Redefining Local: How Young Americans Engage with Television News Across Platforms

Why It Matters

The findings highlight a pivotal shift: local TV must pivot to mobile‑first, socially‑driven strategies to capture Gen Z’s attention and preserve its community‑building mission.

Key Takeaways

• Young adults primarily consume local news via mobile apps and social platforms.
• Only 27% watch local TV; phones dominate news consumption.
• Social video drives high post‑view engagement, prompting further content exploration.
• Local anchors remain most trusted source, outpacing influencers and podcasters.
• Vertical video and platform‑specific production essential for reaching Gen Z.

Summary

The Harvard Kennedy School’s Shornstein Center presented findings from the Reinventing Local TV News project, which examined how Americans aged 18‑34 engage with local television news across digital platforms. Researchers embedded fellows in newsrooms in New York, Chicago and Boston, surveyed over a thousand young adults, and analyzed consumption habits, platform preferences, and trust metrics. Key insights reveal that mobile devices are the primary gateway to local news, with only 27% of respondents still watching on traditional TV. Social platforms—YouTube, Instagram, TikTok—rank high in weekly news diets, and 94% of viewers seek additional information after watching a local news clip on social media, indicating that social video serves as an entry point rather than a dead end. Trust remains a strong asset: local news anchors are viewed as more reliable than influencers or podcasters. Notable quotes underscore the shift: a participant noted, “We just want it on our phones immediately, served on a platter,” while a veteran reporter emphasized, “Local TV news is powerful, but we must prioritize digital content.” Data also showed that 82% of local‑TV‑app users feel a stronger community connection, and that vertical video formats are now essential for platforms like TikTok and Instagram Shorts. The implications are clear for broadcasters: to retain relevance, they must invest in platform‑specific production, embrace vertical video, and leverage trusted anchors to drive deeper engagement. Aligning distribution with where young audiences spend time—mobile and social—will be critical for sustaining local news’s role in community cohesion and advertising revenue.

Original Description

Instead of going to news sources, younger audiences want news sources to come to them. That’s just one of many insights from recent survey research by the Reinventing Local TV News Project at Northeastern University.

On June 12, 2026, The Journalist’s Resource hosted an hourlong discussion on how younger Americans are engaging with local TV news — and how stations can reach them.

Viewers of this webinar recording will learn:

· How TV news compares with other top weekly news sources among 18-to-34 year olds.

· Where younger Americans are receiving news from local TV stations.

· What successful TV journalism looks like on social platforms.

· Why local news is no longer solely about geographic proximity.

Panelists:

Mike Beaudet, a professor of the practice in video innovation at the Reinventing Local TV News Project at Northeastern University. He is an investigative reporter who has worked in television for more than 30 years and is a multimedia investigative journalist at WCVB-TV in Boston.

Caleb Okereke, a doctoral fellow at the Reinventing Local TV News Project. He is a Nigerian journalist and the founder and executive editor of Minority Africa, a Google and NED supported digital publication telling minority stories in Africa. He’s reported across the continent for Aljazeera, Foreign Policy, CNN, The Guardian, NPR and VICE News and was previously a Heidi News correspondent. Caleb has spoken about inclusive and representative journalism at Oxford and Stanford Universities and at the International Journalism Festival.

Lisa Thalhamer, a video innovation scholar at the Reinventing Local TV News Project. She has more than 15 years of journalism experience, having worked as a newscast producer at WCVB in Boston, WMUR in Manchester, New Hampshire, and WMTW in Portland, Maine. Most recently, Thalhamer was a field producer for WCVB’s Chronicle, the nation’s longest running, locally produced news magazine. She also received a New England Emmy award for her work at WCVB.

Moderator: Clark Merrefield, senior editor at The Journalist’s Resource