64% of Flanders residents avoid the news to varying degrees, according to joint research group imec-SMIT and the VUB. This represents a major jump from 2017's figure of 48%.
The group partnered with the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism to carry out their Digital News Report, for which 1000 people were questioned regarding their trust in the media they consume.
The most common reason for actively avoiding news was the constant negativity of news coverage. For those who sometimes avoid media consumption, the biggest reason was an too much coverage — usually about the Covid-19 pandemic or politics.
Courtesy of imec-SMIT.
Ignoring the news "fits within a healthy news routine and functions as a protection mechanism when users feel mentally overwhelmed or overstressed by the news," the report stated.
Online news killed the video star
The researchers found that online news is again the top medium for Flemish people to keep up with current affairs. During the coronavirus lockdowns, television viewers surged but this has now fallen again. The strongest decline in television viewing is among younger generations.
"As online news reclaims its spot as the main news source for most people in Flanders, literally having news at your fingertips at all times is something that appeals to lots of people," the researchers stated. "News outlets are increasingly good at convincing news users, mostly the young, that it is worth paying for a combination of this convenience and editorially-curated and validated news."
Flemish news brands were found to be largely trusted in the study but remain politically polarised. The researchers observed a "trust gap" between left-wing and right-wing news consumers, most notably with the public broadcaster VRT Niuews. 19% of respondents who identify as right-wing said they distrust VRT, whereas only 5% of left-wing respondents said the same.
Courtesy of imec-SMIT.
Part of a wider trend
The decline in media trust is not isolated to Flanders. While the researchers stress that the lack of trust is nothing like that found in the United States, it should not be overlooked. Countries such as the Netherlands, France and the UK have also seen a downturn.
"While the Flemish news landscape is nowhere near as fractured as the US market, we do find that gaps in news use and attitudes are growing, indicating that Flanders might not be free from some of the same polarizing influences that cripple other markets."
