Eurobarometer surveyed European citizens aged between 16 and 30, asking them about their fears, hopes, and how they get their information. Does the principle of “shit in, shit out” really apply? Before taking it for granted, it is worth listening to them. Young people in Bulgaria, Romania, Italy, and Greece offer four different examples that prove the rule with their exceptions.

In Greece and Romania, young people are concerned about the economic situation, while in Bulgaria they are concerned about access to healthcare, and in Italy about climate change. In Eastern European countries, there is a prevailing attitude of trust towards the European Union, while in Mediterranean countries, there is rather a cautious skepticism: a “yes to Europe, but not as it is today.” This is the picture that emerges from the latest Young Survey conducted by Eurobarometer.

There are many young Europeans, even if their numbers are declining, and above all, they are diverse. They belong to the digital generations, raised on news found on the web and social media, which have helped shape their imagination and opinions. Social media occupies a central place in this media ecosystem, albeit with differences from country to country: some people get their information mainly from YouTube and Facebook, others from Instagram and TikTok. However, one common trait seems to emerge: the more these platforms are used, the greater the perception of being exposed to disinformation.

But the question remains: is this a simple correlation or a genuine causal relationship? To understand this, a multiple-choice survey is not enough: we need to listen to young people, talk to them, and enter the contexts in which their worldviews are formed.

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TAKEAWAYS

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Cosmopolitan or rural: two Bulgarias in one

Young Bulgarians under the age of 30 present a complex and contradictory picture. Concerned above all about welfare and much less about climate change, almost half of them view the European Union with skepticism, while remaining willing to reconsider their position if the institution were to change the way it operates. However, the proportion of radical opponents remains low: 4%, below the European average of 6%. On the other hand, there is widespread awareness of being exposed to disinformation: more than half of those interviewed say they perceive it often or very often, which is eight percentage points higher than the European average.

The Eurobarometer also paints a picture of a generation that is gradually moving away from television, preferring platforms such as YouTube and Facebook, including for information. “The digital acceleration has democratized access to information but has also reduced critical thinking and human presence,” observes Mirela Petkova, a journalist at Factcheck.bg, an initiative that involves young reporters in countering disinformation as quickly as it circulates online.

Twenty-seven years old, straddling the millennial and Generation Z generations, Petkova says she feels part of the last age group to remember landlines and slower news cycles, and is therefore able to appreciate both the immediacy of digital media and the reflectiveness of traditional media. At the same time, her experience as a documentary photographer has reinforced her idea of slowness as a professional value: “an essential tool for telling stories, especially those hidden in rural contexts”.

And it is precisely this urban-rural dualism that represents one of the most critical aspects. “There is a gulf between young people in cities and those who live elsewhere: the former have access to better educational opportunities, while the latter are often under economic pressure and much more anchored to their local context. They are the same age, but they live at two completely different speeds,” Petkova points out.

In this contrasting scenario, technology appears to be a double-edged sword: capable of bridging gaps, but also of widening them; empowering and alienating at the same time. Within youth journalism, however, innovative experiences are emerging that experiment with new languages and formats. Among these, sCOOL Media and Teen Station, both run by high schools, are examples of good online information. Knigovište stands out for its ability to talk to children about complex issues in a serious but accessible language. These initiatives are accompanied by more experimental projects, such as the video podcast Dneven Red and various forms of interactive journalism, which are particularly popular with the under-20s.

According to Petkova, there is room for innovation, which is being created thanks to cross-border journalism initiatives and the support of more experienced colleagues who take on the role of mentors. It is in this fertile ground that Bulgarian youth journalism is trying to combine the need for digital speed with the rediscovery of the value of slowness.

Hopeful and creative Romania

As in Bulgaria, young people in Romania also get their information mainly from Facebook and YouTube. However, exposure to these channels does not seem to generate the same widespread perception of vulnerability to disinformation: concerns are more about current and future economic and employment conditions, the need for more robust welfare policies, and the hope for a solution to the housing crisis. Despite these difficulties, Romanians under 30 show relatively high confidence in European institutions: only 2% say they are completely opposed to the EU, a lower percentage than in many other member countries.

According to Andra Mureșan, a 28-year-old journalist specializing in gender-based violence, the differences between Generation Z and millennials are less clear-cut than is often claimed. “They are more similar than they appear: they face comparable problems and opportunities,” she explains. The most significant differences emerge among young urbanites, especially those in Bucharest, those living in rural areas, and diaspora communities. This three-way divide also reflects growing political polarization: the former tend to support progressive causes, while the latter lean toward sovereignist movements, such as the one led by Călin Georgescu.

Within this fragmented landscape, various actors are attempting to reach young people using different languages and tools. Among the most followed influencers are Vlad Adamescu and Răzvan Petri on Instagram, and Silviu Faiar on Twitch and YouTube. Alongside them are non-governmental organizations such as Center Filia (on gender rights), Funky Citizens (on civic engagement), and Romania Palestine Solidarity (on human rights), which are experimenting with communication methods designed to reach an increasingly attentive and segmented youth audience.

Media outlets created specifically for young people also play a crucial role, trying to carve out a space for themselves with original formats and innovative approaches in a landscape still dominated by traditional publications. Scena9 stands out for its fresh, pop style; Residența9 for its cultural coverage and events; Fundația9 for its ability to intertwine media and cultural initiatives; Approccio for its long articles enriched with visually striking illustrations. At the same time, the category of “social media first” media is gaining ground, represented by outlets such as Gen Știri and Știri Bazate, which use reels and carousels to disseminate concise and easily accessible news.

