Missing: young people in Australian news media

The report reveals that young people’s voices are largely absent from news coverage, even when stories or headlines are about them. The report also found that when young people are included in the media, they are often stereotyped, for example being characterised as dangerous or criminal, lazy, or lacking resilience.

Launched as part of Media Literacy Week, this report hopes to start a conversation about how we can improve youth representation in the media — and how in return the media can improve young people’s trust and engagement with mainstream media.

Missing: Young People in the Australian News Media outlines how the media can work with young people to improve their representation, proposing five key recommendations:
1. Proactively collect data on youth voice and representation in media coverage;
2. Improve youth representation in the media by including quotes and case studies of young people, particularly if they are mentioned in the headline;
3. Use intermediary organisations, who can provide fast and reliable access to a diverse range of young people for inclusion in stories;
4. Employ young people in newsrooms to provide greater youth representation. Reimagine cadetships and paid internship opportunities for young people in a post-COVID-19 world; and
5. Start a conversation with FYA about making the media more representative of young people’s voice, and continuing this research.