American teens today have access to more information on their phones than previous generations had in their entire homes: They are constantly bombarded with “breaking news,” rumors, ads, and influencer “hot takes.” But after years of scandals and “fake news” controversies, many have had enough of journalists and the news.
A new study by the News Literacy Project (NLP), a nonprofit that helps American students learn to “think critically and independently,” found that a staggering 84% of youth now hold a negative view of the news media.
The Teen Perspective
When the NLP asked more than 700 teens between the ages of 13 and 18 to describe modern news media, participants used words or phrases related to being inaccurate or deceptive, including “Lies,” “Fake,” and “False.” They also labeled the news “Crazy,” “Wild,” and “Chaotic.”
The study found that teens also largely believe journalists are skilled liars who deceive rather than inform the public. When given the opportunity to name “one thing they think journalists are doing well,” many respondents offered negative feedback, accusing journalists of lying, misleading, or simply failing to do anything well.
American teens suspect journalists are engaged in unethical practices related to reporting the news, including giving advertisers “special treatment,” paying or doing “favors for sources,” taking visual media out of context, and fabricating details altogether.
Self-Inflicted Damage
While the teenage viewpoint may sound harsh, journalists haven’t done themselves any favors in recent years. Headline after headline has exposed unethical behavior — from inappropriate relationships with sources to made-up stories — in the industry.
In November, emails involving convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who allegedly died by suicide in 2019 while incarcerated, revealed multiple journalists behaved inappropriately with him, even offering the criminal guidance on dealing with the media.
Also last month, former New York magazine journalist Olivia Nuzzi made headlines once again for her alleged “sexting” relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom she reported on during the 2024 campaign.
These incidents aren’t anomalies from 2025 — they are part of a long-term erosion of trust. One prominent newsman, former NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, admitted in 2015 to lying about being aboard a helicopter that was shot down while he was reporting in Iraq.
Williams was in Iraq at the time, and another aircraft did take enemy fire, but his chopper was never attacked and landed safely. At the time, Williams called his fake story a “mistake,” telling Stars and Stripes, “I don’t know what screwed up in my mind that caused me to conflate one aircraft with another.”
The Path Forward
All hope isn’t lost. Some young people offered positive — or at least neutral — descriptions of journalists: “Interesting,” “Good,” and “Informative.”
Hundreds of them also provided suggestions for improvement, and their top request was shockingly simple: be honest and get the facts right.
American teens aren’t asking for a lot here. Truthful and accurate reporting is the bare minimum. If journalists and the news media can’t achieve that, then maybe they deserve the disdain.
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