Why Legacy Media Must Adapt: Engaging Young Audiences in the Age of the Creator Economy
Content consumption has reached unprecedented levels, yet traditional publishers and brands are struggling to capture meaningful attention—especially from younger generations. The balance of influence has shifted: individuals now dominate the narrative, often overshadowing brands. Whether it’s political figures, celebrities, or thought leaders, those who control social platforms can shape attention in ways traditional media cannot. Saturation and virality now determine visibility, leaving brands scrambling to stay relevant.
For younger audiences, traditional news often feels irrelevant or even depressing. Between 2015 and 2024, interest in news fell by 40% among 18–24 year olds and 38% for 25–34 year olds. Social media and short-form video platforms now command their time. TikTok, for example, has seen average user engagement grow nearly 43% since 2024, highlighting how young people spend hours daily consuming quick, visually-driven content—while written news struggles to maintain their attention.
Trust in legacy media is low. Teenagers and young adults increasingly view journalists as untrustworthy, whereas influencers and individual creators are seen as authentic and relatable. Research shows 56% of young men and 60% of young women get most of their news from social media, and a significant portion trusts content on YouTube more than traditional outlets—even while acknowledging the risk of misinformation.
The way content is discovered has also changed. Personalized algorithms replace the shared experience of a family newspaper, creating unique “echo chambers” for every individual. Google, social platforms, and AI-driven feeds prioritize immediacy, entertainment, and engagement, forcing brands to rethink how they capture attention.
This environment has fueled the creator economy. Authenticity is currency, and individuals now carry influence that often surpasses entire brands. Valued at $250 billion today and projected to reach $480 billion by 2027, the creator economy demonstrates that audiences trust people over institutions. Publishers who empower individual creators—like The Washington Post with Dave Jorgenson on TikTok—leverage a “reverse halo effect,” associating the credibility of individuals with the broader brand.
Short-form video is the frontline of audience engagement. Platforms like TikTok master attention through entertaining, immediate, human-driven content. Traditional metrics—clicks, pageviews, or SEO authority—matter less. Instead, engagement, relevance, and the power of individual voices define success.
Some legacy publishers are adapting. The New York Times, with over 12 million subscribers, diversified revenue streams, and digital-first offerings, demonstrates resilience in this shifting landscape. Meanwhile, platforms like Substack show that audiences often follow individuals, not institutions.
To thrive in this environment, content strategies must evolve:
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Develop and promote individual voices within the organization to build authenticity and trust.
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Tailor content to platform-specific formats and behaviors rather than repurposing traditional articles.
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Focus on meaningful engagement and connections over sheer volume of content.
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Leverage audience insights to meet people where they spend attention.
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Recognize structural shifts in discovery and adjust measurement, reporting, and budgets accordingly.
The takeaway is clear: younger audiences prioritize individuals over institutions. Brands and publishers must adapt, embracing authenticity, platform-specific content, and creator-driven strategies to remain relevant. The organizations that succeed will be those that meet audiences in the formats they consume, through voices they trust.
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Why We Need to Rethink How We Reach Young People
Content consumption is at an all-time high, yet brands and publishers are struggling to make meaningful connections. Ignoring the influence of individuals today comes at a cost. The attention economy has shifted—personality now drives engagement, often outpacing traditional media. Figures like Trump, Farage, and Polanski illustrate this power: whether loved or hated, their ability to dominate narratives online overshadows conventional channels.
For younger audiences, this saturation is normalized. They’ve grown up with fake news, economic uncertainty, and content designed to grab attention in seconds. Traditional news often feels negative, irrelevant, or unrelatable. As a result, younger generations are turning away. Between 2015 and 2024, interest in news fell by 40% among 18–24-year-olds and 38% among 25–34-year-olds. Meanwhile, platforms like TikTok have captured their attention: since 2024, average user time spent on TikTok has increased nearly 43%, and teens spend over seven hours per day on screens, with nearly five hours dedicated to social media.
