Tired of hearing bad news?

Majdouline Bakor, Multimedia Journalist

News fatigue is a common occurrence for those who consume media on a daily basis. These feelings are normal, as a majority of stories covered in the media tend to be negative, outweighing the positive stories to attract more audience engagement. 

“We’re also seeing news fatigue setting in – not just around COVID-19 but around politics and a range of other subjects – with the number of people actively avoiding news increasing markedly,” according to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2022.

After creating a poll on Spinnaker’s Instagram Story, 85 respondents answered the question, “Do you often experience news fatigue?” to which 78% responded ‘yes’ while only 22% responded ‘no.’ 

Let’s get into ways to combat news fatigue in today’s news.

Take breaks from media consumption

It’s hard to break away from news that affects you, so don’t shut it off completely but take media breaks. Taking time off from viewing media content throughout the week could make a difference in your mental health. 

Remember that news can be found throughout social media platforms like Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram. Viewing such content regularly does have an effect on news fatigue. 

Keep up with a schedule for these breaks, as consistency is key.

Don’t give up on hope

News fatigue, much like outrage fatigue, makes people feel helpless. Watching one negative segment after another has an impact on the perspective of the world.

“About two-thirds of Americans (66%) feel worn out by the amount of news there is, while far fewer (32%) say they like the amount of news they are getting,” According to a Pew Research Center survey. 

Having a helping hand in the community is the best way to combat this feeling. At times of hopelessness, assisting your local neighborhood could be a step in the right direction. It could also preoccupy the time you would have spent consuming negative media.

Some volunteer opportunities at UNF include gardening, community clean-ups, and food drives. For more information regarding UNF’s volunteer opportunities, click here.

Joining clubs or other organizations on campus is another great way to connect with others and discuss concerns. 

Check sources and have discussions

News organizations are struggling to reach audiences under 30. As mentioned before, many traditional media have transitioned to digital, using social media platforms. Although these platforms effectively reach audiences quicker than televised media, it’s easy to fall into the catered algorithm. It’s the way platforms like Twitter work; if you interact with a certain type of media consistently, the algorithm will curate that specific timeline. This is why breaking away from social media dependency and reaching out to more trustworthy sources for information is important.

Having the most accurate information allows for better discussions and a quicker response rate for resolution depending on the situation.  If you feel that not enough news stations are covering a certain story, many organizations have options to send a tip or create a letter to their editor to get the story out there.

To submit a news tip or a letter to the editor of Spinnaker click here.

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For more information or news tips, or if you see an error in this story or have any compliments or concerns, contact [email protected].