No news is good news
Many sources point to a pronounced decline, especially among younger people, in the UK’s news consumption since 2015. According to the Reuters Institute, the share of people in the UK with a high interest in news fell sharply, from about 70 % in 2015 to just 38 % in 2024.
Trust in news has dipped by 16 percentage points since 2015, currently standing at around 35 % in the UK. Lower trust means people, particularly younger ones, are increasingly skeptical of news sources.
More people avoiding the news. Globally, news avoidance rose from 29 % in 2017 to 40 % in recent years. In the UK specifically, many cite news as depressing, boring, or distrustful as reasons for disengagement.
News is increasingly seen as emotionally taxing. One Guardian report captures this well, broadcasters like Lyse Doucet admit to tuning out because "the news is difficult... so depressing." Media fatigue plays a role: constant exposure to overwhelming and negative content causes emotional exhaustion and selective avoidance. This can lead people, especially young adults, to switch off entirely.
There has been a platform shift from legacy media to social media and video. TV news viewing has dropped dramatically among younger British people, from 76 % in 2018 to just 48 % of 16‑ to 24‑year-olds watching broadcast TV weekly in 2023. By 2024, over 80 % of 16‑ to 24‑year-olds accessed news from social media, while 71 % of UK adults turned to online platforms, surpassing TV's 70 %.
In an increasingly polarized UK, some people prefer echo chambers and filter bubbles. Social media algorithms tend to reinforce sensational, emotionally charged content and surround users with viewpoints they already tend to favour.
There has been a generational shift. Younger cohorts (Gen Z, digital natives) simply grew up with the internet. They are more inclined to stream, browse social media, and watch short-form video than read newspapers or tune in to TV news.
Newspapers have seen a steep decline in readership and sales, and local papers have been shutting down. Over 300 UK local titles closed between 2009 and 2019, and print circulations continue to fall.
Audiences have fragmented. With so many niche platforms and channels available, audiences scatter into smaller segments, so that what used to be mass viewership or readership no longer exists.
News avoidance has been rising owing to its to negativity, and tendency to overwhelm. Constant negative cycles cause emotional and cognitive overload. Youth has turned to social media and video platforms instead.
This trend isn't just about media formats; it is cultural and psychological. News is harder to trust, harder to consume positively, and less accessible in formats that resonate with younger people. Platforms they use often prioritizeentertainment and virality over depth, making meaningful news a secondary thought for many.
Some regard this as a dumbing down, with shorter attention spans. TV used to favour 40-second soundbites, but over the years this has been reduced, sometimes to 10 seconds. This might not be dumber, but indicative of a modern preference for quick, punchy information.
People in traditional media see the above as a problem and look to possible remedies. But it might simply be that a faster-moving world has left them behind.
Madsen Pirie