Question of the hour: Some prefer not to follow the news so as not to worry and not be disappointed. Do you agree?

According to a study published yesterday, a very large proportion of the population prefers to avoid watching news that they think causes them anxiety and frustration, such as those related to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ukrainian war and the economic crisis. The results of the study present a real challenge for companies operating in the media sector, as the topics that journalists consider the most important, such as political crises, international conflicts and pandemics, seem to some people to be an alienating factor.” notes Nick Newman, lead author of the Reuters study. This annual digital media report is based on YouGov’s online surveys of 93,000 people in 46 countries. This year the polls were organized in late January and early February. This was followed in April by another survey of 5,000 people from five countries (UK, US, Germany, Poland and Brazil) in addition to previous surveys, taking into account the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February. Overall, four out of ten respondents (38%) indicated that they may have deliberately not followed the news. In 2017, the percentage of those who deliberately abstained from reading the news reached 29%. In five years, this share has doubled in Brazil (54%) and the UK (46%). In France, it has increased to 36% after being 33% in 2019 and 29% in 2017. reaching 20% ​​in Finland and Denmark. In Japan – 14%. To justify their decision, about half of the respondents (43%) who avoid following the news say they are disgusted by its repetition, especially those related to the pandemic or political events. – “Alarm” – more than a third of respondents (36%) confirm that this news causes them a feeling of disappointment (especially among those under 35 years old, but also in the UK and USA). 29% of people who avoid following the news consider it biased and do not trust its content. The 2022 survey generally shows a decline in the proportion of people who trust the media, after recovering last year (42% of respondents trust, compared to 44% in 2021).