South African young adults’ viewership of television news and implications for democracy

Abstract

Inconclusive findings regarding South African young adults’ interest in (television) news prompted this article's exploration of viewership trends (2006–2012). The focus is on the viewership of newscasts produced by the SABC and e.tv. Specific attention is paid to young adult viewers, who are then compared with older adults. It appears that in South Africa, newscast viewership has been declining across age categories. From a socialisation theory perspective, youth subsists in a cultural/social environment where news consumption is waning; hence youths’ declining news consumption levels. The decline is sharper in the younger generation. Although viewership decline is universal, there is an increase in viewership of newscasts that incorporate elements of tabloid journalism and are trusted. Overall, viewership decline reflects Western trends and can be associated with citizens’ withdrawal from the political public sphere.