Almost 70% of Americans say enough news already.
Many say they’re overwhelmed and just can’t keep up with all the stories and the 24 hour cycle. Senior researcher Jeffrey Gottfried of Pew Research says the problem tends to be more with folks who identify on the right side of the political spectrum.
“I do think it’s very interesting that Republicans are more likely to feel this new fatigue or more worn out. 77% of Republicans and Republican leaning independents do feel more worn out by the current amount of news, and while the numbers aren’t as high for Democrats, they are feeling it too.”
People who are feeling overwhelmed by the news is more common among those who follow the news less closely than among those who are voracious consumers. Gottfried goes on to say that the more you follow the news, the less likely you are to be fatigued, which seems to be contradictory.
“How well or trusting the news media does informing the public, depending on your opinion, also affects the level of fatigue one feels.”
Overall, 17% of Americans say national news organizations do very well at keeping the public informed of the most important national stories of the day, while 24% say they do not too or not at all well
Gottfried was a guest on McIntryre in the Morning.
Sharon Reardon, KABC News
