A poll conducted at the beginning of December found that the majority of Americans are taking a step back from politics following the presidential election.
The poll, conducted through the Associated Press-NORC Public Affairs Research Center, showed that about two-thirds of American adults say they have recently felt a desire to restrict their media consumption when it comes to politics and government.
The poll was conducted between December 5 and 9 with 1,251 adults using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeaks Panel. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.
About seven in 10 Democrats say they have retired from politics.
The percentage is not as high for Republicans, whose party won the presidential election when President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20. However, 6 in 10 Republicans also felt the desire to take some time off from politics. and independents are similar, according to the Associated Press.
The vote also found that after the election period, other people are more likely to disapprove of celebrities, large corporations and professional athletes who speak out about politics. This comes after many big-name organizations and celebrities, such as Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, shared their thoughts on the election cycle.
For television networks, the numbers between who was watching and who is watching now are potentially even starker. Since Trump won his re-election with 312 electoral votes, there has been a shift that The Washington Post has described as a “turn off the news” movement, where people no longer want push alerts, television news or even podcast information.
The Nielsen company, which provides media measurements, told The Associated Press that MSNBC’s prime-time audience averaged 620,000 after election night through Dec. 13. This represents a drop of 54% compared to the pre-election audience recorded through the media. This year. The Associated Press reported that MSNBC experienced ratings disruptions after Trump’s 2016 presidential victory.
But MSNBC had seen a bounce back in its viewership after the Trump 2016 administration started.
CNN’s average has also fallen since Election Day, to forty-five percent. However, the Associated Press reported that CNN’s virtual and streaming audiences were consistent.
By contrast, the Republican-leaning Fox News channel saw its audience number grow, with a post-election average of 2. 68 million people. That is thirteen percent more than before the elections.
Since the election, the Associated Press reported that of the people watching MSNBC, CNN or Fox News in the evenings, 72 percent are choosing Fox compared to 53 percent before Election Day.
However, New York Times opinion columnist Charles Blow said in an article last week that other people “absolutely” don’t feel guilty about recently cutting off the news.
“First, taking time to lick wounds speeds their healing,” Blow wrote. “Second, outrage is expensive. It consumes a tremendous amount of fuel, which at some point must be replenished. We do so by taking breaks to sit in solitude, to touch grass, to be truly present with loved ones and to clarify our purpose.”
The Associated Press found in its investigation that some need media outlets like MSNBC to expand their audience to communicate about political issues than a figurehead like Trump. They are looking for a deeper narrative than one-sided opinions.
Ziad Aunallah of San Diego told the Associated Press: “People are mentally exhausted. Everyone knows what’s coming and we’re just taking some time off. “
Brandon Wilson, a professor in California, told The Washington Post: I pretty much stopped on a dime.
Andrew DelPonte of Maryland told The Washington Post: “I was maybe so overinformed going into this election that now I just need to take a step back. Things I think I have control over is what is helpful right now.”
Sam Gude of Lincoln, Nebraska, told the Associated Press, “The last thing I have to look at right now is the interregnum. “
While many politicians are on leave until the end of the year, the new congressional consultation begins on January 3 and Trump will be sworn in on January 20.
Monica is a Newsweek reporter based in Boston. Her focus is reporting on breaking news. Monica joined Newsweek in 2024. She is a graduate of Clark University, with a master’s from both Clark University and Northwestern University. She was part of the team named a finalist for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigation as well as a winner of the George Polk award for their work uncovering Phillips Respironics wrongdoings with their breathing machines. You can get in touch with Monica by emailing [email protected]. Languages: English.