Seventy-nine percent of people stress discussing news with friends and family, fear ruining relationships

Poll Analyzed Trends from over 2,000 Participants; Highlights Major Issues with Current Media Landscape

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Jul 15, 2021, 09:00 ET

CHICAGO, July 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --

What: A new survey of over 2,000 news consumers released today revealed growing disillusion with the media landscape and a rise in anxiety and stress levels when consuming and discussing the news. The survey was conducted in June 2021 and polled a wide breadth of individuals across all ages and political leanings.

Who: The data was released by 1440, a daily email newsletter that provides an objective and comprehensive overview of the day's events to over 800,000 professionals.

Why It Matters: While the leanings of the media landscape have been assessed frequently, this survey highlights the lack of trust between the everyday public and the traditional news media. Nearly everyone surveyed expressed a belief that the news is biased, a staggering statistic in the face of the "fair and true" messaging across the marketplace. In addition, news consumption is a significant source of angst for most consumers, with 84 percent noting that they feel "stressed" when consuming news. The current media landscape is also driving us apart - 79 percent fear discussing current events with family and friends.

Data:

News Sources

- Online sources and broadcast media are the leading sources of news consumption for those polled, with online/websites leading the list at 60%, followed by broadcast TV at 41%. Other popular sources include email newsletters (37%) and social media (33%)

Anxiety and the News

- Consumption of the news appears to correlate to an increase in stress levels, with 84% admitting to an increase in anxiety or stress after reading or viewing global news.

Lack of Information

- Despite viewing multiple news sources, most people still feel like they're lacking when it comes to staying informed. More than 77% of those polled said they do not feel well-informed after consuming the news.

Bias in the Media

- When asked about media bias, 96% admitted that they feel the media is at least somewhat biased, with 35% stating it is incredibly biased, the highest level on the poll.

Polarization of Everyday Life

- Many people in the survey noted that discussing current events or news stories with family is uncomfortable, with 79% admitting they find it stressful to discuss these topics for fear of starting an argument or ruining their relationships.

Demographic information available upon request.

Quotes:

"Every minute of user attention is monetizable to media companies, creating an environment where organizations often focus on alarming headlines and clickbait to keep users engaged for longer periods of time," said 1440 co-founder and CEO, Tim Huelskamp. "While this leads to higher revenues for legacy media companies, it leaves the user less informed, overly stressed, and fearful of discussing current events with family and friends."

"Many of today's biggest media outlets excel at in-depth reporting but too often lean into specific agendas. The consequence is that basic context and facts about any given story can be impossible for the average reader to find," said Drew Steigerwald, co-founder and editor of 1440, "There's a huge number of people out there who would prefer 'just the story'. People want to be confident they are forming their opinions on facts—not being told how to think."

SOURCE 1440