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Gen Z Turns to TikTok and Instagram for News – Here’s What Brands Need to Know

Four young adults in a café look at their smartphones. Text: "Gen Z News Hack TikTok & Instagram" above them. Bright, casual setting.

The front page has gone vertical. For Gen Z, news isn’t found in newspapers or TV broadcasts, it scrolls, swipes and loops on TikTok and Instagram.


A 2024 Pew Research Center report shows that 43% of adults under 30 now get their news regularly from TikTok, up from just 3% in 2020. Instagram follows closely, while traditional media use among this age group keeps falling.

“Social media has become the gateway to everything — from fashion to trends to breaking news,” said Ziad Ahmed, CEO of JUV Consulting, in an interview with Axios. “If you want to reach young people, you have to meet them where they already are.”

The Rise of the Scroll-First Newsfeed

Filipino Gen Z audiences mirror the global pattern. The Philippines now counts over 90 million social-media users, with the average Filipino spending more than 3 hours a day online, according to Meltwater’s 2025 Digital Report. Most say they first learn about social or political issues through social platforms rather than TV or print.


Experts say this shift isn’t just about preference, it’s cultural. TikTok’s algorithm surfaces stories through humor, trends and creator commentary. “Gen Z doesn’t want to be lectured to; they want to relate,” noted TeamAsia’s 2025 youth marketing insight. 


What this Means for Brands 

For companies and media organizations, this behavioral reset carries clear lessons:


Go visual and concise. Reels, Stories and short-form videos are now the default format for the news discovery.

Use authentic voices. Partner with credible creators or employees who can humanize messages.

Localize the tone. Culturally relevant storytelling performs better than corporate-style updates.

Build credibility. In an age of algorithmic feeds, transparency and verified sources boost trust.


The Opportunity Ahead

As AI tools accelerate personalized content, short-form “micro-news” will dominate how young audiences consume information. The brands that thrive will be those that blend insight with storytelling — translating complex topics into content people want to watch.

“News is no longer just reported; it’s performed,” says digital strategist Rachel Tobac. “Brands that understand that dynamic will win the next generation’s attention.”

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