LAist readers on news consumption: ‘Burning out, but can’t turn away’

LAist asked for your help at the start of this year setting our reporting agenda for 2025.

Since then, we’ve heard from more than 520 Southern Californians about their biggest hopes and concerns for the region, and how they’re feeling about news consumption around those issues in general.

If you haven’t yet participated, we still want to hear from you. The survey is still open and being actively monitored by our team.

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A few months into the survey, we’re sharing what we’ve heard so far. We’ll publish a deeper look at the results when we close the survey this summer.

The biggest concerns, from democracy to homelessness

We asked you: What issue(s) impacting Southern California are you most concerned about?

Respondents were able to select up to three issues affecting Southern California that they felt most concerned about.

Just over 50% of our 523 respondents reported that “Civics and democracy” was the issue that concerned them the most here in Southern California. That was followed by “Housing affordability” at 39.4% and “Homelessness” at 38%.

"In spite of policy, Angelenos will always be making arts and culture"

We asked you: What issue(s) impacting Southern California are you most optimistic about? 

Respondents were able to select up to three issues affecting Southern California that they felt most optimistic about.

As the results stand right now, 45.7% percent of respondents reported that “Arts and culture” are making them feel the most optimistic.

While respondents mentioned many other things they’re feeling good about —like new subway lines, the Olympics, and the LAX people mover — the second most replied category wasn’t very hopeful at all, with 34.6% percent of folks selecting “I don’t feel optimistic about anything.”

"Burning out, but can't turn away"

We asked you: Which of the following best describes how you’re feeling about your news consumption?

So far, 36.1% of respondents have reported that they’re feeling burned out and could use a break. Not far behind, though, 25.8% of respondents said they’re feeling more tuned in than ever.

For some, it’s a mix of everything. As survey respondent Tim O'Brien put it: “[I’m] burning out, but can’t turn away.”

What do you think? Share your thoughts with LAist

The survey is still open and being actively monitored by our team. If you haven’t filled it out yet, take a moment to tell us your opinion.

The more people we hear from, the better we can understand the news and information needs of our audiences across Southern California.

Why it matters

Sharing your experiences with LAist helps us do a better job of tackling the subjects and questions that are top of mind for Southern Californians.

When we hear from people across the region's diverse communities, we're in a better position to meet our core mission to serve you — from news to navigating life.

LAist journalism is already powered by our community surveys. Just a few examples:

• Your priorities for city leadership led to our Promise Tracker, where we kept tabs on our mayor’s progress improving the homelessness crisis.
• Your input on dyslexia led to an entire series on how the learning disorder affects Southern Californians from preschool to higher education.
• You’ve also helped us capture SoCal’s feelings about lighter topics, such as what it’s like to follow California’s composting law, or where to find the best Conchas in Los Angeles.

Do you have questions or feedback about this survey? We’d love to hear from you. You can email engagement@scpr.org and one of our team members will be in touch.