What Do Young Ghanaians Read? New Report Sheds Light on Gen Z’s Media Habits

By YEN News Team

As Africa’s youth population rises faster than ever before, one generation is emerging as a force across the continent: Gen Z. These young people, born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, are not waiting for the future to arrive; they are actively creating it. From launching businesses and championing social causes to shaping online culture, their presence is felt in every corner of African society.

To understand what grabs their attention in the digital space, Legit, the media group behind top digital news platforms YEN News, Legit.ng, TUKO News, and Briefly News, conducted an in-depth two-year analysis. With platforms across Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Ghana, Legit reviewed over 8,000 of the most-read stories between March 2023 and March 2025. The study focused on readers aged 18 to 24 and tracked more than 12 million views to map their interests.

Across the four countries where Gen Z readers’ preferences were analysed, the top political themes of interest include elections, leadership, governance, protests & youth unrest, election campaigns, and the like. This shows that on average, this generation is very keen to have information on political and government issues, which are determinants of their future and well-being.

While patterns varied by country, Ghana’s Gen Z audience revealed striking shifts that show how youth media preferences are evolving:

• Entertainment news is the top choice for Ghanaian Gen Z readers.
• There is a substantial drop in people-focused and education-related news content between 2024–2025, compared to 2023–2024.
• Sports content experienced a rise in consumption by the Ghanaian youth readers.
• Political issues and related topics of elections are the least appealing topics.

Entertainment still leads the way

If there is one thing that continues to draw young Ghanaians to the news, it is entertainment. Over the past two years, articles on celebrities, music, movies, and social media trends remained the most consumed category among Gen Z readers. Even though there was a slight dip in numbers, entertainment remains the go-to content space. This suggests that young readers crave fun, relatable, and culturally engaging stories that offer a moment of escape.

Less interest in people-focused stories

Unlike entertainment, people-centred content—articles profiling individuals or exploring personal stories—saw a noticeable drop. Just a short while ago, these human interest pieces had significant appeal, reflecting Ghanaian Gen Z’s desire for connection and inspiration. Today, that attention seems to be shifting elsewhere, possibly in favour of stories that deliver excitement, public relevance, or shared experiences rather than personal reflections.

Education content drops significantly

Education-related content also saw a sharp decline in Ghana. Once a solid performer among Gen Z readers, topics covering scholarships, exam guides, or academic opportunities no longer pull in the same level of interest. This drop may point to a growing content fatigue or a change in how young people access educational information. They may now prefer alternative formats like videos, influencers, or social communities for learning.

Sports emerge as a rising interest

In contrast to education and people-centred content, sports have graduated into the spotlight. Over the last two years, it has become one of the fastest-growing content categories for young Ghanaian readers. From local football rivalries and international tournaments to profiles of sports stars, the enthusiasm around athletic events is growing fast. This rise suggests a deepening emotional and cultural investment in sports that is beginning to shape Gen Z’s media diet in Ghana.

Politics still struggles to connect

Despite a major political moment in Ghana, the recent presidential elections, politics has yet to truly captivate young readers.

The interest peaked briefly but did not last; this points to a deeper challenge: political reporting as it currently exists may not reflect what Gen Z wants or needs.

They might be looking for stories that explain how politics affects their lives, their jobs, and their future, rather than stories about parties and elections alone.

Young readers are evolving fast

The media habits of Ghana’s Gen Z are changing. Entertainment still leads, but the rise of sports and the drop in education and people-focused stories suggest that their preferences are anything but fixed. These young readers are adapting to the world around them, shifting their focus toward stories that feel relevant, timely, and emotionally engaging.

For platforms like YEN.com.gh, these insights offer a valuable direction. The challenge now is to keep up, listen more closely, tell better stories, and become not just a source of information, but a partner in the lives of a generation that is reshaping Ghana one click at a time.

Source: YEN.com.gh