Proceedings of the 4th World Conference on Media and Communication
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Avoidant or overloaded? A comparative study of news avoidance in Egypt and the UAE before and after the Gaza War
Dr. Nagwa Fahmy1, Dr. Maha Abdulmajeed Attia
ABSTRACT:
The emergence of news avoidance prompts a critical inquiry into the nature of the public’s relationship with the news. Is this phenomenon attributable to shifting public interests and the mounting pressures of daily life, or does it stem from deficiencies in news narration, presentation, credibility, or relevance to individuals’ daily experiences?
The study applies a mixed-method approach to ascertain the prevalence of news avoidance behaviour among a sample of the Arab audience in Egypt and the UAE and explore the motivations behind their avoidance of certain types of news. We examine the alternative sources of news they utilize. Furthermore, we endeavor to elucidate the relationship between various demographic variables—such as gender, age group, socio-economic status, social standing, and educational level—and the phenomenon of news avoidance. We aim to gain insights into the underlying factors driving news avoidance within the Arab audience. Our initial findings reveal that most respondents in both countries take different actions to filter the news feeds they get. The findings of our study also emphasized what Villi et al (2022) concluded about the emotional and cognitive drivers of avoiding news intentionally. Findings can be interpreted in the light of Plamer et al (2023) results that showed how media habits develop through deliberate choices and socially constructed preferences about what media to consume over time.
keywords: News Avoidance; News overload; Arab Media; News Consumption; MENA