Interest in news drops 20% in 6 years, fake news concerns up: Reuters Institute

Less number of people are taking a strong interest in the news compared to 2017, according to a report by Reuters Institute.

The report says 48% of people globally are very or extremely interested in the news, down from 63% in 2017. 36% of people sometimes or often actively avoid the news.

Titled 'The Digital News Report 2023', the survey stated that there was evidence that people 'continue to selectively avoid important stories such as the war in Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis as they cut back on depressing news and look to protect their mental health'.

It also concluded that traditional TV and print news media continued to decline while online consumers are accessing news less frequently than before.

56% of the people expressed concerns about differentiating between real and fake news online. An increase of 2% from 2022.