From Doom-Scrolling to News Avoidance: Limiting News as a Wellbeing Strategy During COVID Lockdown

Mannell, K; Meese, J

From Doom-Scrolling to News Avoidance: Limiting News as a Wellbeing Strategy During COVID Lockdown

Mannell, K Meese, J

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Publisher:: ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journalism Studies, 2022, 23, (3), pp. 302-319
Issue Date:: 2022-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Mannell, K
dc.contributor.author	Meese, J https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1910-6166
dc.date.accessioned	2022-12-07T20:43:02Z
dc.date.available	2022-12-07T20:43:02Z
dc.date.issued	2022-01-01
dc.identifier.citation	Journalism Studies, 2022, 23, (3), pp. 302-319
dc.identifier.issn	1461-670X
dc.identifier.issn	1469-9699
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/164221
dc.description.abstract	As Australia imposed some of the world’s strictest COVID-19 lockdowns, governments and mental health organisations released advice for preserving mental wellbeing throughout the pandemic. One common suggestion was to avoid excessive news consumption. This article reports findings from a study that explored why, how, and with what outcomes people engaged in news avoidance practices. We conducted interviews with 20 participants from the Australian state of Victoria which experienced the country’s most sustained lockdown measures. Our data shows that people restricted their news consumption for a range of wellbeing-related reasons. Avoidance practices were shaped by household contexts and involved strategies for remaining informed to a limited degree. These findings contribute to an emerging evidence base that points to the benefits of partial news avoidance. They also reiterate the value of public health advice that suggests limiting news during a crisis. We go on to argue that the prevalence of news avoidance practices during long-term crises raises significant practical implications for news organisations.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE190100458
dc.relation.ispartof	Journalism Studies
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1080/1461670X.2021.2021105
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1903 Journalism and Professional Writing, 2001 Communication and Media Studies
dc.title	From Doom-Scrolling to News Avoidance: Limiting News as a Wellbeing Strategy During COVID Lockdown
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	23
utslib.for	1903 Journalism and Professional Writing
utslib.for	2001 Communication and Media Studies
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences/School of Communication
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2022-12-07T20:43:01Z
pubs.issue	3
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	23
utslib.citation.issue	3

Abstract:

As Australia imposed some of the world’s strictest COVID-19 lockdowns, governments and mental health organisations released advice for preserving mental wellbeing throughout the pandemic. One common suggestion was to avoid excessive news consumption. This article reports findings from a study that explored why, how, and with what outcomes people engaged in news avoidance practices. We conducted interviews with 20 participants from the Australian state of Victoria which experienced the country’s most sustained lockdown measures. Our data shows that people restricted their news consumption for a range of wellbeing-related reasons. Avoidance practices were shaped by household contexts and involved strategies for remaining informed to a limited degree. These findings contribute to an emerging evidence base that points to the benefits of partial news avoidance. They also reiterate the value of public health advice that suggests limiting news during a crisis. We go on to argue that the prevalence of news avoidance practices during long-term crises raises significant practical implications for news organisations.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/164221