"They don't understand what it means to be poor" : how representation, relevance, and relatability shape the news experience of marginalised young adults

Abstract

There are significant concerns about young adults from low socioeconomic backgrounds becoming disengaged from the news. Drawing on 25 semi-structured interviews with participants aged 18-25 in England, this study examines how social inequality shapes how young adults experience news. Interviewees avoid legacy news media, citing a lack of representation, as stories about them and their communities are omitted from coverage. Where relevant topics are included, they feel that the reporting masks the complexity of how an issue impacts marginalised communities. Crucially, however, this group are not consistent news avoiders but remains engaged with news found on social platforms, accessing perspectives that resonate with their lived experience. This often comes from non-traditional actors who draw on new forms of journalistic storytelling. This paper argues that relatability—understood as a felt sense of proximity to news based on shared communicative norms, cultural experiences, and perceived social relevance—is crucial to understanding this population's news experience. By analysing relatability alongside representation and relevance, the study demonstrates how the interviewees' lived experience of inequality shapes their relationship to news, both in its content and form. The paper offers practical recommendations for how inclusive storytelling and support for creator journalists can better serve this population.