Online news platforms still matter: generational news consumption patterns during the 2020 presidential election

Abstract

Gen Z or younger news audiences are believed to contribute to declining news consumption as a result of decreased news interest and reduced trust, particularly in political news. It can have adverse consequences for democratic processes. This study offers a more nuanced perspective by qualifying the role of context, and generational differences and similarities in online political news consumption patterns before and after the 2020 US presidential election, which witnessed a series of unprecedented events in the country’s history.

Keywords

• gen z
• political news consumption
• us presidential election
• natural experiment
• interrupted time series
• media audience