EDN: https://elibrary.ru/bmpkyq
DOI: 10.21064/WinRS.2025.4.9
This article examines gender differences in news consumption and investigates the underlying causes behind them. The study draws on data from an online survey of
over 10,000 respondents from 61 Russian regions, supplemented with illustrative examples from in-depth interviews. Regression analysis findings reveal that women tend to avoid news more frequently than men, despite spending more total screen time. Having children does not explain the observed gap in news consumption between men and women. Meanwhile, patriarchal values amplify the tendency toward news avoidance in both women and men. Among women, news avoidance is more closely associated with negative emotions and anxiety, although this factor is also significant for men. The study further demonstrates that having a partner increases women’s engagement with political and economic news, potentially due to the collective nature of their news consumption.
Acknowledgments: the study was implemented in the framework of the Basic Research Program at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE University).