AVOIDANCE
Four in ten look away
In 2026, 42% of people across markets said they sometimes or often avoid the news, up from 29% when the question was first asked in 2017.
See the numbersWHAT THE SURVEYS SAY
The feed that
never ends.
More people are stepping back from the news.
Oxford's Reuters Institute asks nearly 100,000 people in dozens of countries about their news habits every year. Its recent reports find falling interest, rising fatigue and record levels of avoidance, while researchers have started to measure the habit of scrolling for bad news.
See the numbers Read the short answer
01 Avoidance at record highs02 Overload is common03 Habits can changeKnow the pattern, choose the feed
THE SHORT ANSWER
Too much news,
not too little.
The problem people describe is volume and tone.
Many are responding by stepping back.
OVERLOAD
Worn out by the amount
In 2024, 39% said they felt worn out by the amount of news, up from 28% in 2019. Many people have also switched off news alerts because they get too many.
Check the mood
DOOMSCROLLING
A habit with a name
A University of Florida study found doomscrolling is a distinct behaviour, not just a catchy word: compulsive scrolling for negative news on an endless feed.
What the study foundA QUICK MOOD CHECK
How do people feel
about the news?
Pick a finding to see the share of people it describes, from the Reuters Institute Digital News Reports. The bar shows how widespread it is.
Global figures are averages across the markets surveyed; UK figures come from the 2026 UK country page.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Stepping back
is now normal.
One figure on avoidance,
one on how tiring the news feels.
AVOIDANCE · REUTERS INSTITUTE
Avoid the news sometimes or often, 2026
42%
Up from 29% in 2017, when the Reuters Institute began measuring it. In Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece and Turkey the figure is now 60% or more.
FATIGUE · REUTERS INSTITUTE
Feel worn out by the amount of news, 2024
39%
Up from 28% in 2019. The rise in the United Kingdom was 8 percentage points over the same period.
The Reuters Institute describes two kinds of avoider: consistent avoiders, who typically have low interest in news, and selective avoiders, who struggle with overload and step back at certain times or from particular topics.
HOW PEOPLE AND NEWSROOMS RESPOND
Less scroll,
more choice.
The research describes a few ways readers and publishers are changing their news habits. None of them means switching off completely.
- Notice the scrollThe Florida researchers found people do recognise when they are taking in too much negative news, and can then form new media habits.
- Thin out the alertsAcross markets, 79% have either never received news alerts or have turned them off, often because there were too many or they did not feel relevant.
- Pick formats that explainPublishers are investing in short explainers and lighter newsletters and podcasts. One Swedish app even has a button to filter out difficult stories.
- Choose sources on purposeIn the UK, 73% say they distrust news on social media and 77% are concerned about misinformation, so where news comes from matters to readers.
WHAT DOOMSCROLLING IS
Not just a word,
a measurable habit.
A 2022 University of Florida study built a survey scale to measure doomscrolling. It describes a habit that begins with wanting to stay up to date and turns into compulsive scrolling for negative news, on a feed that never ends.
The study found no ideological difference between doomscrollers, but men and young people were more likely to do it. It is still unclear whether doomscrolling causes anxiety or anxiety leads to it; the authors say that needs more research.
QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK
Frequently asked
What does doomscrolling mean?
Compulsively scrolling through negative news, usually on a social media feed. The University of Florida researchers say the term is thought to have started on Twitter in 2018 and spread in 2020 during the pandemic.
How many people avoid the news?
In the 2026 Digital News Report, 42% across markets said they sometimes or often avoid the news, flat on the year before but up from 29% in 2017.
Why do people avoid the news?
Reasons in the Reuters Institute surveys include news being repetitive, negative or overwhelming. Younger people were more likely to say they felt powerless, or that the news did not feel relevant to their lives.
Is interest in news falling?
Yes, on average. The 2026 report says interest has fallen 13 percentage points since the height of the pandemic, from 59% to just under 46%.
Who runs these surveys?
The Digital News Report is produced by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford. The 2026 edition surveyed 97,520 people across its markets.
SOURCES
Where the facts come from
Each figure on this page comes from the sources below. Check them for the full detail and context.
- Reuters Institute: Overview and key findings of the 2026 Digital News Report
- Reuters Institute: Digital News Report 2026, United Kingdom
- Reuters Institute: Overview and key findings of the 2025 Digital News Report
- Reuters Institute: Overview and key findings of the 2024 Digital News Report
- University of Florida: Study finds doomscrolling is a new, unique behavior