I think it’s situational.

If you measure which TV shows and movies I watch, that’s a vote of preference.

If you measure which news headlines evoke a comment from me, that’s a measure of engagement but not necessarily preference.

People respond to a lot of things that annoy them, and I think it’s a pretty common human trait. Advertising your business with bright lights and noise can be effective, but we often ban this in our towns and cities because we prefer life without them.