As news networks strive to draw and hold the ever-elusive younger demo, the AP has released a report they commissioned about why younger viewers remain elusive: they have ‘news fatigue,’ the study shows.
A key finding was that participants yearned for quality and in-depth reporting but had difficulty immediately accessing such content because they were bombarded by facts and updates in headlines and snippets of news.
The study also found that participants were unable to give full attention to the news because they were almost always simultaneously engaged in other activities, such as reading e-mail.
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So, what’s the solution? The authors of the study recommend that “news producers develop easier ways for readers to discover in-depth content and to avoid repetitious updates of breaking news.”
“Repetitious updates of breaking news?” It’s a good thing the cable news networks don’t do that.