| Alexa Hoffman 
We're at the cusp of a new generation reaching adulthood. Is your content reaching them? The up-and-coming Generation Z (also called Gen Z and Centennials, born 1998 or later) are starting to turn 18 on the heels of the late-year Millennials (born 1981-1997), and both generations together already boast about $650 billion in purchasing power. Given the potential revenue derived from this market, and the research that shows Gen Z will be even more powerful and larger than Millennials, the question in any marketing and PR pro's mind shouldn't be "Should I reach young adults?" but "How should I reach young adults?" One answer may surprise you. Rather than focusing solely on social media and mobile, as brands tend to do when considering younger markets, you can target 18- to 22-year-olds at student-run media organizations on college campuses. The college newspaper. The university radio or TV station. Community college newsletters or magazines. All of them contain content created and curated by students on that campus. These are not trade journalists looking to cover the higher education industry; they have their place at other publications. These are students who are traditionally straddling that generational divide and sharing their content all across campus. Campus Newspapers: The Digital Revolution Is (Also) Here Let's consider the campus newspaper in more depth. While some publications have reduced print frequency in the face of the changing media landscape, the amount of content being produced by their newsrooms has not changed. It has gone digital. Campus newspapers all across the country are still being tasked with curating and creating content for the campus community on the whole; now, the format is split between website and print editions. Research from re:fuel has shown how effective it is to reach students at their campus newspapers. Students use their newspapers for more than just campus news; they use it to make purchasing decisions (33%) and to find coupons and promo codes (more than 50%). Moreover, they usually share each print copy with at least one other person, so distribution is maximized. 
Broadcast: Increased Collaboration Between Campus and Local Media Broadcast media also is branching out more online, so the websites associated with the college-hosted radio and TV stations show the same volume of content that might be prepared for on-air dissemination. But many student-run broadcast media organizations engage even beyond the campus walls by partnering with community television and radio stations. Take WOUB, for example, out of Ohio University. According to its website, WOUB-TV is "a non-academic unit of Ohio University's Scripps College of Communication" and a PBS affiliate. It covers local news stories stretching across 55 counties in 4 states, in addition to content for students. Furthermore, WOUB-TV's sister radio stations, WOUB-FM (an NPR affiliate out of Athens) and WOUB-AM (a community radio station that broadcasts BBC content, among other items) are part of the overall Ohio University Public Radio network. While these organizations have listeners and viewers outside the university walls, students are heavily involved with content selection and comprise a solid portion of its audience. College Media Content: Tailor to Students’ Interests The students who work in these on-campus media organizations cover some of the same beats as journalists in media organizations all around the country: local to national news, yes, but also health, technology, politics, finance (student loans, anyone?), employment, entertainment, etc. Further, research has shown that Millennials – and Gen Z is expected to follow suit – use ad blockers for most of their content. Ads don't work, but content that matters does. If you are able to get your content in front of the reporters and editors deciding what content will be placed in print publications, broadcast on TV or radio, and added online, you can bypass advertising’s hurdles and reach your target audience. When considering your communications approach with the generations that are rapidly beginning to represent a bulk of the consumer economy, don't get stuck focusing on social media and mobile alone. You know where the students are – go after them. Download our Quick & Easy Guide to Sharing Your Press Release with the World and learn how to prepare and distribute press releases that will grab the media’s attention. Author Alexa Hoffman is PR Newswire's senior product manager for US distribution, which reaches thousands of student journalists as part of the broadest group of US-based journalists, consumers, bloggers and investors in the industry. Follow her at @PRNlgbt, where she co-curates PR Newswire's Twitter channel dedicated to LGBT news and culture and connect with her on LinkedIn. | 
