Turning news into action: Engaging GenZ and Millennials only

It’s undeniable that the public — especially Gen Zs and Millennials — are turning away from the news, whether that’s from a lack of trust or a lack of interest. 

Last year, the Reuters Institute found that more and more young people struggle with identifying trustworthy news sources. 

This comes at a time when creators and influencers eclipse journalists and news organisations online, and as Artificial Intelligence (AI) seeps into more aspects of content creation, according to the institute’s 2024 Digital News Report.

So how can journalists cut through the noise, and gain our audience’s trust?

The first line of defense against mis- and dis-information is hyperlocal publications, which reflect readers’ daily reality in their reporting. 

Local journalists are uniquely positioned to build a solid foundation of trust by embedding in the communities they report with and for. 

They’re able to relay factual, tangible information in relatable ways. They’re also best positioned to practice community engagement by seeking out and responding to their audience’s information needs.

 But that’s no longer enough. Despite the rise of community-driven journalism over the past decade, news fatigue is real. 

That’s understandable given the relentless stream of bad news — from climate disasters and genocide to starvation and the erosion of democracy — around the globe. 

So, when news becomes stressful and alienating, what’s the role of journalism? And how do we deliver valuable and trustworthy information to a disengaged audience?

According to The Green Line publisher Anita Li in her Nieman Lab prediction for journalism last year, the answer is community engagement 2.0, which she describes as “leveling up community engagement best practices to encourage the public to move from engaging with the news to engaging with the world — that is, their neighbourhood, city, province/state, country — around them.” 

That’s what our team does at The Green Line. We’re an award-winning hyperlocal publication focused on producing information that’s useful and user-friendly, and helps people navigate day-to-day issues — such as responding to an eviction notice or finding affordable groceries nearby. 

We skip the anxiety-inducing details. With our guides and tools, readers don’t have to trawl through a ton of text before getting to the nugget of information that actually helps. 

It’s always right up front. For example, we recently put together an interactive map of free bathrooms and Wi-Fi spots across Toronto, videos decrypting the city’s most confusing underground walking routes and more.

Beyond mutual aid, when reporting on policy and systemic issues, we provide information to help people advocate for themselves through voting and other democratic processes. 

For example, in our Ripple Effect newsletter, we include a “civic watchlist” of City Hall meetings that Torontonians can attend to share their views. 

And through The Green Line’s documenters Canada programme, we bring the public in on our news-gathering workflow by training and paying community members to take notes at public meetings where municipal decisions are made.

It’s a balancing act between effecting broad policy change and addressing individuals’ immediate needs with small, but effective, solutions.

Through all our work, The Green Line never tells our audience what to do. Instead, we equip them with the knowledge to make decisions themselves — a skill that’s particularly important in a culture that dissuades critical thinking.

For example, alongside rigorous reporting, our team invites readers to “fact-check yourself.” 

Every article ends with a list of non-partisan, credible sources for those who want to dig deeper. 

This was especially handy with two elections earlier this year. The Green Line produced guides to party platforms that outline where the Liberal, Conservative, New Democratic and Green parties of Canada stand when it comes to our five pillars of livability: housing, jobs, food, commuting and health. 

As always, we linked each and every source used to collect this information. 

Finally, The Green Line meets our audience not just where they are in the virtual realm (through personable videos on TikTok, infographic carousels on Instagram and short docs on YouTube), but also IRL. 

Almost every month, we host an event to bring together Torontonians to commiserate and brainstorm solutions around a particular problem, whether that’s navigating the cost of housing or finding third spaces in Toronto. 

It’s part of our four-step theory-of-change model, the Action Journey, which we recently trademarked. 

With every issue, our team rolls out an explainer breaking down a systemic problem in week one; we dive into existing solutions, and provide tools and guides, in week two; we meet and brainstorm in week three; then finally, we send crowdsourced, community-driven solutions back to everyone who participated in this month-long process.

Our intentional and friendly gatherings help people feel less alienated by their city’s problems. 

We also invite community leaders and grassroots organisations that can offer resources to join us. 

Most importantly, Torontonians get to develop relationships with other residents so they can support each other. In a world that’s becoming increasingly virtual, in-person connections are rare and valued.

Above all, The Green Line readers get to know us — and ultimately grow to trust us — so we can support them better.

• NB: This article was commissioned as part of World News Day – a global campaign to highlight the value of journalism. It is organised by WAN-IFRA’s World Editors Forum, Project Koninuum and The Canadian Journalism Foundation.