• by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, September 18, 2019

Given the relentless rush of unnerving news stories, mobile users could be forgiven for tuning out, or turning their attention to lighter fare.

Across platforms, however, consumers are more engaged with news content today than they were a couple of years ago.

Compared to 2017, 41% of consumers said that they’re getting more news coverage now, according to research from Verizon Media and Insights Now.

What’s more, 90% said that "heavy" news does not negatively impact their perception of brands that support such content with advertising.

However, nearly 40% of survey respondents said they would think less of a brand for advertising near offensive content.

The research found that news sites are not the primary source of offensive content.

Rather, respondents cited user-generated posts on social media platforms as the most common source of offensive content. A full 59% said they encounter such content on Facebook; 55% said they see it on Twitter; while 48% said they come across it on Snapchat.

As for news, consumers appear to have different reasons for flocking to such content.

Most (61%) say that they seek out news to find out what’s going in their local communities; a third say they check the news to know what everyone else is talking about; and a quarter feel compelled to stay up-to-date to keep up with social conversations.