A CIRCOM webinar exploring the growing issue of news avoidance and strategies to engage with those who choose not to engage with the news was held on 22nd October 2024.
Stressful, depressing, relentless - words increasingly used by our audiences to describe The News.
Research is suggesting that as many as 46% of people across Europe take steps to actively avoid the news, as war, division & double standards continue to dominate the headlines.
Feedback like “It’s not good for my mental health”, “I can’t do anything about it” and “It’s all so negative” shows a growing disconnect with the stories we tell and the way that we tell them.
There are striking and clear implications for our newsrooms and for our democratic systems - so who are the News Avoiders, why are they turning away from our journalism and what can we do to reach and connect with them?
Further reading:
- Digital News Report 2024
- Dr Benjamin Toff: Avoiding the News: Reluctant Audiences for Journalism (book available online at the main sellers)
Webinar, hosted by BBC producer & broadcast trainer Jules Hyam, was led by Emma Lofgren (Editor, The Local, Sweden) and James Coatsworth (Audience Analyst, BBC),
Emma Löfgren is a senior digital news editor and solutions journalism trainer, who believes journalism can help people find their place in the world. She leads The Local Sweden’s award-winning newsroom in reporting constructively on issues that affect the lives of foreign professionals. She’s also the deputy managing editor of its parent company The Local Europe’s editorial team and a contributor to The Fix, a European trade publication for media leaders.
James Coatsworth is Research Manager for Nations & Regions at the BBC, based in Salford. He’s worked for the organisation for 14 years having previously been a qualitative researcher specialising in media.