An important report was published last week but it may have gone unnoticed by the majority of us due to our overcrowded information sphere. The report points to people’s increased tendency for news avoidance, which has been permeating societies everywhere at an alarming rate. The report is based on an online survey conducted in 46 markets by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, which is funded by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. It concluded that a growing number of people are selectively avoiding important news stories, such as the coronavirus pan- demic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the cost of living crisis.
Despite being a news industry practitioner, I have even found myself guilty of such behavior in recent years. But such a decline in interest in mainstream news is, in my opinion, a threat to society, its health, and its prosperity. The digital age has served society well generally, but as far as informing and better educating the masses, all indications suggest we are increasingly living in times of media chaos, which is feeding fragmentation, partiality, and intolerance.
For someone that made this industry his profession and passion for decades, I strongly believe that the free propagation of information is vital, whether through the classic public service-produced news, governed by charters that guarantee objectivity and impartiality, or through the private sector-owned and driven media that thrive to offer consumers accurate, informative and timely news. Citizen journalism has been another addition to the fray, aided by the digital revolution, making some of us walk- ing influencing machines capable of generating generous returns or manipulating hearts and minds on a global scale. But such a corporate-led digital age should not avoid regulation by simply using the excuse of being a mere carrier of content, as its artificial intelligence and the profit-driven algorithm is not devoid of loopholes and adversities that could impact the health of nations and the stability of realms. While the majority of people surveyed consume news regularly, 38 percent said they often or sometimes avoid the news, up from 29 percent in 2017. About 36 percent, particularly those under 35, say that the news lowers their mood.
Alarmingly, trust in news is also declining across the globe and is at its lowest in the US. Younger audiences, the report found, are increasingly accessing the news via platforms such as TikTok and have a weaker connection to news brands, leaving 78 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds to access the news via aggregators, search engines, and social media. All this led Reuters Institute Director Rasmus Kleis Nielsen to conclude that “large numbers of people see the media as subject to undue political influence, and only a small minority believe most news organizations put what’s best for society ahead of their own commercial interest.” His observation goes to the core of the problem since, in recent times, political, commercial and various ideological interests have used the media as a weapon in the battlefield of distorting the truth or economizing it. These interests have diluted content or weaponized messages with limited or total disregard for fairness, common sense, ethics, and, above all, the dose of respect for audiences that should guide their work if this essential industry is to win back those hesitant potential consumers.
