Modern journalism and the "battle" to attract Gen Z readers.
Anyone can recognize one truth: Journalism is no longer a "monopoly" on the morning tea table, but has merged into the endless torrent of data in the hands of young people. With Gen Z – the generation of "digital citizens" – journalism is facing a real battle: vying for attention in the first three seconds.
The cruel 3-second rule
At a cafe in Thanh Vinh ward, the sight of young people sitting silently side-by-side, their fingers constantly swiping on their phone screens, has become the "new normal." On those screens, news doesn't appear at fixed times or remain static on traditional news websites. It emerges amidst a chaotic stream of personalized feeds. A news video might be placed right next to a comedy clip, a live sales stream, or a viral song...
This reality reflects a profound shift in behavior: Gen Z no longer actively "accesses" the home pages of newspapers to read news. Nguyen Anh Tuan, a student at Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted, shared that although he and his friends never actively "read the news," they almost never miss any breaking news. News now doesn't wait for readers to find it; it has to find its way to them amidst thousands of other entertainment contents.
Given this trend, the dominance of short videos on social media platforms (TikTok, Reels, Shorts) is no accident. It's a consequence of a fast-paced lifestyle and personalized algorithms. In an economy that competes for attention, human patience is becoming the most precious and scarce resource.
"For Gen Z, they only spend about 3 seconds deciding whether to stop at a piece of content or not. If a news item isn't interesting enough, doesn't have large subtitles or a direct image in the first few seconds, it will be immediately swept away by the next swipe," shared Ms. Nguyen Ha An, who has many years of experience in corporate communications.
Many young people even admit to watching the news with the sound off, forcing the press to completely change its language: from polished sentences to large subtitles, a fast pace, and direct headlines.
In this context, the lines between news and entertainment are blurring. Modern journalism now not only competes with rival newspapers but must also directly confront social media dramas and humorous videos to capture a moment of public attention. To survive, news outlets are forced to learn the "language of entertainment." And will this change the mission that journalism has served for centuries?
From technological "weapons" to journalistic identity
Faced with the challenge of being overlooked in the sea of information, major news organizations around the world and domestically are taking steps to address these issues.reformSpectacular.
The primary "weapon" is a change in storytelling. Instead of dry headlines like "Widespread temperature rise," digital journalism now chooses a more relatable approach: "What would it be like to be out on the streets of Vinh City at 12 noon today?" The core content remains unchanged, but the images of the heat-reflecting road surface, people completely covered up, and the fast pace of editing have made the public linger longer. Elements such as large subtitles, a friendly voiceover, and powerful imagery are becoming the new standard for news to stay relevant to the lifestyle of young people.
Beyond just presentation methods, AI and automation technologies are being fully utilized in major news and media organizations.The New York TimesThey have assembled a dedicated team solely to create short videos for TikTok and Reels.Washington Postusing the Heliograf system to write news automatically, whileBloombergUse Cyborg to generate instant financial reports... These systems free editors from repetitive tasks so they can focus on creativity and analyzing trends, engaging viewers.
However, the race for speed and views also presents a difficult problem: How to make news engaging but not superficial, attractive but not sensational? Young journalist Ngo Khiem from the Labor and Trade Union Magazine, who has won many national journalism awards, believes that the current challenge is not about making short videos, but about "maintaining credibility in an environment of short attention spans."
"If journalism is only focused on chasing emotional impact or views, that's not enough. They must also adhere to core values: ensuring verifiability and depth of information. In an ocean of mixed truth and falsehood, what ultimately keeps viewers engaged is not just visual effects, but the feeling that they are accessing a reliable source of information," said journalist Ngo Khiem.
June 21st is an occasion to celebrate, and also a time for thosejournalistLooking back at its mission in the digital age, journalism today must not only compete in speed, but also in making the public "pause long enough for accurate and valuable information." The "battle" for the attention of Generation Z is essentially a "battle" for journalism to reinvent itself: Faster, closer, but still sufficiently in-depth and always trustworthy. This is the path for journalists to continue affirming their position as a "lighthouse" amidst the endless sea of information.
In this new era, journalism has both great opportunities and advantages, but also faces many challenges. Journalists need to compete healthily in conveying information to attract the public. This is an opportunity for the younger generation of journalists, as we have many modern, multi-platform equipment and technologies for our work. And the public is constantly expecting useful, timely, and engaging information. The economics of journalism are also affected by this. Those who communicate well will gain the trust of the public and clients, and receive a legitimate source of income.”
Associate Professor, Doctor, writer, journalist Nguyen The Ky
