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

Abstract:

In this RISJ Factsheet we examine news avoidance during the coronavirus pandemic in the UK. This is the third in a series of ten factsheets based on an ongoing online panel survey of a representative sample of the UK population, fielded from 7 May to 13 May 2020. We find that: (i) 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), (ii) women (26%) are more likely to avoid news than men (18%), compounding existing gender inequalities in news use, (iii) the vast majority of those who always or often avoid news (86%), say they are trying to avoid COVID-19 news at least some of the time, with most primarily worried about the effect it has on their mood (66%).

Publication status:
Published

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Files:
Publisher copy:
10.60625/risj-qrkn-pb36

Authors

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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
SSD
Department:
Politics & Int Relations
Sub department:
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
Role:
Author
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
SSD
Department:
Politics & Int Relations
Sub department:
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-5496-2112
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
SSD
Department:
Politics & Int Relations
Sub department:
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-3376-4918


More from this funder
Funder identifier:
https://ror.org/0281jqk77
Funding agency for:
Fletcher, R
Nielsen, RK
Kalogeropoulos, A


Publisher:
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
Series:
UK COVID-19 News and Information Project
Place of publication:
Oxford
Publication date:
2020-05-19
DOI:
Paper number:
3


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
1105791
Local pid:
pubs:1105791
Deposit date:
2020-05-21
ARK identifier:

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