Joy — not just fatigue — will shape news habits in 2026

News today can be a lot to take in. Deportations. Wars. Tariffs. Trump did what?! The consistent barrage of negative, seemingly urgent events can wear people down, so much so that news fatigue has become a common experience. According to Pew, in 2024, 62% of U.S. adults reported feeling worn out by election coverage. A 2025 survey found that a majority of adults felt stressed by the news. And research continues to show that news fatigue often leads people to avoid news.

My prediction for 2026 is that emotions will remain a central force in shaping news consumption, but with a twist. Rather than focusing on negative emotions that push people away from news (which, for the record, do matter), I want to call attention to the positive emotions that stepping away from news can bring. Yes, the good feelings that come from not keeping up.

This is something my colleague, Miya Williams Fayne, and I recently found in our research on news avoidance among Black adults in the U.S. We focused on a phenomenon called JOMO, or the joy of missing out. People who felt joy from not following news were significantly more likely to be news avoiders. These people were not disengaging because news stressed them out (though it can). They were disengaging because not consuming news made them feel good.

According to psychologist Susan Albers, “the meaning of JOMO is really embracing the idea of just finding joy and contentment, of opting out or missing out on activities, and prioritizing your self-care.” Applied to news, JOMO is the laid-back counterpart to the fear of missing out (or FOMO), which is linked to increased news consumption. Too often we focus on the power of negative feelings and give less consideration to the positive feelings that steer us toward or away from certain habits. For some people, there is real pleasure in checking out of the news. I expect this to continue in 2026.

What does this mean for news organizations and efforts to rebuild audience engagement? This is a hefty question, and one I hope inspires a range of ideas in the coming year. Based on my audience research, I’ll offer two possibilities. First, entertainment consumption may be a key form of mood management that actually supports regular news habits. Rather than thinking of entertainment media as a competitor to news (news versus entertainment), entertainment experiences may provide the amusement, delight, and escape (I’m looking at you, “Emily in Paris” season 5) that help some of us to dive back into news with restored emotional fortitude.

Second, news organizations should seriously explore ways to make news a more joyful experience. This could be through telling more inspirational and uplifting stories exclusively or alongside heavier events. These stories can serve as a reminder that news is not all doom and gloom, give a little bit of hope, and, ultimately, help some of us stay engaged.

In 2026, news consumption will continue to be an emotional experience. Finding a bit of joy amid the stress, worry, and anxiety, will be key.