Less than half of Netherlands residents interested in the news

Only 49 percent of Netherlands residents were interested in the news in the past year. In the coronavirus year 2021, that was still 64 percent, and in 2023, it was 51 percent. That is evident from the Digital News Report (DNR) that the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism publishes annually in the Netherlands in collaboration with the Dutch Media Authority (CvdM).

In addition to the 49 percent who are interested in news, 13 percent of respondents said they are not interested at all. Interest in news is declining especially among young people. In 2023, 44 percent of 18 to 34-year-olds were still interested in news. That has fallen to 33 percent in 2024. 30 percent of people sometimes or often avoid the news altogether, 3 percent more than last year.

There is also a slight decline in trust in the news among Netherlands residents. Last year, 57 percent had confidence in the news they consumed, compared to 54 percent this year. “Confidence in the news is declining, but compared to other countries, it is still high,” the CvdM concluded in the report. “Interest in the news is also not low compared to other countries.”

In the Netherlands, confidence remains high with well-known major news brands such as NOS, RTL Nieuws, NU.nl, AD, and the Volkskrant. Roughly nine out of ten young people still have confidence in those brands, and the five media outlets all score about the same.

At the same time, these young people also indicated that social media is their main source of news consumption. “It would be good if the news media were in line with the news needs of young people,” the CvdM said.

“In an information environment where the volume of news is seen to be tiring, it is a task for journalism to connect with a new generation of news users in terms of both form and content.”

The majority of the Dutch population does not feel comfortable with news that is largely created by artificial intelligence (AI). Of those surveyed, 52 percent indicate that they feel either somewhat or very uncomfortable about news that is mainly created by AI under the supervision of a human.

When people form the basis of the news, and AI plays only a supporting role, trust is somewhat greater. In that case, about 33 percent indicated that they are uncomfortable in varying degrees.