Despite newsmakers' growing interest in the Internet, a recent study says most media consumers do not go to the Web for their primary news.
"The Future of News" survey, released by the Radio Television News Directors Foundation on Oct. 3, revealed 65.5 percent of respondents considered local television news to be their primary news source. Local newspapers ranked second at 28.4 percent.
The Internet ranked fifth at 11.2 percent of the 1,016 respondents. Almost 14 percent of adults age 18-34 - who made up half of the respondents - ranked the Internet as a primary news source.
Professor of Telecommunications Bob Papper, who conducted the study, said people are more comfortable with traditional media.
The Internet ranked lower because most people either have limited access to the Internet, or lack the interest, he said.
"People into technology tend to think everyone is," he said. "Most 18-24-year-olds are not in college."
People often don't realize this when they are immersed in the technology that universities provide, Papper said.
However, the 65-page report notes that the percentages were based off of people's perceptions, which can differ from how they actually behave.
Papper said the responses were probably accurate because of a generally negative stigma that watching television is unhealthful.
Scott Libin, part of the Leadership and Management faculty at the Poynter Institute, said that people's perceptions could be useful, but publications should look at other sources of information before they make business decisions.
"Journalists should always have a healthy amount of skepticism," Libin, once a television news director and longstanding member of RTNDA, said. "Take this survey in the context of a lot of other things we know and need to know."
In a column on the Poynter Institute Web site, a resource for journalists, Libin wrote that people should be aware of the association RTNDA has with the television industry.
"I can't remember research from any association ever announcing that the industry it represents is irrelevant," he wrote.
A news director's decisions shouldn't be based on one source of guidance, Libin said.
YOUNG PEOPLEOne of the goals of the survey was to find out where young people get their news. The survey was based on people's perceptions, and the point was to find people's preferences regarding the news, Papper said.
Libin also said the points made from the survey were worth examining.
"It reflects on TV news that does a lot of live reporting when it really isn't anything," he said.
Television news does not always use live reporting as effectively as it could, Libin said, and the public no longer has the tolerance for ongoing coverage that reveals little new information as it once did.
When they were asked the open-ended question "What one thing would you change about local TV news to make it better," 21 of 506 respondents said they wanted better local news coverage, and 10 said they wanted facts with no speculation or opinion.
In his column, Libin wrote, "The actual number of people saying each of these things was small, but that's common with unprompted, top-of-mind research responses."
While respondents ranked community news and human interest features as lowest in interest, Libin believes that people still respond strongly to news stories when they make an emotional connection.
"People might say 'just give the news'," he said. "What's the news? Everyone would just watch C-SPAN if that were the case."
The survey was conducted by phone. The population sample had a three-percent margin of error, and was proportioned to represent the U.S. adult population according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics.
To see the full survey, go to the
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
