{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T17:00:10Z","timestamp":1777914010267,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":69,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,24]],"date-time":"2026-03-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774310400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,24]],"date-time":"2026-03-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774310400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["PTDC\/COM-OUT\/0243\/2021 \/ https:\/\/doi.org\/10.54499\/UIDB\/05260\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PTDC\/COM-OUT\/0243\/2021 \/ https:\/\/doi.org\/10.54499\/UIDB\/05260\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Young people news and participation","award":["SFRH\/BD\/47530\/2008"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SFRH\/BD\/47530\/2008"]}]},{"name":"RadioActive Europe","award":["531245-LLP-1-2012-1-UK-KA3-KA3"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["531245-LLP-1-2012-1-UK-KA3-KA3"]}]},{"name":"Audiences, News and Literacy \u2013 ANLite","award":["SFRH\/BPD\/92204\/2013"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SFRH\/BPD\/92204\/2013"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Media, Culture &amp; Society"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This article argues that the term news avoidance is no longer an adequate description of all the circumstances in which young people disengage with journalism. In recent decades, a growing body of research has examined the reasons why people avoid and resist the news. This research has largely been based on the traditional, stable definition of news as a familiar category with democratic characteristics. However, if we accept the premise that avoidance presupposes a certain degree of knowledge and familiarity with this definition, we can observe that this prerequisite is not always met in today\u2019s societies. Rather than deliberate avoidance, this points to a gradual dissolution of shared references and to a weakening of the symbolic, cognitive and cultural dimensions through which news is recognised. Drawing on 15 years of qualitative and participatory fieldwork with young people (2010\u2013), this paper proposes the concept of epistemic disconnection from the news and highlights its implications for journalism, civic life and policy. Epistemic disconnection from the news is not a form of avoidance or resistance. Instead, it describes a situation in which the category of the news is no longer a recognisable or useful reference point in people\u2019s symbolic repertoires or practical reasoning.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/01634437261433208","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,24]],"date-time":"2026-03-24T13:28:10Z","timestamp":1774358890000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Rethinking news disengagement: Epistemic disconnection from news"],"prefix":"10.1177","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9840-9554","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Jos\u00e9","family":"Brites","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Lus\u00f3fona University, CICANT, Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_3_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/1461670X.2024.2393131"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1515\/9783111340654"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.13140\/2.1.2141.0081"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.17645\/mac.8272"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_6_1","first-page":"74","volume-title":"The SAGE Handbook of Digital Society","author":"Brites MJ","year":"2022","unstructured":"Brites MJ, Figueiras R (2022) Disconnection and digital society: Perspectives on how citizens deal with media technology. In: Housley W, Edwards A, Beneito-Montagut R, et al. (eds), The SAGE Handbook of Digital Society. SAGE, pp.74\u201390."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.17231\/comsoc.34(2018).2956"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13676261.2016.1241862"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7458\/SPP2017846102"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_10_1","volume-title":"Media e Participa\u00e7\u00e3o","author":"Carpentier N","year":"2017","unstructured":"Carpentier N (2017) Media e Participa\u00e7\u00e3o. Media XXI."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1464884913478361"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/9781108116015"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_13_1","volume-title":"The Mediated Construction of Reality","author":"Couldry N","year":"2017","unstructured":"Couldry N, Hepp A (2017) The Mediated Construction of Reality. Polity Press."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_14_1","unstructured":"Council of Europe (2021) New education materials on how to teach and deal with controversy. Available at: https:\/\/www.coe.int\/en\/web\/education\/-\/new-education-materials-on-how-to-teach-and-deal-with-controversy(accessed 15 December 2025)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_15_1","volume-title":"Media and Political Engagement: Citizens, Communication, and Democracy","author":"Dahlgren P","year":"2009","unstructured":"Dahlgren P (2009) Media and Political Engagement: Citizens, Communication, and Democracy. Cambridge University Press."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1057\/9781137326386"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_17_1","volume-title":"Media Engagement","author":"Dahlgren P","year":"2023","unstructured":"Dahlgren P, Hill A (2023) Media Engagement. Routledge."