Adults under 30 are nearly as likely to trust news on social media as news from national news outlets, according to Pew Research Center, making it increasingly important that journalists understand how to reach Gen Z there.

Ryan Sorrell, founder and publisher of The Kansas City Defender, and Marian Liu, projects editor of strategic initiatives at The Washington Post, shared their key audience engagement tips with 2025 NPF Widening the Pipeline fellows:

3 Takeaways:

        1. Don’t think about the user experience through the eyes of a journalist

For journalists committed to developing stories that have impact, Liu advised asking themselves some important questions. “If you weren’t a journalist, would you even read this?” Also, “How would you find it? How would your mom find it? How would your friend find it?”

This practice can help journalists understand the user experience outside of the newsroom.

Another way to do this is by studying content creators on social media and other creative platforms, Sorrell said.

“Study content creators and social media people … I listen to a lot of marketing podcasts because I think that they have a lot of the most innovative strategies to package information in ways that are easily accessible for especially young people and to cut through the noise,” he said.

        2. Be part of the community

Sorrell founded The Defender in 2o21 and calls it “part of the re-emergence of the radical black press.” He explained what that means for the community.

“We are a very unapologetic voice that has helped create a trust where people feel comfortable and willing to come to us with tips and stories that they might not trust other news outlets with,” he said.

Sorrell and Liu worked together to create a “social first handbook” for other newsrooms to use, especially nonprofits and startups. It’s about simplifying information without pandering and being platform specific.

        3. Write about the joy

“It’s not just writing about the horrible things that happen, but also the joy,” Liu said. “[We] always forget about the joy.”

When you do have to write about difficult stories, be aware of the presence you’ve established with your sources, too. Don’t approach diverse communities only when bad things happen.

“Not only do I consider them a source, I would also consider them a friend, so then I … can rely on them, be like ‘what do you think we should write about?'” Liu said.

Access the full transcript here.

This fellowship is funded by the Evelyn Y. Davis Foundation and the John C. and Ethel C. Eklund Scholarship Fund.