A recent survey by the Reuters Institute conducted across 46 countries shows that 36% of the participants avoid seeking information, with this rate climbing to 41% in Brazil.
This marks a reduction of 13 percentage points compared to 2022 when the rate was at a record high of 54%.
This behavior is largely attributed to the contentious electoral face-off between Jair Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the 2022 elections.
Countries like Greece and Bulgaria top the list where people mostly avoid seeking news, followed by Argentina (46%), Poland (44%), and the United Kingdom (41%).
Conversely, the lowest rates of news avoidance are observed in Japan (11%), Taiwan (17%), and Denmark (19%).
In the study, respondents were asked about their ways of avoiding news.
The majority (53%) disclosed they switch TV channels once a news program starts airing, while 52% admitted they limit their news consumption.
The average trust in the news “most of the time” fell slightly to 40% from 42% in 2022.
Finland continues to have the highest trust level (69%), with Greece having the lowest (19%).
The trust level in Brazil stands at 43%, down by 5 percentage points.
Regarding information sources, social media still leads television in Brazil, though its usage declined to 57% from 64% last year.
All forms of media have seen a reduction in usage except for print media, which remains constant at 12%.
The study also reveals a significant decrease in Brazilians using social media for news distribution, falling from 64% last year to 42% this year.
WhatsApp, YouTube, and Instagram are the top three platforms, with Facebook dropping to the fourth spot from being the most popular in 2021.