News Business Confronts Mood Swings, Digital Overload

Michael Hedges June 20, 2022 - Follow on Twitter

These are tough times for the news business. After a century of consistent, if occasionally furtive growth the public seems worn out by it all. Publishers, too, are drained. All the digital tricks went merrily off on a side rail.

All of this was unhappily detailed in the latest Digital Media Report from the Reuters Institute for Journalism at Oxford University, released this past week (June 15). Facts in the report come from a YouGov survey of 93,000 persons in 46 countries earlier this year. A companion survey on the impact of the war in Ukraine was fielded in five countries in April. This is the eleventh year for the Digital News Report, the longitudinal data providing a solid basis for trend spotting.

Among the several observations and conclusions standing out is the degree to which news consumers are confused and overwhelmed. After more than two years of the coronavirus pandemic dominating public discourse, interspersed with wars, domestic violence, economic turmoil and ragged climate issues the general public wants more than just a break. Many have tuned out, some finding solace in fantasy.

“Selective avoidance,” noted lead author Nic Newman, is increasing. Across all countries surveyed, nearly two in five (38%) find “certain topics” depressing. “While the majority remain very engaged, others are turning away from the news media and in some cases disconnecting from news altogether. Interest in news has fallen sharply across markets, from 63% in 2017 to 51% in 2022.” One in 8 said news makes them feel powerless. “Subjects that journalists consider most important, such as political crises, international conflicts and global pandemics, seem to be precisely the ones that are turning some people away,” wrote Mr. Newman.

“Some of this is a function of the move to digital,” said Mr. Newman separately to Poynter (June 15). “People feel they are being bombarded/overloaded often when they haven’t asked for it. Also that the abundance of other (more entertaining) choices means it is easier to avoid/select something less depressing.” News users under 35 years, typically susceptible to mood swings, prefer to get the first news of the morning from TikTok, which has all the gossip in short videos.

"Large numbers of people see the media as subject to undue political influence, and only a small minority believe most news organisations put what's best for society ahead of their own commercial interest," wrote Reuters Institute Director Rasmus Kleis Nielsen in the foreword. In other words, savvy political and special interest operatives have succeeded in damaging trust in the news media. Media trust fell in about half (21 of 46) the countries surveyed. Highest trust, as usual, is found in Finland (69%); lowest in the US, tied with Slovakia. South Africa had the greatest increase in media trust to 61%.

The Digital News Report gave significant attention to the biggest issue for publishers: subscriptions. “This year’s data show mixed progress, with significant increases countries where payment is relatively widespread. Our survey data in Norway and the United States show a slight decline this year, though in both cases industry figures suggest that there has still been some progress. Either way, longer term trends do suggest a slowing down in some of these early-mover markets, raising questions about whether they might be reaching a more mature phase.”

Big news brands, across the world, have a considerable advantage in the quest for subscriptions, memberships or donations. In nearly every country, news users pay for just one. “The vast majority of those paying are older, with an average age of 47 across countries,” said the report. “Persuading younger people to pay remains a critical issue for industry, with just 8% of news subscribers in the UK being under 30 and just 17% in the United States.” In its summary of the findings, Poynter observed that newsletter subscriptions, like those offered through the Substack platform, are just “a blip.”

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