“News evasion”. This is the title of the Digital News Report Spain 2023 report for this June, its chapter dedicated to Internet users who occasionally or habitually try to isolate themselves from current news. They are less than a year ago, but they represent almost two thirds of the population (64%).Of them, 86% avoid “hard news” (politics, international, economy), compared to 58% who avoid “light news” (sports, heart, lifestyle, fashion, travel On the other hand, only 10% reject proximity information.
The Digital News Report – an annual study on the press prepared by the Reuters Institute, the University of Oxford and coordinated in Spain by the University of Navarra – indicates that “mistrust in the news” is at its highest point (40%) and trust has stagnated (33%). Crossing mistrust with disinterest, the group of news “ninis” emerges (37%): they show neither “interest nor trust in the news”.
This situation has not arisen from one day to the next, but it is accentuated today by the battle of the technological giants for the attention of those of us who spend all day hanging on our mobile phones, pending Whatsapp, Twitter, Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook. .. and the apps and alerts of the newspapers.
But it’s not all bad news. 51% of those surveyed do want to be informed and 64% show special “interest in positive news, constructive journalism and the latest news”, they are motivated by information that “proposes solutions instead of just presenting problems” and that helps to understand complex issues.
Should we stop delivering bad news in order to reconcile with the news ninis and those who feel they need a news blackout in their lives? Sweeten scourges such as sexist violence, stop reporting the war in Ukraine, minimize reports warning of the climate crisis, or avoid the complexities of politics or economics?
In no case. We are for that: to select for our readers the most relevant facts and make them understandable and interesting.
But at the same time, we must remember that in any relationship -also in that of a newspaper with its readers- closeness is necessary, sharing interests and knowing how to maintain a positive and constructive spirit despite difficulties.