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Damstra A Vliegenthart R Boomgaarden H et al. (2023) Knowledge and the news: An investigation of the relation between news use news avoidance and the presence of (Mis)beliefs. The International Journal of Press\/Politics 28(1): 29\u201348. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/19401612211031457","DOI":"10.1177\/19401612211031457"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Deacon D Smith D Wring D (2024) Why mainstream news media still matter. Media Culture & Society 46(4): 874\u2013885. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/01634437241228765","DOI":"10.1177\/01634437241228765"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1162\/IJLM_a_00092"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_21_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Edgerly S (2022) The head and heart of news avoidance: How attitudes about the news media relate to levels of news consumption. Journalism 23(9): 1828\u20131845. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/14648849211012922","DOI":"10.1177\/14648849211012922"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Edgerly S Thorson K Thorson E et al. (2018a) Do parents still model news consumption? Socializing news use among adolescents in a multi-device world. New Media & Society 20(4): 1263\u20131281. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1461444816688451","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444816688451"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1077699020916808"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1077699017706928"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_25_1","volume-title":"Din\u00e2micas de informa\u00e7\u00e3o e politiza\u00e7\u00e3o dos jovens: Influenciadores, redes sociais e democracia","author":"Figueiras R","year":"2025","unstructured":"Figueiras R (2025) Din\u00e2micas de informa\u00e7\u00e3o e politiza\u00e7\u00e3o dos jovens: Influenciadores, redes sociais e democracia. Universidade Cat\u00f3lica Editora."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/01634437221096788"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_27_1","unstructured":"Fletcher R Kalo Geropoulos A Nielsen RK. (2020) News avoidance in the UK remains high as lockdown restrictions are eased. Available at: https:\/\/ssrn.com\/abstract=3704270 (accessed 14 November 2025)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_28_1","unstructured":"Galan L Osserman J Parker T et al. (2019) How young people consume news and the implications for mainstream media. Available at: https:\/\/apo.org.au\/node\/256781 (accessed 14 November 2025)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_29_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Garusi D Juarez Miro C (2025) Unpacking news consumption and trust decisions through a folk theory approach: A study of Austrian young adults. Media Culture & Society 47(3): 567\u2013584. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/01634437241291453","DOI":"10.1177\/01634437241291453"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_30_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hepp A (2013) The communicative figurations of mediatized worlds: Mediatization research in times of the \u2018mediation of everything. European Journal of Communication 28: 615\u2013629. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0267323113501148","DOI":"10.1177\/0267323113501148"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_31_1","first-page":"83","volume-title":"Media Practice and Everyday Agency in Europe","author":"Hepp A","year":"2014","unstructured":"Hepp A (2014) Communicative figurations: Researching cultures of Mediatization. In: Kramp L, Carpentier N, Hepp A, et al. (eds) Media Practice and Everyday Agency in Europe. edition lumi\u00e8re, pp.83\u2013100."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_32_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hepp A (2016) Pioneer communities: collective actors in deep mediatisation. Media Culture & Society 38(6): 918\u2013933. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0163443716664484","DOI":"10.1177\/0163443716664484"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_33_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-65584-0_2"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_34_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jaakkola M (2022) Journalists as media educators: Journalistic Media Education as inclusive boundary work. Journalism Practice 16(6): 1265\u20131285. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/17512786.2020.1844040","DOI":"10.1080\/17512786.2020.1844040"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_35_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kalmus V Figueiras R Bolin G (2025) The surveillance survival paradox: Experiences and imaginaries of surveillance in a generational and cross-cultural perspective. Surveillance & Society 23(3): 336\u2013353. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.24908\/ss.v23i3.18113","DOI":"10.24908\/ss.v23i3.18113"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_36_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/01596300500200169"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_37_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kellner D Share J (2007) Critical media literacy is not an option. Learning Inquiry 1(1): 59\u201369. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s11519-007-0004-2","DOI":"10.1007\/s11519-007-0004-2"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_38_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lindell J Mikkelsen B\u00e5ge E (2023) Disconnecting from digital news: News avoidance and the ignored role of social class. Journalism 24(9): 1980\u20131997. