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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
National

Why even AI-savvy under-35s in Australia are paying for real news online

Australia Sora Park TikTok

If you think that under-35s are too busy doomscrolling on social media, trapped in algorithmic echo chambers, disinterested in serious news and fundamentally unwilling to pay for trusted information because they expect the internet to be free, maybe it's time to think again.

New data from the Digital News Report: Australia 2026 released today reveals that younger Australians are not only paying attention to the world - they are paying for independent journalism at rates that leave older generations trailing behind.

With trust in news from social media and AI very low, new research shows 41 per cent of Aussie aged 25-34 and 27 per cent of 18-24s are paying for news. Picture by Shutterstock
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