Distinct motivational factors shape news-seeking in young adults

Researchers and news providers have increasingly aimed to identify the distinct motivational factors that promote news-seeking behaviour. However, existing theoretical approaches are rarely data-driven and existing media strategies have not been empirically tested. Here, we created 24 questionnaire items capturing a range of motivations that might support active news-seeking among an undergraduate sample (Study 1). Through factor analysis, we identified three distinct motivational factors: ‘Informational Updating’, ‘Understanding & Sense-Making’, and ‘Affect Regulation’. Among these factors, ‘Informational Updating’ was most strongly predictive of young adults’ news-seeking frequency. Furthermore, this relationship could not be explained by individuals’ general tendencies to express curiosity (i.e., trait curiosity). In a pre-registered follow-up study (Study 2), we next asked whether the same factors that promote general news-seeking would also promote news-seeking surrounding a specific world event: the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Although all three motivational factors individually predicted news-seeking frequency surrounding the invasion, only the influence of ‘Understanding & Sense-Making’ remained significant while controlling for the remaining factors. Our data suggest that the desire to stay informed may be the strongest driver of general news-seeking tendencies, but that other motivational factors can take precedence for specific, major news topics.