Canberra, New figures reveal just how far Australians have fallen away from news content, but the figures also hint at what might bring them back.
Australians are tired of this news.
According to the latest Digital News Report: Australia, two in five people (41 percent) say they are tired of the amount of news, an increase of 13 percentage points since 2019. It's not hard to understand why. : In 2023 alone, the news was filled with divisive and troubling topics, from new wars in the Middle East to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the controversial Indigenous Voices referendum, and climate disasters occurring around the world.
log in idle
Some people are more tired than others.Those who use social media as their main source for news report a worse rate (47 percent) than those who turn to television (36 percent). Since 2019, the main The proportion of Australians who view news on social media has increased by 7 percentage points, from 18 per cent to 25 per cent.
Women are more likely to experience news fatigue. This may also be related to where they generally get their news, with 60 percent of Gen Z respondents using social media as their main news source and 28 percent getting their news exclusively from these platforms. Receive news.
People who encounter news while using social media platforms are more likely to report news fatigue (44 percent) than those who primarily go directly to news websites or apps (35 percent). Are.This data strongly suggests that crowded online environments, and in particular, social media, can overwhelm people with the amount of information they receive and find it difficult to manage and understand.
These people are also light news consumers. Heavy news consumers experience less 'fatigue'. This tells us that the more people engage with news, the more they feel able to manage it.
Another reason news consumers are bored with the news is that many of them are exposed to misinformation online (61 percent).Particularly for those who rely on social media, there is a risk that they will become exhausted and disengaged from the news because it requires too much effort to constantly verify information. Australians about misinformation People's concern has been increasing over the years and has increased by 11 percentage points since 2022. Now, three out of four Australians say they are worried about it. Those who are concerned about misinformation report higher levels of news fatigue (46 percent) than those who are not (35 percent).
Gap in news provision
People may be tired because, when they get a news, it may not be what they were looking for.Many social media users are scrolling past news content that doesn't interest them or that isn't relevant to their lives. Data shows a huge gap between the topics that certain social groups are interested in and news coverage on those issues. There is a big difference between the availability of. Women also want more news about mental health and wellness, as well as personal safety. Overall, there is a large gap between women's interest in certain topics and their perception of the news coverage available about them.
The failure of news media to meet the needs of female audiences is an ongoing issue and has led to a steep decline in news consumption, especially among young women.This is an easy option for the news industry if it wants to attract a wider audience.
Managing Overload One of the big problems related to news fatigue is cognitive overload, which can cause people to stay away from news. In fact, nearly all (91 percent) of news consumers who say they become tired of the more news they encounter also say they deliberately avoid it.
Other research supports this, showing that a major reason people avoid the news is that they become exhausted by the amount of news.
People avoid news in different ways.Some people turn away from it all together, while others are more selective and choose to avoid certain topics or take breaks at particular times of the day. This doesn't mean that viewers won't get the information they need as their news. Overall levels of consumption may still be high, but that means they can take a break. However, if avoidance leads to long-term disengagement, where audiences do not consume any news, it becomes a social problem.
This year's figures show about 7 per cent of Australians fall into this category. These people say they access all or most of the news less than once a month.This figure has increased to 12 percent among Gen Z women.
The foundation of a healthy democracy is based on informed citizens who are willing to participate in society. However, with the increasing reliance on social media to access news, an increasing proportion of the community will only be informed if they find reliable news about the issues they are interested in. Without reliable news sources, people are forced to consume news. The process may seem as laborious as scrolling through an endless sea of information content.
Therefore, to reduce fatigue, people need to be more selective about the news they are more interested in at a time of their choosing; While news organizations need to ensure that content is available to hitherto underserved sections of the community.(360info.org) PY
PY
Australians are tired of this news.
According to the latest Digital News Report: Australia, two in five people (41 percent) say they are tired of the amount of news, an increase of 13 percentage points since 2019. It's not hard to understand why. : In 2023 alone, the news was filled with divisive and troubling topics, from new wars in the Middle East to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the controversial Indigenous Voices referendum, and climate disasters occurring around the world.
log in idle
Some people are more tired than others.Those who use social media as their main source for news report a worse rate (47 percent) than those who turn to television (36 percent). Since 2019, the main The proportion of Australians who view news on social media has increased by 7 percentage points, from 18 per cent to 25 per cent.
Women are more likely to experience news fatigue. This may also be related to where they generally get their news, with 60 percent of Gen Z respondents using social media as their main news source and 28 percent getting their news exclusively from these platforms. Receive news.
People who encounter news while using social media platforms are more likely to report news fatigue (44 percent) than those who primarily go directly to news websites or apps (35 percent). Are.This data strongly suggests that crowded online environments, and in particular, social media, can overwhelm people with the amount of information they receive and find it difficult to manage and understand.
These people are also light news consumers. Heavy news consumers experience less 'fatigue'. This tells us that the more people engage with news, the more they feel able to manage it.
Another reason news consumers are bored with the news is that many of them are exposed to misinformation online (61 percent).Particularly for those who rely on social media, there is a risk that they will become exhausted and disengaged from the news because it requires too much effort to constantly verify information. Australians about misinformation People's concern has been increasing over the years and has increased by 11 percentage points since 2022. Now, three out of four Australians say they are worried about it. Those who are concerned about misinformation report higher levels of news fatigue (46 percent) than those who are not (35 percent).
Gap in news provision
People may be tired because, when they get a news, it may not be what they were looking for.Many social media users are scrolling past news content that doesn't interest them or that isn't relevant to their lives. Data shows a huge gap between the topics that certain social groups are interested in and news coverage on those issues. There is a big difference between the availability of. Women also want more news about mental health and wellness, as well as personal safety. Overall, there is a large gap between women's interest in certain topics and their perception of the news coverage available about them.
The failure of news media to meet the needs of female audiences is an ongoing issue and has led to a steep decline in news consumption, especially among young women.This is an easy option for the news industry if it wants to attract a wider audience.
Managing Overload One of the big problems related to news fatigue is cognitive overload, which can cause people to stay away from news. In fact, nearly all (91 percent) of news consumers who say they become tired of the more news they encounter also say they deliberately avoid it.
Other research supports this, showing that a major reason people avoid the news is that they become exhausted by the amount of news.
People avoid news in different ways.Some people turn away from it all together, while others are more selective and choose to avoid certain topics or take breaks at particular times of the day. This doesn't mean that viewers won't get the information they need as their news. Overall levels of consumption may still be high, but that means they can take a break. However, if avoidance leads to long-term disengagement, where audiences do not consume any news, it becomes a social problem.
This year's figures show about 7 per cent of Australians fall into this category. These people say they access all or most of the news less than once a month.This figure has increased to 12 percent among Gen Z women.
The foundation of a healthy democracy is based on informed citizens who are willing to participate in society. However, with the increasing reliance on social media to access news, an increasing proportion of the community will only be informed if they find reliable news about the issues they are interested in. Without reliable news sources, people are forced to consume news. The process may seem as laborious as scrolling through an endless sea of information content.
Therefore, to reduce fatigue, people need to be more selective about the news they are more interested in at a time of their choosing; While news organizations need to ensure that content is available to hitherto underserved sections of the community.(360info.org) PY
PY
