Abstract - Pina Lalli, Italy

(in collaboration with Claudia Capelli)

University of Bologna

Bologna, Italy

Young people and the news

In a European research on youth citizenship we found some interesting data on the social representations of young people in mainstream news media in five European countries. The presence of young people is associated only to a limited variety of issues, like education and unemployment. Young people are generally depicted as:

(a) a vulnerable collective actor;

(b) non-active and politically apathetic, except for isolated cases;

(c) The main beneficiaries of the most successful EU programmes, such as Erasmus+ developing into an image of students-astourists;

(d) the only collective actor who opens a social window in some solidarities actions. Different images arise in new forms of journalism. Youth-oriented media such as the hybrid journalism of VICE, together with some specific the television and radio programmes provide a very different picture of young people:

(a) an often unrecognized collective force that drives the West forward;

(b) growing disenfranchised from and disillusioned with mainstream politics but interested in other forms of participation;

(c) generally interested in social and cultural issues and active within these realms, especially oriented towards music, cinema and arts.

(d) A global (or rather glocal) community of workers, consumers and travellers that goes beyond the European borders.

If we are interested in gaining knowledge regarding how young people in Europe construct their social identity and see their role as citizens within the public debate in Europe, we have much to learn about the way they look for information.

Studies and data show that they tend to distrust conventional political news, while moving towards other sources of information that – in the current media landscape – are often owned or controlled by new media companies, whose interests lean towards satisfying consumption needs rather than improving social knowledge.

The mutual love-hate relationship between traditional news media and youth could be a symptom of an unsolved issue regarding the way we conceive political engagement. Marketers working for new media companies have already understood that young consumers are a propulsive force with strong interests in technological innovation, mobility and cultural consumption. Thus, they provide models of shifting communities to whom they can belong, following their interests and trends. They do not stigmatize nor idealize engagement or critical counter-cultures. Simply, they provide representations of possible ephemeral commitment, since they are not required to construct a public debate. If we are interested in enhancing a sphere for critical thinking, shaping and acting, we have to give room to youth participation in all its forms and effervescence.

Keywords: Youth, representations, media, citizenship, Europe