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A12 TECHNOLOGY
Monday 6 March 2023
Betting on social media as a news

destination for the young

By DAVID BAUDER
AP Media Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — If young
people are spending so
much time on social media,
it stands to reason that's a
good place to reach them
with news.
Operators of the News
Movement are betting their
business on that hunch. The
company, which has been
operating for more than
a year, hopes to succeed
despite journalism being lit-
tered with years of unsuc- Kiki Sideris, a reporter for The News Movement (TNM), a social
cessful attempts to entice media news operation re-imagined for Gen-Z consumers, use
people in their 20s to be- her phone to produce a TikTok video on Wednesday, March 1,
come news consumers. 2023, in New York.
The brainchild of former Associated Press
Dow Jones executives, the In "Get Ready with Me," of the excuses they've
News Movement is using two women prepare for used to break a date.
a staff of reporters with an work while talking about "News isn't always what
average age of 25 to make some things in the news. you think it is," said Jessica
tailored news content for There are more typical of- Coen, U.S. executive edi-
sites like TikTok, Instagram, ferings: video of the earth- tor, who's had leadership
YouTube and Twitter. quake in Turkey, for exam- roles at Mashable, Morning
"You really have to stay ple, and reports on Presi- Brew and The Cut.
humble and stay open to dent Biden's proposals on Story formats differ to
different trends and ideas," abortion and social media. reflect where they are
said Ramin Beheshti, presi- Explainer stories take a step placed. Most TikTok videos
dent and a founder of the back to tell people why are about a minute, while
organization with former something is news. a meaty YouTube piece
Dow Jones CEO Will Lewis. Some stories aren't really about women's safety and
"We've built a newsroom news at all, but stem from how London police react
that reflects the audience personal experience. One to assault cases ran for
that we're trying to go af- New York-based journalist nearly 14 minutes.
ter." Among the newsrooms who wondered why police Some 60% of people in
the company is producing didn't immediately jump Gen Z, or young adults up
TikTok videos for is The As- onto subway tracks to save to their mid-20s, say they
sociated Press. The AP has someone who fell looked get news through social
provided office space for into it to find they were media, according to a
the company and Lewis is working to stop trains. study by Oliver Wyman
vice chairman of its board Curious about why stories and the News Movement.
of directors. about odd things done Other studies show peo-
Some of the content would by Florida residents are a ple in Gen Z have a lower
startle a news traditionalist. staple of news coverage, opinion of traditional news
Recognizing his friends ap- a staff member made a outlets than their elders.
preciated calming videos, TikTok video showing that Given this, the News Move-
one staff member created it's partly because police ment believes that efforts
an "explainer" on the mid- there often release photos by news organizations to
term elections for Snap- and details about incidents entice young people to
chat that used video of a faster than other states. their own sites or apps are
horse being groomed, piz- There's also relatable con- tough sells.
za being made and flowers tent that provides a ser- "News shouldn't feel like
growing while an offscreen vice, of a sort: asking young work," Beheshti said. "It
voice discusses politics. people on the street some should be part of your daily
consumption."
One person who sampled
some of the News Move-
ment's TikTok stories offered
a mixed review, saying they
often seemed to empha-
size flash over substance.
They need to "read the
room" better, said Gabriel
Glynn-Habron, a 21-year-
old college student from
Asheville, N.C. who is study-
ing journalism.q