Avoiding the news to participate in society? the longitudinal relationship between news avoidance and civic engagement

Jakob Ohme; Kiki  de Bruin; Yael  de Haan; Sanne Kruikemeier; Toni G.L.A. van der Meer; Rens Vliegenthart

doi:10.1515/commun-2021-0099

Avoiding the news to participate in society? the longitudinal relationship between news avoidance and civic engagement

Jakob Ohme^*, Kiki de Bruin, Yael de Haan, Sanne Kruikemeier, Toni G.L.A. van der Meer, Rens Vliegenthart

^*Corresponding author for this work

Strategic Communication

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Lower levels of news use are generally understood to be associated with less political engagement among citizens. But while some people simply have a low preference for news, others avoid the news intentionally. So far little is known about the relationship between active news avoidance and civic engagement in society, a void this study has set out to fill. Based on a four-wave general population panel survey in the Netherlands, conducted between April and July 2020 (N = 1,084) during a crisis situation, this research-in-brief investigates the development of news avoidance and pro-social civic engagement over time. Results suggest that higher news topic avoidance results in higher levels of civic engagement. The study discusses different explanations for why less news can mean more engagement.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	551-562
Journal	Communications
Volume	48
Issue number	4
Early online date	25 Jun 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1515/commun-2021-0099
Publication status	Published - 27 Nov 2023

Keywords

civic engagement
Covid-19
media effects
news avoidance
panel survey

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title = "Avoiding the news to participate in society? the longitudinal relationship between news avoidance and civic engagement",

abstract = "Lower levels of news use are generally understood to be associated with less political engagement among citizens. But while some people simply have a low preference for news, others avoid the news intentionally. So far little is known about the relationship between active news avoidance and civic engagement in society, a void this study has set out to fill. Based on a four-wave general population panel survey in the Netherlands, conducted between April and July 2020 (N = 1,084) during a crisis situation, this research-in-brief investigates the development of news avoidance and pro-social civic engagement over time. Results suggest that higher news topic avoidance results in higher levels of civic engagement. The study discusses different explanations for why less news can mean more engagement.",

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author = "Jakob Ohme and {de Bruin}, Kiki and {de Haan}, Yael and Sanne Kruikemeier and {van der Meer}, {Toni G.L.A.} and Rens Vliegenthart",

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AU - Ohme, Jakob

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AU - van der Meer, Toni G.L.A.

AU - Vliegenthart, Rens

PY - 2023/11/27

Y1 - 2023/11/27

N2 - Lower levels of news use are generally understood to be associated with less political engagement among citizens. But while some people simply have a low preference for news, others avoid the news intentionally. So far little is known about the relationship between active news avoidance and civic engagement in society, a void this study has set out to fill. Based on a four-wave general population panel survey in the Netherlands, conducted between April and July 2020 (N = 1,084) during a crisis situation, this research-in-brief investigates the development of news avoidance and pro-social civic engagement over time. Results suggest that higher news topic avoidance results in higher levels of civic engagement. The study discusses different explanations for why less news can mean more engagement.

AB - Lower levels of news use are generally understood to be associated with less political engagement among citizens. But while some people simply have a low preference for news, others avoid the news intentionally. So far little is known about the relationship between active news avoidance and civic engagement in society, a void this study has set out to fill. Based on a four-wave general population panel survey in the Netherlands, conducted between April and July 2020 (N = 1,084) during a crisis situation, this research-in-brief investigates the development of news avoidance and pro-social civic engagement over time. Results suggest that higher news topic avoidance results in higher levels of civic engagement. The study discusses different explanations for why less news can mean more engagement.

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KW - Covid-19

KW - media effects

KW - news avoidance

KW - panel survey

U2 - 10.1515/commun-2021-0099

DO - 10.1515/commun-2021-0099

M3 - Article

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VL - 48

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ER -

Avoiding the news to participate in society? the longitudinal relationship between news avoidance and civic engagement

Abstract

Keywords

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