Experience over content? How to reach young audiences
Different expectations
Young people have grown up in a digital world where news and entertainment are available at any moment. Traditional media struggle to stay relevant. “Young people expect everything to be easy, fast and personal,” Liesbeth explains. “When they book a weekend getaway on Airbnb, it’s done with one click. Yet, with us, subscriptions still sometimes require a bank transfer – it’s like asking them to shop in a store meant for their grandparents. Why not offer Apple Pay? Something that small can make a huge difference.”
Liesbeth believes younger generations approach news consumption differently from older ones. “Why can a platform like Airbnb convince young people to pay for a weekend trip, but we can’t get them to pay for something as fundamental as independent journalism? That’s something we need to change.”
She says the solution lies in redefining how journalism is presented and monetised. “It’s not just about content; it’s about the experience. Young people need to feel they are part of a community that understands and shares their values.”
SPIL: Journalism starts with a conversation
SPIL is our journalism platform for a new generation. Why are we launching it? Because news works differently for young people. They don’t want to be passive observers – they want to listen, compare perspectives, react and share their opinions. Young people don’t just want to hear what’s happening; they want to understand how others see it. For them, journalism isn’t a monologue but a dialogue.
That’s why SPIL combines reliable journalism with interaction. Facts remain the foundation, but perspectives complete the picture. Through podcasts, videos and articles, journalists and content creators share the news and their insights. The team behind SPIL is a mix of young creatives and experienced experts. This way, we stay relevant to our audience while leveraging an extensive network and deep expertise to act quickly.
Social media is not an afterthought – it’s the starting point. It’s where young people discover, discuss and share news. Using technology, we analyse conversations, gather perspectives and enrich our content. Our own SPIL platform serves as an extension of these social media interactions: a place where discussions that start on social platforms are deepened and enriched with new insights. This creates a journalistic ecosystem that evolves with society.
This dynamic approach makes SPIL not only relevant but also sustainable. We monetise the place where our audience is active – on social media – while strengthening that revenue stream through the context and depth offered on our own platform. So we create value across every channel.
We are launching SPIL primarily in the Dutch market, focusing on topics and discussions that matter to young people here.
Curious about SPIL? Follow us on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
From TikTok to the heart
Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram play a crucial role in building communities today. It’s about more than just being present on these platforms – it’s about earning trust.
“For a long time, our goal was to drive as much traffic as possible to our own platforms, where we could generate revenue through subscriptions and ads,” Liesbeth says. “That worked well for a while, but it’s not how we reach young people. Social media should be a tool to build relationships and eventually guide them toward journalism on our platforms. That must remain the end goal.
“That means we no longer measure success by traffic alone, but by engagement and interaction. We are exploring this approach through SPIL, Mediahuis’ youth-focused brand. Through our journalistic content on TikTok, we already reach 3 to 4 million young people weekly. They are clearly interested in journalism, if we present it the right way. Journalism remains the core, but we start from the young consumer’s perspective.”
“We no longer measure success with young audiences by traffic but by engagement and interaction”
Creator community
A news brand for young people goes beyond traditional news distribution. “We are also considering sustainable advertising models that involve a creator community,” Liesbeth says. “For example, instead of just promoting a new flavour or discount, a soft drink brand could work with this community to share their sustainability initiatives. That aligns perfectly with the values of younger audiences.”
SPIL is also moving toward a membership model instead of traditional subscriptions. “Young people want to feel like they belong,” Liesbeth says. “We enhance that sense of connection with gamification elements. We’re exploring options like rewarding frequent app users with ad-free days. The goal is to lower the barrier and make the experience more personal.
“We want to be socially responsible, but not just in a critical way. We want to provide young people with valuable and practical content. Take a topic like personal finance. We could collaborate with an online content creator who specialises in that area to help young people navigate this complex topic. A form of constructive advertising, in other words.”
