Ruth Palmer | Nieman Journalism Lab

Articles by Ruth Palmer

Ruth Palmer is assistant professor of communication at Spain’s IE University and author of Becoming the News: How Ordinary People Respond to the Media Spotlight.

News avoiders shouldn’t be ignored

“For anyone who thinks the value of news is obvious, it can be tempting to dismiss consistent news avoiders as a lost cause. But journalists who see it as their mission to serve the whole public should think twice about that stance.”

November 30, 2023

So who are the consistent news avoiders?

“No single variable is more predictive of whether someone consistently avoids news than their level of interest in politics and civic affairs.”

Risks will grow for news subjects — especially minorities

“Almost all of the female voters I have interviewed who spoke to the press last year experienced some form of harassment afterward, ranging from insulting social media messages to threatening calls and letters.”