Observed Signal · Feb 6, 2023 · Market Research Study · Source: Meedia · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Study: Two-Thirds of Online Users Sometimes Avoid News
A United Internet–commissioned study titled "So liest Deutschland Online‑Nachrichten 2023," published by MEEDIA on Feb 6, 2023, finds that about 64% of German online users avoid news at least occasionally. The survey, run by Dynata for gmx.de and web.de with 2,144 respondents aged 16+, identifies main causes as repetitive topics (43%), negative effects on mood (42%), and perceived one‑sided reporting (36%). Younger users avoid news more frequently (83% of 16–29 year‑olds vs. 47% of 60+). The report also shows usage rankings for online news sources (Tagesschau.de first, Web.de/GMX second, Bild.de third) and highlights divergent expectations from journalism between regular news consumers and news avoiders.
Study shows a large share of online users—especially younger cohorts—avoid news, which affects publisher reach, audience targeting and ad inventory; relevant for publishers and advertisers but not industry‑shifting.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- 64% of online users avoid news at least sometimes (study result).
- Main reasons cited: repetitive topics (43%), negative mood impact (42%), one‑sided reporting (36%), perceived lack of credibility (28%), and effort required (26%).
- Younger users avoid news more often: 16–29 years: 83%; 30–39: 72%; 40–49: 65%; 50–59: 55%; 60+: 47%.
- Top online news sources by share: Tagesschau.de (18.3%), Web.de/GMX (14.3%), Bild.de (11.4%).
- Survey conducted by Dynata with an online‑representative panel of 2,144 internet users (16+) for gmx.de and web.de; study titled 'So liest Deutschland Online‑Nachrichten 2023'.
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3 Entities mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
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