ideas, insights, and next steps for reaching the next generation.