More Generation Z Australians are becoming heavy news consumers, but almost two-thirds have never read a printed newspaper.

These are among findings of the University of Canberra News and Media Research Centre’s Digital News Report, with research showing how news consumption and trust are shaped by external factors, “particularly during periods of crisis and political events”.

It notes that “many Australians” had turned to trusted news sources to understand and make sense of complex developments such as global crises, the Bondi Beach shooting, and the federal election.

“After several years of decline, interest in news has increased, placing Australia well above the global average,” the report says. “This recovery has been driven largely by audiences that typically have low news interest, including women and young people.

“Interest in politics has also risen among U35s, who now have higher levels of political interest than older cohorts for the first time.”

News organisations face the challenge of engaging audiences who are “simultaneously curious and cautious, highly connected but resistant to fixed routines or brand loyalty.

“Predicting future news behaviours – especially among younger cohorts – will become increasingly difficult as habits continue to adapt to new platforms, formats and emerging technologies such as generative AI.

“This year’s findings confirm that young people are not disengaged from news; rather, they are gravitating toward formats and voices they perceive as more entertaining, relatable, authentic, and easier to understand than traditional news brands.”

Key findings were that:

-heavy news consumption has risen to 56 per cent (+3), with strong growth among 18-24s (49 per cent, +11);

-audiences trust my news (54 per cent) more than twice as much as news on social media (21 per cent) or from AI chatbots (19 per cent);

-60 per cent of 18-24-year-olds have never read a printed newspaper;

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-43 per cent of Australian news consumers get news from creators and influencers;

-news avoidance remains high among Australians (68 per cent);

-half (49 per cent) of news consumers say Public Service Media (PSM) play a positive role in Australian life; and

-U35s are twice as likely than 35+ to pay for news to make sure news content is available free of charge to others.

Among charts are two that represent the political orientation of audiences of named offline (above) and online news brands, from left-wing (left) to right-wing.

The report is packed full of charts which represent its research – far too many to reproduce here. Download the report here.