Why People Are Avoiding the News Despite Still Caring

A growing number of global audiences are intentionally distancing themselves from traditional news consumption, not due to a lack of interest, but as a proactive measure to protect their mental health. According to the Digital News Report 2025, published on June 17, 2025, by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, 40% of respondents across nearly 50 countries reported that they sometimes or often avoid the news.

This figure represents a significant increase from 29% in 2017 and marks a joint record high. The trend is particularly pronounced in certain Western markets; news avoidance reached 42% in the United States and 46% in the United Kingdom.

The Psychological Driver of Selective Avoidance

Researchers distinguish between total disengagement and selective avoidance. Many users are not abandoning information entirely but are instead filtering their intake to mitigate the emotional toll of constant connectivity. The Digital News Report 2025 identifies several primary drivers for this shift:

• Negative impact on mood: Cited by 39% of respondents.
• Burnout from the sheer volume of news: Cited by 31%.
• Excessive coverage of war and conflict: Cited by 30%.
• Overwhelming political coverage: Cited by 29%.

This behavior is often a response to the doomscrolling cycle—the act of continuously scrolling through bad news on social media. Some studies suggest that as little as 14 minutes of news consumption can elevate anxiety levels, leading users to treat avoidance as a wellbeing strategy.

The Shift Toward Intentional and Ambient Media

As audiences retreat from high-stress breaking news, there is a visible migration toward what digital publishing platform PressReader calls intentional media. This refers to content that users actively choose because it provides clarity, comfort, or fits into a calming routine rather than competing for attention through urgency or alarm.

Data from PressReader, which tracked 3.34 billion article opens across 139 countries in 2025, indicates that non-news content—including lifestyle, health, food and puzzles—is narrowing the gap with traditional journalism. The platform expects non-news content to account for at least 55% of total audience minutes by the end of 2026.

“What people are doing is selecting media that gives them something back — clarity, comfort or a sense of progress. Utility and joy beat confrontation and fatigue.”

Ruairí Doyle, CEO of PressReader

This shift is also manifesting in the rise of ambient news, where artificial intelligence is used to deliver personalized summaries and audio briefings. These formats allow users to stay informed without the psychological distress of navigating a 24/7 news cycle.

The Rise of Newsfluencers and Video Platforms

The decline in traditional news engagement is most acute among younger demographics. The Reuters Institute reports that 44% of 18- to 24-year-olds now identify social media as their primary news source. This group often finds institutional journalism confusing or removed from their daily lives, preferring the personality-led delivery of newsfluencers on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.

The preference for visual and personality-driven content is a global trend. Consumption of social video grew from 52% in 2020 to 65% in 2025. In markets such as India, Kenya, Thailand, and the Philippines, more people now report a preference for watching the news over reading it.

This transition poses a challenge for traditional publishers. While audiences still value journalism, they are increasingly rejecting the delivery methods associated with it. To retain viewers, some organizations are shifting away from breaking-news urgency in favor of deeper analysis and visual formats that are more accessible to younger audiences.