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What are young journalists focused on in the 2024 presidential race?

Scripps News hears insight from young journalists about the 2024 election, local news and how to connect with a young audience.
Posted at 10:04 PM, Feb 28, 2024

Presidential candidates always want and need young people to support them.

Younger voters could have a particularly strong impact on our election, and their influence comes at a critical time.

According to a 2023 Harvard poll, only 49% of voters 18-29 say they definitely will vote for president in 2024. That's down from 57% in 2019.

The decline highlights the need not only for more youth engagement among campaigns and parties, but also for more young journalists to tell the stories of tomorrow.

So what can we expect from the next generation of journalists and voters out there?

'Uncommitted' voters send Biden a message in Michigan primary
Voter walks to a primary election location in Michigan.

'Uncommitted' voters send Biden a message in Michigan primary

More than 100,000 Democrats voted "uncommitted," driven largely by activists who are dissatisfied with Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

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Scripps News speaks with Wyatt Sharpe, the host of the Wyatt Sharpe Show on YouTube; Jaden Jefferson, a multimedia journalist based in Toledo, Ohio; and Jackson Gosnell, an independent journalist based out of Columbia, South Carolina.

We hear their perspectives on the state of the 2024 presidential race, their insight on local issues that are shaping Senate contests in their communities, and their thoughts on how to inspire a young new cohort of journalists and their audiences.