There is no lack of creativity, therefore. The problem, Mureșan observes, is structural and concerns resources: “Many of these projects are based on volunteer work and thus end up replicating the same critical issues as the mainstream industry. The only way to succeed is to earn the trust of the public and manage to survive by combining grants, donations, and external funding.”

Italy: a republic founded on voluntary information sharing

Compared to the contexts observed in Eastern Europe, Italy presents significantly different characteristics. Here, young people express strong concern about climate change and employment difficulties, while the cost of living appears to be a secondary issue. Ambivalent skepticism prevails toward the European Union, consisting of conditional support and reservations about its current functioning. Unlike other countries, Italians under 30 do not perceive disinformation as a priority threat and continue to rely heavily on television (52% compared to a European average of 37%). When they turn to social media, they prefer Instagram to YouTube, also using it to search for reliable and clearly explained news.

It is therefore not surprising that Instagram has become the preferred platform for native information projects aimed at younger people. Will Media and Factanza are now well-established, while new entry Torcha has quickly made a name for itself with an editorial team made up of people in their twenties and thirties, capable of alternating between short and long formats, infographics, videos, and stories that capture the language and timing of the platform.

Outside the ‘Instagram-first’ universe, the Italian youth scene is characterized by media experiments that are often just as lively but based almost exclusively on voluntary work. This is the case of the Agenzia di Stampa Giovanile (Youth Press Agency), created by the Viração&Jangada association, which defends its independence by focusing on educommunication. Most of the contributors – both Italian and foreign – work on a voluntary basis, covering global news with an open and multilingual perspective. “We start from the assumption that every act of information is an act of education, it is a political act,” explains Viola Ducati, a young journalist on the editorial team. “Stories are chosen based on the values of the project, and free mentoring is offered to those who are just starting out. This allows us to stay out of the industry’s expansion logic and defend a broad, high-quality editorial line.” This choice guarantees originality and recognizability, although it sometimes makes it difficult to position the publication with the public.

Also supported by voluntary contributions is DueGradi, a project that is not registered as a newspaper but has become a point of reference for those seeking information on climate and the environment.

The content stands out for its balance between scientific rigor and accessibility, with just enough depth to maintain interest without discouraging less specialized readers. The clarity of the editorial line is a strength in terms of identity, but it can be a limitation in reaching targets less sensitive to environmental issues. Ducati, which collaborates with both projects, emphasizes that the challenge today is to go beyond the virtual dimension.

“There is a growing need to ‘break the bubble’ and build trust. As journalists, we must also be real people. Among young people, there is a great need to create and nurture connections.” Hence the interest in strengthening online dissemination with events, educational activities, and initiatives that allow direct contact with readers.

In this landscape, Italy appears to be a laboratory for media experimentation in which volunteering, civic engagement, and innovation intertwine, offering original solutions but at the same time exposed to structural fragilities that closely resemble the difficulties of the traditional journalism industry.

Greece in limbo, fertile ground for the far right

Could the solutions tried in Italy also be applied in Greece? The context appears even more complex. Here, young people say they are more skeptical about the European Union (five percentage points more than the European average), but at the same time they boast a high voter turnout rate: +14 percentage points compared to their peers in other countries. This combination, which is only contradictory in appearance, can be explained by the weight of the economic crises of recent years, which have left deep wounds, and by the expectation that the EU will gradually mitigate their effects. However, a widespread sense of criticism remains: 32% of respondents believe that Brussels could and should do more.

Between expectations and disillusionment, young Greeks mainly get their information through social networks, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, relegating television and the press, even in their digital versions, to the background. It is in this space that influencers of various orientations proliferate, including those linked to the far right, capable of exploiting rapid and captivating language.

To balance this dynamic, experiences of independent youth journalism are emerging, such as FYI, created with the aim of filling the void of media capable of effectively speaking to Generation Z and Millennials. Through carefully designed Instagram carousels and short texts, FYI manages to condense complex concepts into an accessible format, winning over even those who have little time or prefer visual content. It is precisely these audiences – the most exposed to misinformation – that young journalists are trying to influence, engaging in fact-checking, asserting editorial independence, and focusing on quality rather than quantity of news.

The terrain becomes particularly treacherous when it comes to reporting on the European Union. “Covering this topic is increasingly challenging for journalists,” observes Antonis Kalogeropoulos, a researcher at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford. “They have to navigate a complex institutional system, fragmented into many languages, and translate it into stories that are understandable and engaging for the public.”

The analysis of Greece resonates with observations made in other European countries examined: limited economic resources, competition from influencers who are not always ethically transparent, and a political and social reality in constant and unpredictable transformation. Young newsrooms respond with creativity, professionalism, and determination, but it remains to be seen whether these qualities will be enough to meet the challenge. The answer may come from the next vote of under-30s in the European elections, a test of the relationship between young people, information, and the future of the Union..

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This article was produced as part of Thematic Network of PULSE, a European initiative supporting cross-border journalistic collaborations. Alice Facchini, Odysseas Grammatikakis, and Vladimir Mitev contributed to this article..

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