Conceptualizing News Avoidance: Towards a Shared Understanding of Different Causes and Potential Solutions

TLDR

News avoidance is growing, undermining the news industry and democratic engagement, yet research is hindered by a lack of shared definitions. This conceptual study reviews existing frameworks, introduces a model that separates intentional and unintentional news avoidance, and argues that distinct solutions are needed for each type. The authors suggest that intentional avoiders can be reached by altering news selection and presentation, while unintentional avoiders can be engaged by improving media system opportunity structures.

Abstract

News avoidance is considered an increasing problem for the news industry and democracy at large. As news companies lose consumers, democracy loses the informed foundation for an engaged citizenry. Meanwhile, research on news avoidance is hampered by the lack of a common understanding of the phenomenon. In this conceptual study, we first review and discuss extant conceptualizations and operationalisations of news avoidance. Second, we present a model distinguishing two types of news avoidance—intentional and unintentional—depending on the underlying causes leading people to tune out. Third, we argue that different solutions apply to the two types of news avoidance. To engage intentional news avoiders, the news selection and news presentation must to be changed. To engage unintentional news avoiders, the opportunity structures provided in the media system must be more favourable towards inadvertent news exposure.