Goyanes, M., & Bene, M. (2024). News surveillance and democracy: The effect of news negativity and political trust on intentional news avoidance. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 36(4), edae061.
Using a two-wave panel survey conducted in Spain, the study shows that perceived news negativity is a significant predictor of intentional news avoidance, but its impact is not uniform across ideological groups. While individuals with left-wing orientations are more likely to disengage from news when they perceive coverage as excessively negative, right-wing individuals appear largely unaffected by news negativity in their news consumption decisions. In addition, the findings reveal a counterintuitive relationship between political trust and news avoidance: citizens with lower levels of political trust are less likely to avoid news, whereas those with higher trust are more prone to disengagement. This pattern is interpreted through a monitorial citizenship perspective, whereby political distrust activates a sense of civic vigilance and responsibility. Overall, the study contributes to ongoing debates on news avoidance, democratic engagement, and the complex role of affective and political factors in contemporary news consumption.