Ordinary People over Journalists? Young People’s Use of Different Curating Actors for News

Most young people today consume news through social media, where diverse sources (e.g., influencers and journalists) curate news for them. However, we know little about which curating actors young people rely on for news, and which factors predict their use. Addressing these gaps, we draw on the curated flows framework and a quota-based survey of N = 569 young people aged 16 to 25 in Austria, conducted in December 2023 and January 2024. We found that ordinary people and influencers were young people’s most popular information sources on social media, favored by those who consume opinionated and soft news and encounter news incidentally. Traditional journalism and politicians were less relevant and primarily sought out intentionally, and for hard news.