Defining the Values that will Attract NextGen Audiences: Youth News Lab

Aslak Gottlieb, a prominent Danish journalism educator and researcher, is on a mission to make news more relevant for young people. With years of experience in the field, Gottlieb is set to lead a collaborative workshop with editors on the eve of the World News Media Congress in Copenhagen later this month.

Gottlieb will challenge Gen Zers to come up with a contemporary set of news values that publishers can use to ensure youth appeal in their news products. This initiative builds on the Engagement Criteria Gottlieb developed in 2017, aimed at engaging young media users, teens, and young adults.

The Global Youth News Lab, a transformative project, will bring together 110 young media users from around the world to work with global editors and newsroom leaders. Together, they will define the news values that matter most to young audiences, setting a new standard and guidelines for news outlets targeting the youth.

“Young people want to keep up with current events, but they feel excluded by traditional media,” explains Gottlieb. The workshop will take place at the International People’s College in Elsinore, Denmark, on May 26th, and will be a crucial step in bridging the gap between young audiences and news media.

The resulting Global Youth News Values list will be unveiled at the World Editors Forum during the World News Media Congress on May 29th in Copenhagen. This initiative marks a significant effort to create a tool, known as The Copenhagen Criteria, to guide publishers in developing news products for young audiences in the years to come.