Less than half of Belgians are interested in current affairs, according to a study conducted by the Centre for socio-political research and information (CRISP).
Using data from 2022 collected by the Digital News Report and Eurobarometer, CRISP found that almost 16% of Belgians have little interest in the news. One in ten say they actively avoid current affairs, while one in three occasionally do the same.
5% of the population (predominantly under 25-year-olds without third-level education) say there is no particular source they turn to for information.
"Conscious avoiders" were most likely to dodge content relating to the war in Ukraine or healthcare following the Covid-19 pandemic. Other push factors included a sense of overload given the quantity of news available, or doubt as to whether a source was reliable or not.
Meanwhile, the number of people who say they are "very" or "extremely" interested in the news fell by 18% over eight years, reaching 41.1% in 2023.
Local media prevails
While general interest in current affairs waned, local media retained and even reinforced its readership. 67% of respondents engage with local news sources, overtaking engagement with international news (57.3%) by almost 10%.
Television remained the number one news source for over half of respondents, representing a light increase from data collected in 2016. Meanwhile, 44% turned to online news sites and and 43.3% to social media. 63% regularly turn to free resources to stay informed.
Podcasts are constantly gaining in popularity, with 27.5% of Belgians listening to at least one every month. This figure reaches 50% among 18- to 24-year-olds.
