Over a third of British people say they often or sometimes avoid the news in the UK and Brexit is the main reason. That’s according to a new report from the Reuters Institute. 

As a young person, who was 14 years old on 23rdJune 2016 - the date of the referendum, I am unable to remember what used to be on news regularly.  I can’t remember if it was news about the environment, foreign affairs, wars or social affairs. For the past three years, the tidal wave of Brexit coverage feels as though it has wiped out what went before and much else appears to have been forgotten. 

The Reuters Institute report also suggests that Brexit has negatively affected many people’s mood and that it has led them to feel powerless. Brexit has not only affected us personally, but it is causing a huge issue for many popular newspapers. Some readers are beginning to retreat from all forms of news and many newspapers have seen a drop in their readership figures. Not only could fewer readers affect the newspaper financially but it could also make it difficult for these newspapers to regain a stable following in the future when Brexit is no longer swamping the news.

Clare Thorp, a former journalist who worked on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme says “As the major political issue of our time, bulletins and newspaper headlines are often dominated by Brexit news. The politics of the European Union has always played a role in the news agenda but never to the huge extent that it does today. Pre-June 2016 many programmes covered a vast array of news stories from areas such as education, health, social affairs, home affairs, legal affairs, and foreign affairs. However, at the moment, the work of political correspondents and political journalists appears to be the most dominant form of reporting as often other news struggles to compete.”

However, there is hope. Sky news is launching a brand-new BREXIT FREE channel that promises to cover non-Brexit news.  This new channel was launched on Wednesday 16thOctober. Viewers will be able to view the news on Sky channel 523 from 5pm to 10pm, Monday to Friday. This channel will benefit many who feel they are tired of hearing Brexit whenever they want to read about or indeed watch the news.

Brexit is now set to be delayed until 31 January 2020, therefore the UK will not have left on 31 October which is what was previously planned by Boris Johnson. Meanwhile, after we formally leave the EU, countless deals and discussions will have to be held to deal with the future of our country and what Brexit will really mean for the people. So, I’m afraid Brexit will not be off our screens or newspapers for many years to come.

Eleanor Goldby