News engagement plummets as Americans tune out

[Sympthsical]

https://www.axios.com/2022/07/12/news-media-readership-ratings-2022

Cable viewership across the three major cable news networks — CNN, Fox News and MSNBC — is, on average, down 19% in prime time for the first half of this year compared to the first half of 2021. Those losses skew heavily toward CNN and MSNBC, which are down 47% and 33%, respectively. Fox's ratings are up 12% in that six-month span.

News app sessions for the top 12 mainstream most-trafficked publishers dropped 16% in the first half of 2022, according to data from Apptopia.

Website visits for the top 5 news websites in the U.S. by unique visits tracked by Similarweb dropped 18% in the first half of 2022.

Engagement on social media with news articles cratered over the past six months, dropping 50% since the first half of last year, despite more articles published, according to data from Newswhip. Engagement is measured by interactions with articles posted, which includes likes, comments and shares.

The best part of statistics like these, anyone can read anything into them according to personal politics and taste. Everybody's happy!

My current avoidance with news organizations is how dense and erratic the news cycle has become. One story dominates for a day or so. Forgotten. Dominates. Forgotten. "MOST IMPORTANT THING EVER!!!!" Forgotten perhaps by end of day. It's always been somewhat like this, but I think the clickbait nature of everything has rendered much of it exhausting and not worth the effort. "That story is eight hours ago. We need to re-engage eyeballs!"

For me, it's at the point of reading a highly embellished headline that looks like the internet equivalent of skywriting and thinking, "No. I'm not reading that. I know it won't be worth it."

[Historic NY]

1. People are weary of the day to day bullshit...

and opining of talking heads. As Covid wanes, people aren't glued in the house to TV vs Fox where people sit in God's Waiting room watching.

[Sympthsical]

2. It's down since 2019 as well

But I think you've hit on some of it. I just don't understand why people get their news from cable or social media.

Why do I need someone else's opinion attached to everything? Just give me factual information. I'm an adult, I can figure things out.

[Historic NY]

5. I rarely watch cable TV news...

I just tune it out and have since 2004. I have others sources and one is reading.

[Totally Tunsie]

3. Whatever the actual reasons might be, I'm waiting for TFG to claim

it's just as he predicted it would be - that once he was out of office, the news networks and cable would suffer and fail. Supposedly, he implied they just "wouldn't have TFG to kick around any more" (shades of R.Nixon), but DAMN that hasn't turned out to be true...he won't go away.

[Sympthsical]

4. I would be fine with all of cable news failing

If it meant I didn't have to hear what Trump thinks about anything on any given day.

I actually have a filter on DU for threads with "Trump" in the title because I am just sick of hearing about him.

[jimfields33]

6. That's brilliant!

He’s such a bore.

[Kingofalldems]

9. I hope DU continues talking about him--

even after he enters prison.

And oh, he'll be discussed quite a bit today at 1:00 PM EDT.

[Sympthsical]

10. And you can continue spending your time on that

I've already decided what I think and how I feel about the man. I don't need that reinforced every second of every day. I'm not in a church, don't need a refrain.

For me, there are scores of other things that are more interesting.

[kimbutgar]

7. I only watch Ari and Joy on msnbc then the abc evening news

After that I’m done with any news.

I used to watch 4 hours before the 2016 election and stopped watching as much as TFG won, the fawning over him was horrible.

[SWBTATTReg]

8. I agree! You said it best w/ the 'clickbait nature of everything'. It is exhausting and not ...

worth the effort when every story is a minimum of 25 minutes and up. I don't want to listen to another news story that will drag on and on, finally getting to the little tidbit of news that caught my initial perk of interest. And what's sometimes irritating, is that little piece of news tidbit that initially got my interest perked won't even be in the article or broadcast.

I especially hate the stories that claim 'URGENT!' or some other 'catchy' title and it's nothing like they claim it is.

I seem to recall that CNN or some other news outlet said that they would quit doing this (claiming 'breaking news' or 'urgent' etc.) but I'll believe it when I see it and that enough broadcasters stop doing this.

[cally]

11. I've tuned out somewhat due to constant doom

And gloom and blaming democrats!!

[tulipsandroses]

12. I think MSNBC may have experienced low numbers because of important host changes

Rachel Maddow at 9 and Brian Williams at 11pm. I don’t watch those slots as much as I used to. Same for CNN. Losing Chris Cuomo in prime time is going to take a hit to ratings.