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We are all drowning in polls.
Seems like there’s a survey for everything under the sun: Where does Gen Z get its news? Are you worried about the economy? What do you think of the White House ballroom?
And yet there’s a new set of numbers that jumped out and grabbed me – and makes perfect sense when you stop and think about it.
According to the Media Insight Project, about six in 10 of those questioned try to avoid news about President Donald Trump.
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On the surface, it might seem this is solely about feelings toward the president, whether you like him or loathe him.
But I believe it’s much deeper than that.
My take is that a majority of Americans are suffering from news fatigue – they’re just drowning in the seemingly endless flood of news. And most of it, let’s face it, is strikingly bad news.
The war in Iran. Another presidential assassination attempt. Soaring gas prices. Government shutdowns. Rising health care premiums. Indictment of the former FBI director. There’s not a lot of feel-good stuff coming into our homes. Maybe “Devil Wears Prada 2.” It’s a short list.
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If Trump is the connective tissue here, it’s because he involves himself in every possible story, including the demise of Spirit Airlines and the coming demise of Saudi Arabia’s LIV golf.
According to the poll, 31% of those questioned often actively avoid news stories about Trump, and 32% say they sometimes avoid Trump news.
By contrast, 18% of those polled say they rarely avoid news stories about the president, while 17% say they never skip news stories about Trump.
There is a partisan overlay here. Yet even among Republicans, the media institute says, 33% say they occasionally skip news stories focused on Trump, and 17% say they often avoid Trump news.
Among Democrats and independents, 38% say they often avoid Trump news.
That’s not all. The poll finds that 57% avoid news about national politics.
This is the burnout factor.
Look, the news is usually depressing. And although there is high interest in the war, including from former conservative allies who now apologize for backing Trump, most Americans are far more concerned about rising food prices. Millions have had to drop their health insurance because Trump and Congress refused to extend the Obamacare subsidies.
Donald Trump has been the dominant figure in American politics for more than a decade. So, on one level, everything is about him. That includes his attacks on the media, law firms, universities and his retribution campaign, such as the indictment he engineered against James Comey for a seashell picture, the first version of which was thrown out of court. Not to mention his demand that Jimmy Kimmel be fired, or his declaration that he was glad Robert Mueller had died.
Trump is no apprentice when it comes to making news. He’ll ratchet up his attacks – on Ilhan Omar or Pope Leo – knowing that this will drive the news agenda.
Take his lawsuits against news organizations, which were successful against CBS and ABC.
The president knows that if he slams individual journalists or outlets – he’s hurled charges of treason and sedition – they will feel compelled to respond, if only out of self-defense, or self-importance.
And that keeps a story in the headlines for days, with the press playing on his turf. Throw in an image of Jesus and ride the waves of outrage.
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But since Trump has been on this crusade since 2016, it’s lost its shock value. Many people have become numb to these rhetorical blasts. Sometimes it takes a heavily armed gunman at a dinner celebrating the First Amendment to make them snap to attention.
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My sense, based on plenty of conversations, is that plenty of Americans are engaged in the equivalent of covering their ears. They want a break from the craziness, and they’ve hit the mute button.