Below, we break down the five key insights from the report – and what they mean for organisations trying to reach younger audiences.

1. Social platforms have overtaken traditional news gateways

A decade ago, young people actively sought out news on websites and apps. Today, news finds them – usually while they’re scrolling for something else.

Young audiences now encounter news more incidentally and less intentionally. They rarely go directly to news websites, and their connection to specific news brands is weaker as a result. This shift means communicators can no longer rely on audiences coming to them. Instead, content must be designed to meet young people where they already are in feeds, not on homepages.

2. Instagram, YouTube and TikTok dominate the news diet

Visual platforms have become the new front page. Instagram, YouTube and TikTok now play a central role in how young people access news, overtaking platforms like Facebook that once dominated their attention. TikTok’s rise is especially striking, reshaping expectations around tone, pace and storytelling.

These platforms reward short, visual, personality-driven content. For communicators, this means thinking in video, not text, and creating content that feels native to each platform rather than repurposed from traditional formats.

3. Video and audio are rising – but reading still matters

Young people consume more video and audio than older groups, but reading hasn’t disappeared. Short-form video is now a core part of how they understand the world, and podcasts have become a regular part of their media routines. Yet reading remains important, especially for depth and context.

The key insight is that young audiences want choice. They move fluidly between formats depending on time, mood and context. Communicators need to think in multi-format storytelling, not single-channel output.

4. Trust and interest in news are lower among young audiences

This generation is not disengaged, but they are more selective and more sceptical.

Young people express lower trust in news than older groups and show less interest in traditional news topics. Many say the news feels overwhelming, irrelevant or difficult to follow. This isn’t apathy. It’s a signal that traditional news often fails to connect with their lived experiences. Communicators must prioritise clarity, relevance and tone – and avoid assuming that younger audiences will “age into” traditional news habits.

5. Young people are early adopters of AI for news

AI is not a future trend – it’s already part of how young people navigate information.

They use chatbots to simplify complex stories, check sources and make sense of issues that feel inaccessible. They are also far more comfortable with AI-assisted journalism than older audiences. For communicators, this opens new opportunities: AI-ready formats, clearer explanations and content that anticipates the need for simplification.

What this means for communicators

Reaching young audiences requires more than posting on new platforms. It demands a shift in mindset:

• Meet them where they are – on social-first, visual platforms.
• Design for speed and clarity – short videos, clean visuals, jargon-free language.
• Build trust through transparency – explain your process, show your sources, be human.
• Experiment with AI – both as a tool for production and as a format young people already use.
• Think multi-format – video, audio, text and interactive content working together.

Young people aren’t rejecting news, they’re redefining it. Organisations that adapt to their habits and expectations will be best placed to connect with the next generation of informed citizens.

The session was led by Danny Scheinmann, a bestselling novelist, actor and award-winning screenwriter whose career spans more than three decades. Danny has worked across theatre, film and corporate communication, and has trained organisations such as the WHO, World Bank, Airbus, Microsoft and Unilever. His broad experience shaped a session that was grounded, accessible and highly relevant for anyone looking to strengthen how they communicate.

The masterclass opened with an exploration of why storytelling remains such an essential skill in professional environments. Rather than treating stories as something reserved for creative industries, the session highlighted how they help people understand ideas more clearly, relate to messages on a human level and stay engaged for longer. Whether used in presentations, policy communication, brand narratives or everyday workplace interactions, stories offer a way to make information more concrete and easier to follow.

A central part of the evening focused on the key ingredients that make stories resonate. Drawing on his experience as a writer and performer, Danny outlined six ingredients that give stories structure and impact.

6 Key storytelling ingredients

•  Context – grounding the audience in time, place or situation
•  Imagery – helping people visualise what is being described
•  An unanswered question – creating curiosity and forward momentum
•  Emotion – making the message relatable
•  A timeline – providing structure and direction
•  An ending – offering closure or a clear takeaway

These elements can be applied to both personal anecdotes and professional communication. The goal is not to dramatise information, but to make it clearer, more human and easier for audiences to connect with. Participants were encouraged to think about how even simple messages can become more engaging when shaped with intention.

