Todays young adults are not simply different from older generations, they are different from what older generations were when they were their age. Make no mistake, this particular cohort of young adults, which we label Generation X, is unlike any that came before it. While the future is unpredictable, its unlikely that Generation X will ever take as much of an interest in the mainstream news that reflects the larger world and our society as those who came before it. If the sky is not yet falling, at least there are holes in the ceiling. Not only is the current generation of young adults substantially different than any who have come before, the media environment is radically different.
Viewers have far more choices, so there is less inadvertent or casual viewing of the news.
The problem for news directors goes beyond interest in news content . Younger people are also different from older generations in their viewing style . They have different viewing habits and seem to prefer the stimulus of many media. When coupled with other societal trends such as the changing composition of families and the workforce, there should be genuine concern that the audience for news will fail to regenerate itself as we move into the new millennium. This project explores Generations and the News , with a particular emphasis on the youngest generation.