When Enough Is Enough
For some, the response to a flood of bad news is to scroll endlessly. For others, it’s to stop looking altogether. In recent years, that second option—news avoidance—has quietly surged.
A Growing Global Trend
Between 2017 and 2022, the proportion of people who said they sometimes or often avoided the news rose from 29% to 38%. By 2023, a report from the Reuters Institute indicated that 39% of people worldwide were actively steering clear of news.
The pattern isn’t subtle. In the UK, interest in news has nearly halved since 2015. Long‑running conflicts, such as those in Ukraine and the Middle East, have become particular flashpoints for news fatigue and avoidance, as audiences tire of relentless, unresolved suffering.
Two Reactions, One Media Environment
Researchers describe doomscrolling and news avoidance as “divergent effects” of the same conditions. The common triggers are clear:
- Intense negativity in coverage
- Repetitive reporting of similar distressing stories
- Information overload that leaves little room to breathe
Faced with this, some people double down—scrolling more, trying to feel prepared. Others withdraw to protect their sanity. Over‑consumption and withdrawal are different answers to the same overwhelming question: How much of this can I take?
When Journalists Turn Away
The strain isn’t limited to audiences. Journalist Amanda Ripley has admitted to avoiding the news herself, warning that even those producing coverage are struggling. She argues that this distress can warp the news itself, as burned‑out reporters and editors gravitate toward certain narratives and away from others.
Ripley suggests a different approach: intentionally weaving hope, agency, and dignity into stories, so that audiences don’t feel crushed or helpless. The goal is not to sugarcoat reality, but to show possibilities alongside problems.
Misaligned Expectations
Some scholars argue that falling interest in news doesn’t reflect widespread apathy. Instead, it may signal a misalignment between traditional journalism and what people find engaging or bearable.
Many citizens still care deeply about public issues, but the way those issues are covered—relentlessly negative, conflict‑driven, and rarely solutions‑focused—can push them away. News organizations, they suggest, may need to rethink not just what they report, but how.
The Takeaway
Doomscrolling and news avoidance aren’t opposites so much as siblings—both born from a media environment saturated with crisis. One traps people in endless fear; the other leaves them in the dark. The challenge ahead is finding ways of informing the public that neither overwhelms nor abandons them.