Most young adults are skipping local news. In September, a Ring Digital survey found just 10 percent of Americans aged 18 to 24 watched any local news in a week. Compare that to 64 percent of adults 65 and older who tuned in during the same period. The gap is huge.
Among all adults surveyed, 30 percent reported watching local TV station news broadcasts in a given week, highlighting that the generational gap is even wider than overall averages suggest.
The survey dug deeper. When asked how much of a local TV newscast young adults actually watch, the gap grew. Only 14 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds said they watched any local TV news. In the oldest group, it was 52 percent. Younger viewers are moving away from legacy platforms fast.
So where do they get news? The answer is clear. They go digital, and especially social. Sixty percent of 18- to 24-year-olds said they watched TikTok on their phones for news in a week. For those 65 and older, TikTok reached just 11 percent. This isn’t just a trend. The numbers prove it.
The Fall 2026 #FutureOfTV.Live Report from Ring Digital describes a 'stark generational divide' in TV news consumption and warns that the future of local news as a product is at risk if current trends continue.
For local publishers and TV stations, these numbers are a wake-up call. The old core audience is aging. The next generation isn’t coming to linear TV. As reported earlier, some outlets are trying new ways to reach young people. But the challenge is now clear in the data.
Survey details matter. The research included 105 respondents aged 18-24, 965 aged 25-64, and 306 aged 65 and older. Weighting to census data means the findings reflect the broader U.S. population, not just a niche group. The message is blunt. Platform loyalty splits by age. The future of local news depends on meeting people where they already are.
Local newsrooms and broadcasters face a hard choice. Adapt to digital-first habits of young adults or risk fading away as their main audience ages out. The data is clear. Publishers who stick with linear TV and ignore digital and social are giving up the next generation to TikTok and other platforms. Survival depends on building new formats, rethinking distribution, and making products that fit under-25 habits. Move first, and you might stay relevant. Wait, and you lose.
