Null effects of news exposure: a test of the (un)desirable effects of a ‘news vacation’ and ‘news binging’

Abstract Democratic theorists and the public emphasize centrality of news media to a well-functioning society. Yet, there are reasons believe that exposure can have range largely overlooked detrimental effects. This preregistered project examines effects on desirable outcomes, i.e., political knowledge, participation, support for compromise, attitude affective polarization, negative system perceptions, worsened individual well-being. We rely two complementary over-time experiments combine participants’ survey self-reports their behavioral browsing data: one incentivized participants take ’news vacation’ week ( N = 803; 6M visits) in US, other ‘news binge’ 2 weeks 939; 4M Poland. Across both experiments, we demonstrate reducing or increasing has no impact positive outcomes tested. These null emerge irrespective prior levels consumption whether diet was like-minded, regardless compliance levels. argue these findings reflect reality limited real world, with comprising average roughly 3% citizens’ online information diet.