The news-democracy narrative and the unexpected benefits of limited news consumption: The case of news resisters

Abstract

In the US, a dominant narrative about news and democracy claims that democracy depends on a knowledgeable citizenry and that knowledge stems from news consumption. News and politics are said to positively correlate; the political democracy's vibrancy depends upon the strength of both. This qualitative examination of 'news resisters,' people who purposefully limit their news consumption, turns the news-democracy narrative on its head by arguing that decreased news consumption positions resisters to participatein public life. Informed by practice theory, evidence about news resistance sheds light on the specific ways news resisters relate to news and on the social norms around news consumption against which they conceptualize and forge their own practices. News resisters articulate the benefits of limited news consumption - greater calm and purpose, a constructive attitude toward the present and future, a willingness to work with others - qualities that enable news resisters to engage in meaningful political participation.