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/146488492210853891997.","DOI":"10.1177\/14648849221085389"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_39_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mathieu D Vengerfeldt PP (2020) The Data loop of media and audience: How audiences and media actors make datafication work. MedieKultur Journal of Media and Communication Research 36(69): 116\u2013138. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7146\/mediekultur.v36i69.121178","DOI":"10.7146\/mediekultur.v36i69.121178"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_40_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4135\/9780857029010"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_41_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Meijer IC (2020) Understanding the audience turn in journalism: From quality discourse to innovation discourse as anchoring practices 1995\u20132020. Journalism Studies 21(16): 2326\u20132342. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/1461670x.2020.1847681","DOI":"10.1080\/1461670X.2020.1847681"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_42_1","volume-title":"Compassion Fatigue: How the Media Sell Disease, Famine, War and Death","author":"Moeller SD","year":"1999","unstructured":"Moeller SD (1999) Compassion Fatigue: How the Media Sell Disease, Famine, War and Death. Routledge."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_43_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"M\u00f8ller Hartley J Bengtsson M Schj\u00f8tt Hansen A et al. (2023) Researching publics in datafied societies: Insights from four approaches to the concept of \u2018publics\u2019 and a (hybrid) research agenda. New Media & Society 25(7): 1668\u20131686. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/14614448211021045","DOI":"10.1177\/14614448211021045"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_44_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-031-96720-7_6"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_45_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Neale B (2021) Fluid enquiry complex causality policy processes: Making a difference with qualitative longitudinal research. Social Policy and Society 20(4): 653\u2013669. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1017\/s1474746421000142","DOI":"10.1017\/S1474746421000142"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_46_1","unstructured":"Newman N Fletcher R Kalogeropoulos A et al. (2017) Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2017. Available at: https:\/\/reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk\/sites\/default\/files\/Digital%20News%20Report%202017%20web_0.pdf (accessed 13 November 2025)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_47_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/CBO9780511609343"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_48_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ohme J Bruin KD Haan YD et al. (2023) Avoiding the news to participate in society? The longitudinal relationship between news avoidance and civic engagement. Communications 48(4): 551\u2013562. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1515\/commun-2021-0099","DOI":"10.1515\/commun-2021-0099"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_49_1","first-page":"37","volume-title":"Os Efeitos Sociais dos Meios de Comunica\u00e7\u00e3o de Massa","author":"Park RE","year":"1940","unstructured":"Park RE (1940\/2009) As Not\u00edcias como uma Forma de Conhecimento: um Cap\u00edtulo na Sociologia do Conhecimento. In: Esteves JP (ed.) Os Efeitos Sociais dos Meios de Comunica\u00e7\u00e3o de Massa. Livros Horizonte, pp.37\u201350."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_50_1","volume-title":"Young People and News","author":"Patterson TE","year":"2007","unstructured":"Patterson TE (2007) Young People and News. Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_51_1","volume-title":"Introduction to Longitudinal Research","author":"Ruspini E","year":"2002","unstructured":"Ruspini E (2002) Introduction to Longitudinal Research. Routledge."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_52_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5040\/9798216409625"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_53_1","unstructured":"Schr\u00f8der KC Blach\u00f8rsten M (2016) The Nature of News Avoidance in a Digital World-Digital News Report 2016. Available at: https:\/\/forskning.ruc.dk\/en\/publications\/the-nature-of-news-avoidance-in-a-digital-world\/ (accessed 14 November 2025)."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_54_1","volume-title":"The Power of News","author":"Schudson M","year":"2002","unstructured":"Schudson M (2002) The Power of News. Harvard University Press."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_55_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Selnes FN (2024) Fake news on social media: Understanding teens\u2019 (dis)engagement with news. Media Culture & Society 46(2): 376\u2013392. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/01634437231198447","DOI":"10.1177\/01634437231198447"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_56_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Skovsgaard M Andersen K (2020) Conceptualizing news avoidance: Towards a shared understanding of different causes and potential solutions. Journalism Studies 21(4): 459\u2013476. