Depressing stories turning more people off

An increasing number of people are turning away from the news because it lowers their mood, new research suggests.

The Reuters Institute's digital news report suggests that almost 4 in 10 (38%) say they often or sometimes avoid the news - up from 29% in 2017. And 36% - particularly those under 35 - said the news affected their mood.

Issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic are thought to have contributed to the increase in people avoiding news bulletins, programmes and articles. Nearly half of those who took part in the global survey - 43% - said they were put off by the repetitiveness of the news agenda, specifically too much politics and Covid-19 coverage.

One female respondent, 19, from the UK, said: "Truthfully, I don't like to dwell too much on the mainstream news. I find sometimes it can be repetitive and negative."

Trust was a factor, too - 29% of those surveyed said the news was untrustworthy or biased, while trust fell in half the countries surveyed.

Some said they avoided the news because it led to arguments they would rather avoid (17%) or made them feel powerless (16%), while 5% said they avoid news altogether.

More than 93,000 people in 46 countries took part in the survey.

Perhaps it is just a sign of a troubled world that increasing numbers of people are turning away from news. Covid, followed by war in Ukraine and all the related economic and social impacts has meant there has been no shortage of disturbing world events.

However, is it really that much worse than in decades past? Perhaps the problem is that yesterday's turmoil came in manageable doses.

As the phone has become our main route to news it has shifted many of us from fixed news meals to grazing, scrolling and watching an endless stream of alerts and notifications pop. News has become omnipresent and, for an increasing number, a depressing intrusion.