Journalism innovates to win over Gen Z readers

Press forum "Conquering GenZ readers". Photo: Hoang Lan

New trends of readers

At the forum, journalist Phung Cong Suong, Editor-in-Chief of Tien Phong Newspaper, as moderator of the discussion, said that currently, press agencies are making efforts to change content and form to conquer young readers, especially Gen Z (born from 1996 to 2012). This is the generation that grew up in a digital environment, associated with the strong development of the internet, smartphones and a series of social networks.

According to journalist Phung Cong Suong, Gen Z is a typical group of people who consume fast news, spending a lot of time on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels and YouTube Shorts... They prefer short, creative and highly entertaining videos . Gen Z currently accounts for about 32% of the population and is expected to become the largest demographic group by 2032, the focus of businesses and organizations, including the press and media.

Journalist Phung Cong Suong raised the issue of GenZ readers. Photo: BTC

“There are many opinions that the young generation, especially Gen Z today, do not like to read newspapers. In fact, that is not the case. They still read newspapers, but in a very different and diverse way of “taking in” information, creating new challenges for press agencies. The question is: How to attract them?”, journalist Phung Cong Suong raised the issue.

Regarding this content, Colonel, journalist Nguyen Hong Hai, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the People's Army Newspaper, further analyzed: Gen Z is gradually becoming the main public group in society, including in the military. They have the ability to filter information very quickly through technology applications and are often very "picky" in receiving information. Therefore, to reach Gen Z, in addition to attractive content, the press needs to focus on the form of expression with many beautiful, eye-catching images.

Journalist Nguyen Hong Hai also said that for military journalism, attracting Gen Z is also associated with the political task of effectively conveying information, educating ideals and bravery for young cadres and soldiers in the context of very different information access methods. Currently, the People's Army Newspaper has made many innovations to conquer young readers: A team of young, dynamic reporters, dedicated to hot spots to meet the need for quick and authentic information.

Decoding the formula for success

Sharing experiences in innovation and creativity in developing products to reach young readers, especially Gen Z, journalist Ngo Viet Anh, Director of the Center for Media Development, Nhan Dan Newspaper, said that currently, many press agencies are focusing on developing social networking platforms such as Zalo, Facebook, Fanpage, TikTok... Using digital technology to build press products is an inevitable trend. Recently, Nhan Dan Newspaper has produced a number of special publications applying technology journalism, typically a special print publication commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and national reunification. The National Press Awards have also added a category for digital journalism.

According to journalist Ngo Viet Anh, to develop digital journalism, press agencies need to invest heavily in technology and constantly innovate both content and form. “Creativity is a matter of survival for journalism,” he affirmed.

Deputy Head of Culture and Entertainment Department of Vietnam Television (VTV3) Bui Thu Thuy. Photo: Organizing Committee

Deputy Head of the Culture and Entertainment Department of Vietnam Television (VTV3) Bui Thu Thuy cited the example of the program “Road to Olympia” - a program aimed at the Gen Z generation - which has changed its format and host many times to continue to conquer young audiences. “After many changes in personnel and achieving success, we realized the need to trust and give opportunities to young reporters and editors,” journalist Bui Thu Thuy shared.

From the perspective of journalism training, Dr. Ngo Bich Ngoc, Head of the Faculty of Multimedia Communications, Swinburne University Vietnam, believes that newsrooms should consider themselves as a brand and Gen Z as customers. From there, newsrooms need to build customer portraits and strategic communications with a specific roadmap. Dr. Ngo Bich Ngoc suggests that press agencies should focus on producing short videos with the criteria of being fast, concise, and touching emotions.

The press forum with the theme "Conquering Gen Z readers" provided a lot of useful information to help press agencies "catch the trend" and adapt to the news consumption trends of young readers. This is also an issue that many newsrooms are interested in in the digital transformation era, in order to better meet the increasingly diverse information needs of the public.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/bao-chi-doi-moi-de-chinh-phuc-doc-gia-gen-z-706093.html