In its 11th edition, the Reuters Institute’s Digital Media Report found that the average number of people avoiding “depressing” news, such as Covid-19, inflation or war, has gone from 29% to 38% in the last five years.
In Brazil, one of the countries that lead the phenomenon among the 46 nations and regions covered by the study, it went from 27% in 2017 to 54% in 2022. In the United Kingdom, from 24% to 46%.
The results are “especially challenging” for the news industry, says Nic Newman, lead researcher for the Digital News Report 2022 and past issues.
“Issues that journalists consider most important, such as political crises, international conflicts, global pandemics and climate catastrophes, seem to be the very things that are keeping some people away from the news.”
The quantitative survey, carried out for the Reuters Institute by YouGov in January and February, is complemented by qualitative research in three countries: the US, UK and Brazil.
The report cites statements by anonymous young Brazilians in the latter, for example: “Depending on my mood, if I see news that I know is bad, it will upset me, sometimes I leave it and read it later.” Another: “I like news about sports, food, wellness and health. I don’t like to see news about violence.”
A second highlight of the Reuters Institute itself in the quantitative survey is that, for young people under 25, visual social networks such as TikTok and Instagram have been replacing Facebook, which used to be dominant.
On average across countries, 40% of respondents aged between 18 and 24 use the Chinese platform every week, with 15% saying they consume news through it. The numbers are higher outside Europe and the US.
Confidence in the news fell in about half of countries and regions from the previous year — when it had recovered, which the report then credited to coverage of the pandemic.
The US records the lowest consumer confidence in the news at 26%, down three points. In Brazil, the drop was six points, to 48%.
The research focuses on European nations and also covers Asian nations such as India, Indonesia and the Hong Kong region, but not mainland China, Latin American nations such as Mexico and Argentina and African nations such as Nigeria and South Africa. It hears about 2,000 people in each country or region.
I have over 8 years of experience in the news industry. I have worked for various news websites and have also written for a few news agencies. I mostly cover healthcare news, but I am also interested in other topics such as politics, business, and entertainment. In my free time, I enjoy writing fiction and spending time with my family and friends.
