With media creation and distribution rapidly evolving, particularly among Gen Z who are deeply immersed in digital platforms, how can radio recruit a demographic known for their digital nativity in a new world of increasingly democratized broadcasting?
Radio Ink asked Radio’s Top 20 Leaders of 2024: What are the biggest challenges in recruiting young people into the industry, and how can radio overcome them?
“Gen Z is addicted to their phones and their social media. We need to connect with them there. I just recruited a very talented 21-year-old who was doing some skits I found on a social media platform, and we are currently training for a radio show. They need to know their talent can work on our platform simultaneously with social digital platforms.”
“We need to champion radio’s reach as a tool for recruiting. The sheer reach of radio is so much greater than most individual podcasts and many individual social media accounts. Radio needs to point out this reach differential with great frequency.”
“We had a college media tour last week and the young adults were fascinated by what they saw. We must have teen and young adult open houses at our stations and re-engage with them the way we used too and with all aspects of social media. I believe many in our industry gave up on reaching or hiring them. We have way more hiring competition than before and we have to put in the work to convince them that this is the place for them!”
See what all of Radio’s Top 20 Leaders said in the next issue of Radio Ink. Plus, get Ad Fontes Media Chief Strategy Officer Lou Paskalis’ playbook for driving ad dollars to broadcast news – it all drops on Monday, April 8. If you are not a subscriber, what are you waiting for? Order your digital or print subscription today!