Another theme running through the masterclass was the responsibility that comes with storytelling. Because stories influence how people think and feel, they can be used constructively or misused. Or as Danny said: “Storytelling is like a hammer. You can build or destroy with it.” 

The discussion emphasised the importance of being intentional about the stories we choose to tell, the messages we highlight and the impact we want to create. In environments where accuracy and trust matter, storytelling requires awareness and care. Understanding the audience was also a key point throughout the session. Effective communication depends on knowing what the audience values, what they already understand and what they need clarified. Tailoring a story to the audience’s perspective helps ensure that the message lands in a way that feels relevant and meaningful.

Throughout the evening, Danny shared examples from his work across writing, acting and corporate training, illustrating how structure, emotion and clarity can transform even straightforward messages. The masterclass created space for discussion and reflection on how storytelling can strengthen communication in the Brussels environment, where messages are often technical or complex.

The session reinforced the idea that storytelling is not an optional skill, but an essential part of how organisations explain their work, connect with audiences and make complex ideas easier to understand.

This insight sits at the heart of the 2026 Policy Comms Trends Report by the European Campaign Playbook, a crowdsourced project built from the real experiences of communicators working inside the EU bubble. Gareth Harding, CEO and founder of Clear Europe, contributed to the report, offering his perspective on why stories matter more than ever. 

At its core, storytelling is memorable in a way that raw information rarely is. Research consistently shows that stories stay with us far longer than statistics. And they help audiences make sense of issues that might otherwise feel abstract or overwhelming. As novelist and filmmaker Danny Scheinmann put it during a recent Clear Europe training: stories are “data with a soul.” They capture attention, create emotional connection and help people understand not just what a policy does, but why it matters. 

Yet, storytelling is not a magic wand, nor is it immune to misuse. In recent years, it has sometimes been overhyped, especially in corporate communication, where formulaic TED-style narratives can feel predictable or insincere. And as recent political history has shown – think Trump, think Brexit – stories can be used to mislead as easily as they can to illuminate. This duality is precisely why communicators must approach storytelling with responsibility. It is a powerful, flexible tool capable of shaping public understanding – but it must be used with care. 

Despite its potential, storytelling remains underused in the EU policy space. In Brussels, too much communication is still too long, too technical, too jargon‑heavy and too disconnected from the people it aims to reach. This creates a gap between institutions and citizens, making it harder for audiences to understand the relevance of EU decisions in their daily lives.  

Europe is not only struggling to tell its story well; it is struggling to define a story that resonates. Meanwhile, global competitors – like Russia, China and America – are projecting their narratives loudly and effectively, shaping perceptions in ways that challenge Europe’s values and interests. 

If the EU wants to remain influential and connected to its citizens, it must reclaim the narrative space. Facts matter, but facts alone rarely move people. What moves people are stories that make sense of complexity, that show the human impact of policy and that connect decisions to lived experiences.  

This does not mean oversimplifying issues or adding emotional gloss. It means communicating with clarity, authenticity and purpose. One of the strengths of the European Campaign Playbook’s report is that it reflects the reality of practitioners – the people who spend their days navigating the pressures, constraints and opportunities of EU communication. This is not a trends document written from an ivory tower. It is a collective effort shaped by those who understand what works, what doesn’t and what is changing. That storytelling emerged as the number‑one trend is not surprising. It reflects a growing recognition that influence today is not won through volume, but through connection.

As we look toward 2026, the message is clear: the EU bubble needs more storytellers, and better ones. Communicators who can translate complexity into clarity – and meaning. Leaders who can articulate a vision that resonates. Institutions that understand that narrative is not decoration – it is strategy.  

At Clear Europe, this shift is increasingly visible across our training and client work. The organisations that succeed are those that embrace storytelling as a central part of how they communicate, not an afterthought. At a moment when Europe is searching for a story that unites, inspires and convinces, the ability to tell compelling, human‑centred stories is not just useful – it is essential.