IN/LAB hosts seminar in the Swedish Parliament on how news media can win the trust of younger audiences
- Molly Grönlund Müller
- Sep 18
- 3 min read
In September, IN/LAB co-hosted a seminar in the Swedish Parliament, together with Ida Karkiainen (Chair of the Constitutional Committee) and Lawen Redar (Cultural Policy Spokesperson for the Social Democrats). The questions at the center of this conversation was: How can we ensure that editorial media reach the next generation and win their trust?
Today's young generations are navigating an information landscape far more complex than earlier generations, where new information providers, platforms and technology have reshaped how news is produced and consumed. In this environment, editorial news media need to explore new ways to reach the next generation.
The seminar started with presentations from actors belonging to the three media groups Schibsted, Bonnier News and SVT on their approaches to engage young audiences.
Belenn Bekele, Program Manager at IN/LAB (Schibsted), talked about co-creation projects as a way to include young people in solving news related challenges. One example she highlighted was an experiment dubbed the “The Ethics Box” with Aftonbladet, which seeks to increase transparency around editorial decisions and build credibility.
Dalmar Namazi, reporter at Nyhetskoll (SVT), told the audience about the rapid launch of Nyhetskoll and how they work with credibility, relevance and engagement as their three pillars to reach young people with news. One example is their work with fact-checking viral social media content and explaining their work process. He also stressed the need for diverse representation in newsrooms and across topics.
Klas Granström, Editor in Chief at Expressen (Bonnier News), talked about their efforts to make news relevant to younger audiences, for example on how they make news on the Swedish and American general elections more accessible to young audiences. Expressen’s social media presence and their free subscriptions for people under 25 years old were other central themes.
After the presentations, Molly Grönlund Müller (IN/LAB) moderated a panel discussion together with Anna Careborg (Director of News and Sports, SVT), Martin Schori (Head of AI and Innovation & Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Aftonbladet), Matilda Hansson (Deputy Managing Editor, Dagens Nyheter), Amanuel Yemane (student and young representative) and Molly Zachrisson (student and young representative). The conversation touched on themes such as the media's role and responsibility on social media platforms, accessible new reporting, transparency around the journalistic process, including young people in media innovation, and trust in AI-chatbots as news providers. Some of the most interesting takeaways from the day included:
Process transparency - News media need to find more ways to explain not only what is true, but how they came to that conclusion. Opening up about how news is produced can strengthen trust and make the process itself part of the value for younger audiences.
Redefining news - News organisations should be bolder in experimenting with new ways to improve the news experience for young people. Moving beyond written articles and redefining what counts as news ensures that news media can help them navigate the world.
Inclusive innovation - Actively engaging young people in news innovation through co-creation, feedback, and relationship-building is how news media will truly understand and appeal to coming generations.
All panelists brought valuable thoughts and perspectives to the discussions:
“Media must take responsibility not only for what is true or false, but also for explaining how journalism works.” /Anna Careborg, SVT
“Accessibility is crucial. Young people want news in formats that fit their lives.” /Molly Zachrisson
“Trust takes time and the key is listening to the audience.” /Matilda Hansson, Dagens Nyheter
“We need to radically rethink the news experience, and stop seeing ourselves as simply providers of articles.” /Martin Schori, Aftonbladet
“More media organisations should be bold and co-create together with young people.” /Amanuel Yemane
Lawen Redar and Ida Karkiainen closed the seminar by stressing the importance of listening to young generations and ensuring their voices are represented. It is important for the media to be a relevant, credible and trusted source in the current challenging climate. Keeping the next generation informed and building a relationship of trust between media and younger audiences is an essential part of a strong democratic society in the future. IN/LAB would like to extend our warm thanks to everyone who contributed to the seminar and a special thanks to our hosts, Ida Karkiainen and Lawen Redar, for bringing this important conversation to the Parliament.