Blog
June 2022
People are switching off the news
Every year the Reuters Institute surveys tens of thousands of online news consumers from around the world to better understand how people engage with news, and how that’s changing over time.
And the news this year is alarming: the connection between journalism and the public is fraying. Almost every year for the past 10 years, interest in news has been declining; a growing number of people are actively avoiding it.
The reasons are interesting – many are put off by the repetitiveness of the news agenda, some don’t trust it, and some say they often feel worn out by the news. Around a third, particularly those who are under 35, say the news brings down their mood, and for some it leads to feelings of powerlessness.
In the words of Senior Research Associate Nic Newman:
“The need for reliable information, careful context has rarely been greater but neither has the desire for stories that inspire and give hope of a better tomorrow.”
Here at 360info, we’ve built a service we think can be the antidote to the fatigue people are reporting about news, by offering contextual features, global perspectives and ways forward – from researchers seeking answers to the world’s biggest problems. Edited by professional journalists to help make complex issues approachable for general audiences.