The Structural and Psychological Shift
Young people trust social media as a news source despite its potential for misinformation. Research shows 56% of young men and 60% of young women rely primarily on social platforms for news, with additional consumption on YouTube (16% of men, 9% of women). Interestingly, 72% of young men trust YouTube, compared to 47% of women. Even though 79% of young users worry about misinformation, they continue to rely on these platforms for content.
Gone are the days when the morning newspaper shaped everyone’s view of the world. Now, every individual experiences a personalized feed—an algorithmically curated version of reality. These echo chambers influence perception, engagement, and trust. What one person sees can be vastly different from another, shaping not just what they consume but how they perceive truth.
Brands vs. Individuals
The creator economy is thriving because people trust individuals more than institutions. Valued at $250 billion and projected to reach $480 billion by 2027, it highlights how authenticity drives engagement. Young audiences increasingly ignore traditional brands, perceiving them as part of “the establishment.” For example, 84% of teenagers express a negative sentiment toward news media, describing it as unethical or deceitful.
Brands can’t ignore this reality. The most effective strategy is to empower individuals within the organization. Take Dave Jorgenson, The Washington Post’s TikTok video producer. He built a massive following on the platform by creating authentic, entertaining content, which, in turn, enhanced the Post’s visibility. While there’s risk—these creators may leave—the halo effect they generate for a brand is unmatched. Platforms like Future Collab are experimenting with similar strategies, helping brands amplify individual creators’ reach and credibility.
The Discovery Layer Has Changed
Younger audiences no longer rely on Google as a primary discovery tool. They engage with content directly on platforms that are addictive, personalized, and visually driven. While Google remains valuable for last-click conversions, referral traffic from other platforms is declining. Social media has fundamentally shifted where and how people encounter content, forcing brands to rethink engagement strategies.
Video Dominates the Young Mind
Short-form video rules attention. TikTok’s rapid growth demonstrates the power of engaging, human-led content. Traditional written news struggles to compete with psychologically engineered, attention-grabbing video formats. Success on these platforms requires comfort in front of the camera, creativity, and willingness to experiment—skills that differ significantly from traditional journalism.
Challenges for Legacy Media
Many older publishers still rely on outdated strategies, like sharing articles on platforms that devalue external links. In contrast, platforms prioritizing user-generated content, authenticity, and shareable visuals outperform traditional approaches. Google is also shifting, highlighting UGC and videos while reducing the prominence of traditional links and articles.
Even AI-generated content is becoming a factor: studies show 21% of YouTube Shorts shown to new users are AI-generated “slop.” While some channels profit from this, scale alone is not sustainable. Real engagement and meaningful connections remain the key to loyalty and conversions.
Solutions for Brands and Publishers
Simply reporting the news is no longer sufficient. To reach younger audiences:
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Build individual voices within your brand or organization to foster authenticity and trust.
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Create platform-specific content rather than repurposing articles.
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Focus on engagement and meaningful interactions instead of pure reach.
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Leverage external signals like social virality, brand mentions, and user-generated content.
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Adapt content to where audiences are spending their time, whether short-form video, social platforms, or niche communities.
The goal is to connect with audiences at the right moment, in the right format, with value-driven content. Entertain when appropriate, educate when necessary, and empower consistently.
Success Stories
The New York Times demonstrates that adapting to this reality is possible. With over 12 million total subscribers, diversified revenue streams, and digital-first offerings, the NYT has thrived despite declining traditional interest in news. Its strategy shows that subscription models, bundled offerings, and engaging digital content can sustain a publisher in today’s fragmented landscape.
Meanwhile, platforms like Substack illustrate the power of individual creators. Audiences increasingly follow personalities, not institutions, reinforcing the need for brands to cultivate authentic human voices to gain attention and trust.
Key Takeaways
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Individual creators now wield more influence than brands in capturing attention.
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Young audiences trust people over institutions, favor video and social-first content, and spend less time on traditional news.
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Platform-specific content, authentic engagement, and creator empowerment are essential strategies.
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Legacy publishers must rethink engagement, discovery, and trust in the age of algorithms and short-form video.
Brands and publishers that embrace these changes—empowering creators, prioritizing authenticity, and adapting to modern discovery habits—will successfully engage young audiences in a landscape defined by choice, attention, and trust.