95bFM New study investigates Aotearoa’s changing news habits
17 October, 2024
Interview by Sasha Mengazetdinov, adapted by Esther O’Donnell
Lead author of new research, and Lecturer in Media and Communications at Victoria University of Wellington, Dr Alex Beattie, says New Zealanders are finding mainstream news “overwhelming;” avoiding coverage in record numbers.
The new study: ‘Selective and consistent news avoidance in Aotearoa New Zealand: motivations and demographic influences,’ investigates the impact of social media alongside consumers’ perceptions of mainstream media.
According to the research, sixty percent of New Zealanders say they are actively avoiding the news; one of the highest rates in the world.
Another key finding from the study is that women, and those with more polarised political views, are more likely to avoid the news.
The study is the first of its kind in Aotearoa to not only investigate the news habits of the population, but also how, and why, New Zealanders are so avoidant of this medium.
Lecturer in Media and Communications at Victoria University of Wellington, and lead author of the study, Dr Alex Beattie, told 95bFM’s The Wire that the negative framing of news is a key reason New Zealanders are tuning out in such high numbers.
“Whether it's [the] Palestine-Israel [conflict, or the] climate crisis, the cost of living crisis, the fact that many young people may struggle to own a home … sometimes the world is depressing, and the news reflects that.”
Dr Beattie says this also provides an opportunity for news outlets to provide a different angle.
“These results show news can maybe take a more positive focus when they can, and maybe there could be an attempt to rebalance the coverage of the news.”
“Negativity sells, and editors know that, and that's why they make editorial decisions to focus on negative headlines because they are under commercial pressure to sell newspapers or to get more eyeballs on their online articles, but they could also focus on positive stuff as well.”
Beattie says another key reason for the decreasing number of people tuning into mainstream media outlets is the rise of social media.
He notes the sheer quantity of information available on social media is changing how consumers receive news. However, Beattie believes this is by no means a new phenomenon.
“Even a newspaper in the 1980s had more information than someone living in the 17th century did for their whole life ... there is so much information we can access, and it can be overwhelming.”
“People talk about a polycrisis; many crises happening at the same time, and that's definitely anxiety-inducing. And how do we deal with uncertainty? We often distract ourselves and turn to our comforts, and that's often social media.”
Beattie also offers advice for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world and the amount of content available on social media, emphasising the importance of keeping things in perspective.
“We live in a world where we have ample comforts and distractions [such as social media], and sometimes that can distract us from what's important.”
“We need our comfort. But there are also other ways to face uncertainty and to take a sense of control over your life, and that’s putting the phone down and doing other stuff.”
