Many Americans Want to Limit Political News, AP-NORC/USAFacts Poll Shows

NEW YORK — In households across America, television news about the upcoming presidential election can create an overwhelming atmosphere. For many, including Lori Johnson Malveaux, the noise of political rhetoric often drives them to seek refuge in other activities, such as watching feel-good movies on channels like Hallmark or BET.

This quest for comfort is shared by others. While approximately half of Americans report closely following political news, around 60% feel the need to limit their exposure to political information to prevent feeling overwhelmed or fatigued, according to a recent survey conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and USAFacts.

Malveaux, a 54-year-old Democrat, firmly believes in her right to vote, yet the relentless barrage of political discussion becomes burdensome. “I just get to the point where I don’t want to hear the rhetoric,” she stated, expressing frustration particularly when news commentators dismiss events she witnessed, such as the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“I feel like I’m being gaslit. That’s the way to put it,” she added, highlighting the emotional toll such discussions can take on viewers.

For Caleb Pack, a 23-year-old Republican from Ardmore, Oklahoma, the struggle to stay informed often feels like an assault. He uses multiple news sources, from CNN and Fox News to The Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press, to keep up with current events through his phone.

“It’s good to know what’s going on, but both sides are pulling a little bit extreme,” Pack explained. “It just feels like it’s a conversation piece everywhere, and it’s hard to escape it.”

Media fatigue is not a new issue. A Pew Research Center survey from late 2019 revealed that around two-thirds of Americans felt exhausted by the sheer volume of news. This sentiment was echoed in earlier surveys, with a similar percentage reporting feeling overwhelmed during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Political news seems to hit the hardest. The AP-NORC/USAFacts poll found that while half of Americans express the need to limit their media consumption regarding crime and international conflicts, about four in ten feel the same about economic news.

With networks like CNN, Fox News Channel, and MSNBC packed with political discussions, navigating the dense landscape of political news can often feel daunting, especially given the prevalence of disinformation.

“There’s a glut of information,” noted Richard Coffin, director of research and advocacy for USAFacts. “People are having a hard time figuring out what is true or not.”

The survey indicated that women are more likely than men to report a need to limit their media consumption. Approximately 60% of men follow political news closely, while that number drops to around 50% for women. This pattern also reveals that white adults tend to feel a greater need to limit their political media intake than their Black or Hispanic counterparts.

For 19-year-old Democrat Kaleb Aravzo from Logan, Utah, a brief morning dose of National Public Radio provides a baseline for current events. However, excessive political content, especially on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, can lead to increased anxiety and depression.

“If it pops up on my page when I’m on social media,” Aravzo said, “I’ll just scroll past it.”

This phenomenon indicates a broader trend where many individuals seek to protect their mental well-being by avoiding intense political discussions and news coverage.

The poll, which surveyed 1,019 adults between July 29 and August 8, 2024, utilized a sample from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.