MET Programme: Young talent strengthens newsrooms
Since 2022, the Mediahuis Emerging Talent (MET) programme has aimed to increase diversity in newsrooms, attract talent and create a more versatile development path for young journalists at Mediahuis Ireland. So far, 12 journalists have participated, with four now in permanent positions. Passion for journalism and growth potential were the main selection criteria, while academic qualifications played a much smaller role. This has resulted in a diverse talent pool.
Each participant receives a two-year contract, giving them the opportunity to work across different departments in the Dublin and Belfast newsrooms and specialise in news, video, audio or sports. One of the programme’s biggest strengths is the time and space they are given to develop under the guidance of experienced mentors. Some young journalists find their path more quickly than others, but everyone gets the chance to grow and learn from their mistakes.
Alan Steenson, Editorial Development Executive at Mediahuis Ireland, leads the MET programme: “These young journalists teach us what resonates with Gen Z, especially on social media. A video by our MET colleague Hannah Daygo recently became our second most popular TikTok video ever, with over 5 million views – more than half from viewers aged 18 to 24. This proves that we can reach young audiences when we provide the right content in the right way.”
Gen Z button
Technology plays a crucial role in this entire story. AI tools, for example, can help make complex topics more accessible. “A ‘Gen Z button’ is a good example,” says Liesbeth. “Older people often have more prior knowledge of a subject than younger readers. With a button like this, we can bring younger audiences up to speed in just three bullet points on what went right and wrong with Geert Wilders in the Netherlands in the past, for example. This button could also be useful for other target groups.”
Still, Liesbeth emphasises that the human factor remains essential. “Young people want to know who is behind a story. They also love behind-the-scenes content that shows authenticity and even a bit of vulnerability. Journalists need to be more visible and share more of themselves.”
“Young people want to know who is behind a story. Journalists need to be more visible”
Balancing old and new
Reaching new audiences without losing existing subscribers is another major challenge. “At Mediahuis, we pursue a dual strategy: investing in new formats and audiences while maintaining our core business. It’s not about choosing one over the other, it’s about balance.”
As an example, Liesbeth mentions a Norwegian newspaper that discovered its older male readers were being over-served, while younger readers and women were being left behind. “They figured this out simply by analysing which articles were read by different age and gender groups. We are now conducting the same analysis for all Mediahuis brands.”
Reliable news for young thinkers
Mediahuis België launched its youth subscription in 2023, aiming to familiarise young people with newspapers, provide them with reliable information and teach them critical thinking. Initially, we highlighted the low price of €1 per week, but in 2024, we shifted the focus to its editorial value.
With the campaign "unblock the full story", we emphasised reliability in an era of fake news. We used multiple social media platforms to maximise awareness among our target audience of 18- to 26-year-olds. By collaborating with influencers, content creators and out-of-home channels such as digital screens in Ubers, we found our way into young people’s daily lives.
A strong collaboration emerged between the acquisition team and editorial teams. Young people who engaged with journalistic video content from our brands were also shown commercial offers for the youth subscription.
By the end of 2025, we aim to reach 5,000 youth subscriptions. We are well on our way to that milestone, as we closed 2024 with around 3,000 subscribers. In 2025, we will further invest in job fairs, final-year high school students, video marketing and content creators.
With this integrated approach, Mediahuis België continues to build a generation that values reliable journalism.
Feeling at home and heard
The journalism industry can learn from companies like Netflix and Airbnb, but also from pop icons like Harry Styles and Taylor Swift. Their loyal fan bases – the Stylers and the Swifties – prove the power of creating a sense of belonging.
“It’s unrealistic to assume that a 25-year-old will automatically subscribe to a newspaper once they have their own home”
“It’s unrealistic to assume that a 25-year-old will automatically subscribe to a newspaper once they have their own home,” Liesbeth says. “The market works differently today. The key is to build a community where young people feel at home and heard.”
When will SPIL’s – and, by extension, Mediahuis’ – work be considered a success? “When our journalism is not just a reliable source of news, but also a space where young people feel inspired and recognised. A world they see themselves in. We need to meet their need for a sense of belonging.”
