Younger audience perceptions of journalists on social media

Impartiality has been a core ideal of traditional journalism, and one that audiences say they want the news media to uphold. However, generational shifts in news consumption and attitudes towards news, combined with evolving media technologies, are changing audience expectations around the traditional separation of impartial news from opinion. Drawing on the Digital News Report: Australia 2022, this article finds audiences generally prefer journalists to stick to reporting while on social media and refrain from expressing their opinions. However, there are significant differences based on age, education, political orientation, news motivation and if they pay for news. The data shows that under 35s, well-educated, left leaning and paying news consumers are the most supportive of journalists expressing their personal views while on social media. Through the lens of Expectancy Violation Theory this article highlights the impact of growing up with digital technologies on audience expectations of normative journalistic practice and the tensions this creates for the news industry which is facing ongoing economic pressures.