Not bored, but overwhelmed and anxious: why people are turning away from news

The latest edition of Reuters and Oxford's annual Digital News Report is out! Here are the key insights for 2024:

😓 News fatigue & avoidance: Despite a slight uptick in engagement during election years (+3% in the US), news consumption is becoming more selective. Of those surveyed, 39% now often or sometimes avoid the news, up from 29% in 2017, and 39% feel overwhelmed by the amount of news, compared to 28% in 2019.

🧐 Trust in news: Trust remains steady at 40%. Finland leads with 69% trust, while Greece and Hungary are at the bottom with 23%. Trust factors include openness (72%), accuracy (69%), fairness (65%), and lack of bias (61%).

🎥 Platforms: Facebook is losing ground (-3%), short-form video news is surging. YouTube is the top platform (31%), followed by WhatsApp (21%), TikTok (13%), and X (10%). TikTok is especially popular among 18-24-year-olds (23%) and in Thailand (39%) and Kenya (36%).

🎙️ Podcasts: News podcasts attract younger, well-educated audiences. In 20 countries, 35% listen monthly, with 13% tuning into news and current affairs.

🤖 AI-generated news: Concern about fake news is rising, with 59% worried, up 3 points from last year. It's especially high in South Africa (81%) and the US (72%), likely connected to 2024 elections. 

Whether or not you're in the media business, how will you help overwhelmed consumers navigate an oversupply of information, enabling them to find essential signals among intensifying noise?