Disturbing trends in women’s consumption of news continues to emerge from the Digital News Report issue annually by the News and Media Research Centre at the University of Canberra (2025 report 17 June 2025). The latest figures reveal that 44 percent of women access news more than once a day (23 percent lower than men). Women are also reporting a significant drop in interest in the news over the last decade at 45 percent, a drop of 25 percent.
14 percent of women read print news (compared with 25 percent of men) while 41 percent of women access news online (53 percent of men). 71 percent of women now actively avoid the news. This is deeply concerning for steps to be taken to increase women’s participation in civics, public life and civics education.
Women’s Agenda observes that traditional news outlets have always been male-dominated but thesedays women have more options for engaging with the news and issues they are interested in through social media and other channels created and run by women. As local and regional newspapers continue to be closed down it is clear that social media is filling the void particularly in regional areas.
In other concerning statistics, overall (not disaggregated by gender) 74 percent have concerns about wrong information: 47 percent attribute this to online influencers and personalities; 51 percent to activists; 48 to political actors and 43 percent to news media and journalists (online survey conducted by YouGov 16 January and 5 February 2025; sample size 2006).
This article also quotes Claire Stuchbery, CEO of the Local and Independent News Association commenting on news avoidance by women: higher among under 35s; the lower educated and in regional communities.
[“Can we blame women for avoiding the news?” by Angela Priestley, Women’s Agenda online, 18 June 2025]. Angela Priestley is Founding Editor of Women’s Agenda, an Australian daily online news bulletin and website written by female journalists. It covers politics and international news as well as topics of general interest.
