Digitalization of news increases social inequalities

News is more widely available than ever, but not everyone benefits equally. Research by VUB Professor Antonis Kalogeropoulos (SMIT research group) shows that digitalization does not reduce the news gap in many cases, it actually widens it. Social inequalities increasingly determine who follows the news, understands it, and is able to distinguish reliable information from misinformation.

Within the ERC Starting Grant project INEQNEWS, Kalogeropoulos examines how socio-economic status, digital skills, and confidence in news literacy are linked to online news consumption. International comparative research reveals that online news use is more unevenly distributed than offline news use. People with a lower socio-economic position or limited digital skills are more likely to disengage, even when news is technically accessible.

Together with colleagues, Kalogeropoulos developed the “News is Not Made for Me” scale, which measures the extent to which people feel alienated from online news. Large-scale studies in the United Kingdom and Brazil show that those who do not feel addressed by news are often younger, have less trust in news, and more frequently come from lower social classes. Strikingly, this group sometimes consumes just as much or even more news, yet has less current knowledge and is more likely to believe misinformation.

The platform also matters. People who rely on social media as their main source of news tend to have lower trust in news overall, even when they also consult other news sources. According to Kalogeropoulos, this poses a real risk to the democratic information society.

With INEQNEWS, his aim is not only to expose problems, but also to propose solutions. The research therefore focuses on media literacy, inclusive news formats, and policies that link digital access to understanding and resilience. His message to media organizations and policymakers is clear: digitalization must not become a luxury. News must remain both accessible and meaningful for everyone.