A record number of people in Germany are choosing to avoid the news, citing emotional strain and a desire to protect their mental well-being, according to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025.
The research, supported by Hamburg's Leibniz Institute for Media Research and published on Tuesday, reveals that 71% of adult internet users in Germany say they actively avoid news at least sometimes – up from 69% in 2024.
The main reason cited for avoiding news is its negative impact on mood, with 48% of respondents saying the news affects their emotional well-being. Nearly four in 10 (39%) point to the excessive coverage of wars and conflicts as a key cause of their news fatigue.
However, media expert Julia Behre, co-author of the report, said that avoiding news doesn't mean people are completely disconnected. She explained that people tend to selectively avoid specific topics, outlets, or times when they consume news.
Age also plays a role in why people avoid the news. Those aged 55 and older more often point to excessive coverage of wars and conflicts as a reason for avoiding the news (49%).
Younger adults, aged 18 to 24, are more likely to say they feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of news (43%). They also find it irrelevant to their lives and believe they can't do anything with the information they receive (19% each).
Despite this trend, general interest in news among German residents remains stable.
More than half (55%) of adult internet users in Germany say they are very or extremely interested in news, matching last year's figures. Weekly news consumption remains high, with 91% accessing news more than once a week.
Since 2012, the Reuters Institute Digital News Report has surveyed around 2,000 people annually across 48 countries to track changes and trends in how news is consumed worldwide.
The 2025 report found that alternative media ecosystems are increasingly emerging on TikTok, YouTube and podcasting platforms, while consumers are also turning to artificial intelligence (AI) for news in greater numbers.
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Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
