The Reuters Institute’s latest research on young audiences highlights a clear shift in how 18–24-year-olds engage with news, with important implications for audio formats, radio, and podcasts. While younger audiences remain highly connected and engaged with media, their behaviours reflect a broader move towards more flexible, on-demand, and integrated forms of consumption.
Audio plays a central role in this evolving landscape. Younger audiences are more open than older groups to listening as a way of engaging with news, with 16% saying they prefer listening to news online, compared with lower levels among older cohorts . This sits alongside a strong appetite for audiovisual formats more broadly, with 32% preferring to watch news online, underlining the growing importance of formats that fit easily into daily routines.
Podcasts are a key part of this behaviour. The research shows that younger people consume more podcasts than older audiences, reflecting the wider growth of on-demand audio. However, their listening spans a broad mix of genres, with news sitting alongside entertainment, lifestyle, and personality-led content rather than dominating it . This points to a more holistic relationship with audio, where news is part of a wider content ecosystem.
Within this broader audio mix, radio continues to play an important role as part of everyday listening habits. While only around 4% of 18–24s cite radio as their main source of news, this reflects the wider diversification of how news is accessed rather than a decline in audio itself . Radio remains a consistent and accessible medium, particularly in habitual and shared listening environments, complementing streaming and podcast consumption across the day.
The way younger audiences encounter news is also changing. The report highlights that 39% of 18–24s now say social media is their main source of news, compared with 24% who cite news websites or apps . This shift towards a “social-first” environment means that news is often discovered incidentally, within the flow of other content, rather than actively sought out. As a result, audio formats that integrate seamlessly into these behaviours are well positioned to remain relevant.
At the same time, engagement with news among younger audiences is shaped by different levels of interest and frequency. Around 64% of 18–24s access news daily, compared with 87% of those aged 55 and over, while 35% say they are highly interested in news, versus 52% among older groups . These figures highlight a more selective and situational relationship with news, reinforcing the importance of formats that are accessible, engaging, and easy to consume.
Overall, the report suggests that the growth of audio among younger audiences reflects a broader transformation in media habits. Audio—across radio, podcasts, and streaming—fits naturally into a more fragmented and mobile media environment, offering a way to stay informed that aligns with how younger audiences live their lives. The opportunity for news providers is to ensure that audio content continues to evolve in line with these behaviours, delivering news in formats that are relevant, engaging, and embedded in everyday routines.
You can download the full report by clicking the button below.
