Media fatigue/ political news overload/ cutting back on political news/ Newslooks/ A recent poll by AP-NORC and USAFacts reveals that about 60% of Americans feel the need to limit their consumption of political news to avoid media fatigue. While many still follow political events closely, the constant barrage of information has led to a growing sense of overload, with respondents saying they crave breaks from political rhetoric.
Political News Overload: Quick Looks
- Survey Findings: About 60% of Americans say they limit their intake of political news to avoid feeling overwhelmed, despite nearly half still following politics closely.
- Political Fatigue: Constant exposure to political news, particularly about government and elections, is causing media fatigue, especially among women and younger adults.
- Misinformation Concerns: The abundance of political content, sometimes mixed with disinformation, makes it hard for many to stay engaged and informed.
- Media Consumption: Men and White adults tend to follow political news more closely, but women are more likely to limit their exposure.
Media Fatigue: Why Many Americans Are Cutting Back on Political News
Deep Look
Many Americans are feeling increasingly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of political news, according to a new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and USAFacts. About 60% of respondents said they’ve felt the need to limit their intake of political information to avoid feeling overloaded, despite nearly half of Americans saying they follow government news closely.
For people like Lori Johnson Malveaux, 54, the constant political coverage can be too much. Her husband enjoys tuning into political news programs, but she finds herself retreating to another room to watch something more relaxing on the Hallmark Channel or BET. She plans to vote, but the endless political rhetoric leaves her feeling drained. “I just get to the point where I don’t want to hear the rhetoric,” she said. One of her biggest frustrations is feeling “gaslit” when people on the news deny widely known events, like the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Similarly, Caleb Pack, 23, a Republican from Ardmore, Oklahoma, finds himself overwhelmed by the endless political content coming through his news feed. With a mix of sources like CNN, Fox News, and The Wall Street Journal, he tries to stay informed but often feels bombarded by polarized opinions. “Both sides are pulling a little bit extreme,” Pack said. He noted that political news seems to dominate conversations everywhere, making it hard to escape.
This fatigue with political media isn’t new. Previous surveys, like those by Pew Research Center, found that two-thirds of Americans felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of news in 2019, echoing similar sentiments from earlier election cycles. However, the AP-NORC/USAFacts poll highlights that political news, in particular, is causing many Americans to cut back.
According to the survey, Americans are more likely to limit political news than other types of information. About half of respondents said they limited their intake of news on crime or international conflicts, but only about 40% did so for topics like the economy or jobs. Political media’s persistent presence, especially on 24-hour news channels like CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC, combined with the proliferation of online political content, has created a “glut of information,” as Richard Coffin from USAFacts put it.
Adding to the challenge is the rise of disinformation. The survey found that many Americans are struggling to determine what is true in the flood of political content. “People are having a hard time figuring out what is true or not,” Coffin noted, reflecting broader concerns about trust in media.
Interestingly, the poll revealed some key demographic differences in media fatigue. Men were more likely than women to follow political news closely, with around 60% of men saying they kept up with political events. In contrast, only about half of women reported doing the same. However, women were more likely to say they needed to limit their exposure to political content, suggesting a stronger sense of fatigue. White adults were also more likely than Black or Hispanic adults to report limiting their media consumption on political topics.
For younger generations, political content can take a toll on mental health. Kaleb Aravzo, 19, from Logan, Utah, starts his mornings by listening to NPR, but the constant stream of political news on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram can quickly become overwhelming. “Too much politics, particularly when he’s on social media sites like TikTok and Instagram, can trigger anxiety and depression,” he said. In such cases, Aravzo simply scrolls past to avoid the stress.
The AP-NORC/USAFacts poll shows that political fatigue is not just a passing trend; it’s a growing issue that reflects the intensity of today’s media environment. With so much political news constantly available and intertwined with misinformation, many Americans are feeling the need to take a step back, even as they remain committed to voting and staying informed about key issues.
