Last Updated: December 29, 2000
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American voters — unplugged
Distant from the process
By Krista Larson
In 1972, nearly 50 percent of registered voters aged 18 to 24 participated
in the national election, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But participation
among young voters has dropped dramatically in recent years, reaching an
all-time low of 32 percent in 1996. And not only are most young Americans
less likely to vote, they’re also less likely than their parents to read
newspapers.
So how can newspapers get young adults — who may not be daily readers
— to follow their political coverage?
Engaging young voters and discussing the issues they care about have
been our objectives at YVote2000, a yearlong campaign coverage project
of Medill News Service. As we have hit the road to talk with young adults
we have tried to report on issues that are important to young readers and
on how the candidates have addressed them.
We have found that young voters are diverse in their political ideologies
and concerns. The one trait all young voters seem to share is a feeling
of being distant from the political process. A Medill News Service national
poll of 401 18- to 24-year-olds, found that nearly 70 percent felt their
generation has an important voice but no one seems to hear it.
Although these young people are interested in politics or government,
when it comes to national elections, they just do not see the connection
between Washington politics and their lives.
For many young voters, this election does not capture their interest
because the candidates are not addressing issues important to them. These
potential voters see little connection between their everyday lives and
news coverage of the candidates’ daily speeches.
So what can newspapers do to improve their coverage, and engage young
readers?
Reporters can try to break down the important campaign issues to better
show young readers how the major public policy issues have relevance in
their lives.
Young adults have told us that many stories, such as those about Social
Security, assume the reader already has a high degree of knowledge about
the issue.
They want easily readable answers, and they’re less interested in the
latest spin or what the political pundits are saying about who’s ahead
in the polls.
Many 18- to 24-year-old voters say they’re not inspired to vote this
election year because they see little difference between the two major
party candidates. So in addition to making important issues more easily
understandable for younger readers, reporters can show them that there
are real differences between the candidates’ proposals, and that their
vote — or non-vote — does have consequences.
Young voters have also told us they sometimes feel used as props during
campus visits and that they feel their concerns are not top priorities
for the candidates. But reporters have the opportunity to listen to what
young voters care about and to question candidates about issues that are
not being addressed. Newspapers can expand coverage to issues that the
candidates are not talking about, but maybe should be.
Reporters can also make an effort to regularly include the perspectives
of young adults in reaction stories. If newspapers hold focus groups, they
should make sure to include young adults — and not just those who are enrolled
in a local college or university.
And, newspapers can find and showcase young adults who are politically
active locally.
By reaching out to younger voters, newspapers can help create more informed
and, perhaps, less apathetic voters. As a bonus, these kinds of stories
will attract and benefit all readers — not just younger ones.
Larson is a graduate student in the Medill School of Journalism at
Northwestern University.
