2026-01-03
"Biased," "boring," and "bad" -- according to a 2025 News Literacy Project (NLP) report, these are some words that describe the sentiment many teenagers hold regarding modern media and journalism. When asked, other words included "fake," "false," "lies," "crazy," "chaotic," "depressing," "scary," "deceptive," "untrustworthy," "compromised," "wild," and "misleading." As it turns out, an overwhelming 84% of surveyed teens have a negative view of the media. Only 9% offered a positive view -- ranging from saying it's "great" to only being "okay" or "decent." Seven percent remained neutral.
This low view of news outlets appears to tie directly to how teens view journalists. For example, the report found many of the respondents believed journalists were more "skilled at lying and deceiving than informing the public." At least 50% believe journalists "make up details," with at least 60% stating that photos and videos are taken "out of context." Forty-five percent of teens "said journalists do more to harm democracy than to protect it." Eighty percent "said that journalists fail to produce information that is more impartial than other content creators online." Sixty-nine percent "thought that news organizations intentionally add bias to coverage to advance a specific perspective."