“I Don’t Understand It”: Australians’ Low Interest in Politics and Political News

Abstract

Research shows that while a significant portion of Australians are not interested in politics or political news, those who are interested in politics tend to consume a lot of news in general. Based on a thematic analysis of interviews with 60 Australians, ranging from non-news consumers (less than once a month or never) to heavy news consumers (more than once a day), this article shows that the type of political news source used and the way politics is reported have a big impact on people’s level of interest in it. Drawing on the opportunity, motivation, and ability (OMA) model, this article highlights how negative perceptions of political journalism as biased, conflict-ridden, and complicated influenced the information-seeking behavior of Australian voters during the 2022 federal election. The findings raise important questions for news outlets about audience disconnection from politics and how it is covered.