Victoria Madrid Martín
The Reuters Institute digital report has shown that the only countries that have avoided the fall in news interest are those countries with very stable democracies and high trust in institutions.
The report highlights the fact that in those countries where polarisation is bigger the fall of the interest is increasing. For example, in the case of Argentina and Spain it has fallen 34 ppt since 2017 and 2015 respectively. On opposition, other countries with a more balanced public opinion have overcome this tendency like Finland which has even increased the news interest in 1 ppt since 2015. The report also showed that not every stable country is safe from this tendency, countries that used to be stable in this sense like Germany or Austria are starting to observe its effects on their citizens.
Source: Reuters Intstitute Report 2023
This tendency has its consequences. People are decreasing its consumption on both traditional and new media and are becoming more disengaged from what's happening in the world around them. This means they may be less informed about important issues, events, or developments. When individuals are disengaged from news, they may actively avoid consuming it altogether. This selective avoidance can make even worst their lack of awareness and understanding of current events.
Overall, the decrease in news interest and consumption can have significant implications for society. It may lead to a less informed citizenry, reduced participation in civic life, and potentially contribute to the spread of misinformation or disinformation due to a lack of critical engagement with news sources and the progressive degradation of our democracies.
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