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/1461670x.2019.1686410","DOI":"10.1080\/1461670X.2019.1686410"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_57_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Swart J Groot Kormelink T Costera Meijer I et al. (2022) Advancing a radical audience turn in journalism. Fundamental dilemmas for journalism studies. Digital Journalism 10(1): 8\u201322. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/21670811.2021.2024764","DOI":"10.1080\/21670811.2021.2024764"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_58_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-46499-2"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_59_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Thomson R Plumridge L Holland J (2003) Editorial. International Journal of Social Research Methodology 6(3): 185\u2013187. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/1364557032000091789","DOI":"10.1080\/1364557032000091789"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_60_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Toff B Kalogeropoulos A (2020) All the news that\u2019s fit to ignore: How the information environment does and does not shape news avoidance. Public Opinion Quarterly 84: 366\u2013390. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/poq\/nfaa016","DOI":"10.1093\/poq\/nfaa016"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_61_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"491","DOI":"10.4324\/9781351004107-46","volume-title":"The Routledge Companion to Digital Media and Children","author":"Tom\u00e9 V","year":"2020","unstructured":"Tom\u00e9 V, Brites MJ (2020). Very young children\u2019s digital literacy: Engagement, practices, learning, and home\u2013school\u2013community knowledge exchange in Lisbon, Portugal. In: Green L, Holloway D, Stevenson K, et al. (eds), The Routledge Companion to Digital Media and Children. Routledge, pp.491\u2013500."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_62_1","volume-title":"Making News","author":"Tuchman G","year":"1980","unstructured":"Tuchman G (1980) Making News. The Free Press."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_63_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Van Den Bulck J (2006) Television news avoidance: Exploratory results from a one-year follow-up study. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 50(2): 231\u2013252. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1207\/s15506878jobem5002_4","DOI":"10.1207\/s15506878jobem5002_4"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_64_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Vandenplas R Truyens P Vis S et al. (2021) Tuning out the news. A cross-media perspective on news avoidance practices of young news users in Flanders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journalism Studies 22(16): 2197\u20132217. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/1461670x.2021.1990788","DOI":"10.1080\/1461670X.2021.1990788"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_65_1","volume-title":"Information Disorder: Toward an Interdisciplinary Framework for Research and Policymaking","author":"Wardle C","year":"2017","unstructured":"Wardle C, Derakhshan H (2017) Information Disorder: Toward an Interdisciplinary Framework for Research and Policymaking. Council of Europe."},{"issue":"19","key":"e_1_3_3_66_1","first-page":"1983","article-title":"Media resistance: Opportunities for practice theory and New Media Research","volume":"8","author":"Woodstock L","year":"2014","unstructured":"Woodstock L (2014a) Media resistance: Opportunities for practice theory and New Media Research. International Journal of Communication 8(19): 1983\u20132001.","journal-title":"International Journal of Communication"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_67_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1464884913504260"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_68_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ytre-Arne B Moe H (2021) Doomscrolling monitoring and avoiding: News use in COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Journalism Studies 22(13): 1739\u20131755. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/1461670x.2021.1952475","DOI":"10.1080\/1461670X.2021.1952475"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_69_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4135\/9781452204499"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_70_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zerba A (2011) Young adults\u2019 reasons behind avoidances of daily print newspapers and their ideas for change. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly 88(3): 597\u2013614. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/107769901108800308","DOI":"10.1177\/107769901108800308"}],"container-title":["Media, Culture &amp; Society"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/01634437261433208","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/01634437261433208","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/01634437261433208","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,1]],"date-time":"2026-05-01T16:38:52Z","timestamp":1777653532000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/01634437261433208"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,24]]},"references-count":69,"alternative-id":["10.1177\/01634437261433208"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/01634437261433208","relation":{},"ISSN":["0163-4437","1460-3675"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0163-4437","type":"print"},{"value":"1460-3675","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,24]]},"article-number":"01634437261433208"}}