A growing number of people in many countries tend to avoid the news. According to the latest Digital News Report by Reuters Institute, less than half (48%) of people are very or extremely interested in news, while more than a third (36%) say they sometimes or often skip the news. Many news avoiders consistently reject all information sources, including newspapers, TV broadcasts, or news feeds in social media. Others act selectively, with 53% choosing to access news less frequently, and 32% steering clear of certain topics.
There are various reasons behind news avoidance. One commonly mentioned factor is time: many people think news is too time-consuming and affirm their daily routines don’t allow more than a quick glance at headlines. But this is probably just a small part of the story.
In their book ‘Avoiding the News’, authors Benjamin Toff, Ruth Palmer, and Rasmus K. Nielsen explain the distance is often motivated by saying “it’s not me, it’s news”. News is perceived as irrelevant and hard to understand, and makes people feel helpless in the face of problems they can’t do anything about. In an age when information is pervasive and abundant, individuals find themselves overwhelmed by the quantity of available news and dissatisfied with contents.
The possible negative impact on personal wellbeing should also be considered. Media predominantly cover tragedies, conflicts, and crisis, or highly polarized political and societal stories. People prefer disconnection to protect themselves from distressing and depressing information, and to avoid exposure to events or opinions that contradict their own beliefs. Although this means missing a portion of reality and potentially valuable opposing viewpoints, selective avoidance can be a strategy to preserve the personal comfort zone.
Moreover, the rise of sensationalism and misinformation has grown some distrust towards media, with some people choosing to tune out rather than risking being misled or manipulated by inaccurate information.
The phenomenon of news avoidance was discussed in April at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia. One key question on stage: if people run away from news, how media can catch them up? How to improve in creating, packaging, and delivering news?
It may sound obvious, but the first strategy is to keep stories simple, brief (but not necessarily short!), and useful. News should be intelligible even when dealing with complex issues, and do not require too much time and effort to be understood. This is clearly proven by successful experiences such as BBC’s explanatory news pieces, the UK based newsletter ‘The Knowledge’, or the podcast ‘Morning’ by Il Post.
Also, integrating more constructive, down-to-earth, and solutions-based contents may help, as people tend to appreciate service journalism. Negative news still grabs attention (at least with mature audiences) but, when covering topics such as climate change, doom-laden narratives push people towards disengagement. Bringing solutions and some hope may be a good idea.
It makes sense to introduce more engaging digital formats with video or audio contents, of course. It also makes sense to invest in more diverse newsrooms: it’s not just a question of equality, but an effective way to reach communities that find mainstream media irrelevant or not helpful. An interesting example presented in Perugia is the Canadian public broadcaster CBC, addressing indigenous communities with a specific content strategy.
News avoidance is a serious issue. If we agree with The Washington Post’s motto — “Democracy Dies in Darkness” — we should contribute to spread media literacy and support publishers and journalists who struggle to keep people informed and engaged.
Picture by Julia Sabiniarz on Unsplash
