Initial surge in news use around coronavirus in UK has been followed by significant increase in news avoidance

@risj_oxford factsheet out, #3 from UK COVID-19 news and information project, supported by @NuffieldFound

Factsheet https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/initial-surge-news-use-around-coronavirus-uk-has-been-followed-significant-increase-news-avoidance

Key findings in thread 1/7

There has been a significant increase in news avoidance, with 22% saying they often or always actively try to avoid the news (up from 15% in mid-April), growing to 59% if those who say they sometimes actively avoid the news are included (up from 49% in mid-April).

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Women (26%) are more likely to avoid news than men (18%), compounding existing gender inequalities in news use, both probably at least in part due to unequally distributed caring responsibilities.

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Vast majority of those who always or often avoid news (86%) say they are trying to avoid COVID-19 news, and most (66%) said they are primarily worried about the effect it has on their mood. 28% say they avoid news because they feel there isn’t anything they can do with it

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More people say they are actively avoiding news that rely on intentional choice (television, news websites/apps) than say they actively avoid news they may come across incidentally while doing other things (on social media, or sent to them via email and messaging apps).

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Those respondents who say they know that ‘the news will find me’ without them having to intentionally seek it out are more likely to say that they often or always actively seek to avoid news about COVID-19 (such attitudes studied by e.g. @_HGZ_ @ruthiepalmer @BenjaminToff)

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Full factsheet here https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/initial-surge-news-use-around-coronavirus-uk-has-been-followed-significant-increase-news-avoidance

PDF version here https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2020-05/UK%20COVID-19%20News%20and%20Information%20Factsheet%203%20FINAL_0.pdf

More about the project here
https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/UK-COVID-19-news-and-information-project

@_FelixSimon_ is working w/us on additional research.

Next factsheet June 2

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