Television Viewer Attitudes
Here is information on the views and attitudes of the public that is
served by news organizations. It may help you clarify which subjects people are most
interested in and what the top stories really are.
Poll: Media is inaccurate
doesn't care about people
The latest Pew Research Center survey finds much of the public has returned to
attitudes held before September 11, 2001.
A majority rates news organizations negatively in three areas:
- More than half (56%) of those surveyed believe the news media "usually" report
inaccurately. Only about 1 of 3 (35%) of them feel news organizations "usually"
get facts straight.
- Many of those surveyed perceive newspeople as not concerned about the people they report
on. This was almost 2 to 1 (55% to 30%). Again the group that was pro news organizations
was only about one-third of the people.
- Twice (58%) as many people think the media gets in the way of society solving its
problems than (31%) feel it helps solve them.
However, individual news organizations and personalities --- with the exception of
People, the National Enquirer, and Geraldo Rivera --- were much more likely to be rated as
believable. Local television news did quite well.
Pew 2002 Believability Survey
People were asked to rate news organizations and personalities on a
scale of 4 to 1. On this four point scale, "4" meant they could believe all or
most of what the organization says. "1" meant they believe almost nothing of
what they said.
|
|
|
Believe |
|
Cannot
Believe |
| CNN |
|
|
32 |
|
34 |
|
15 |
|
6 |
| NBC News |
|
|
23 |
|
43 |
|
19 |
|
6 |
| ABC News |
|
|
22 |
|
43 |
|
19 |
|
6 |
| Your local TV news |
|
|
26 |
|
39 |
|
22 |
|
7 |
| CBS News |
|
|
23 |
|
41 |
|
19 |
|
6 |
| Your newspaper |
|
|
20 |
|
39 |
|
22 |
|
9 |
| Time |
|
|
18 |
|
35 |
|
19 |
|
7 |
| USA Today |
|
|
15 |
|
36 |
|
19 |
|
6 |
| Wall Street Journal |
|
|
22 |
|
29 |
|
11 |
|
4 |
| C-SPAN |
|
|
18 |
|
26 |
|
12 |
|
5 |
| People |
|
|
7 |
|
20 |
|
31 |
|
15 |
| National Enquirer |
|
|
3 |
|
5 |
|
11 |
|
60 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tom Brokaw |
|
|
35 |
|
37 |
|
14 |
|
4 |
| Geraldo Rivera |
|
|
7 |
|
18 |
|
31 |
|
32 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Full
details are at the Pew site.
Media 1998
Consumption Survey:
Local News Strong, Online News Use Growing Rapidly
The Pew Research Center's 1998 biennial news use survey found the number of Americans
obtaining news on the Internet growing at "an astonishing rate." Interest
in local news remains substantial and this is sustaining television stations' news
operations in a time of audience fragmentation and changes in media consumption.
In 1996, Pew found broadcast
news organizations challenged to retain their viewers.
Polls: How do people feel about television news?
One major benchmark survey of
American attitudes about television news and potential news items was conducted for THE
RUNDOWN in 1989 by Frank N. Magid Associates of
Cedar Rapids --- a premiere research and consulting firm with a long involvement with
television.
Princess Diana's
death drew most public interest in 1997
The annual survey by the Pew Research Center found there was only one story in 1997 that
more than half the public claimed to have paid close attention to: the death of Princess
Diana.
54% of the American public said they paid very close attention to news accounts of the
Paris crash and the following funeral.
You can compare the professed interest in the Diana story with the interest of other
years.
Wars, weather and disasters show up at the top of the list of news stories people
say they are most interested in.
Women and younger people are less
interested in national news, according to previous studies from the Pew Center.
Gallup:
World War II Rated Most Important Event of Century
Americans rate World War Two as the most important event of the century, based on the
results of a new Gallup Poll.
The poll asked Americans to rate each of 18 events, a list that was developed based on
previous questioning which probed Americans' opinions about the events of the century in
an open-ended fashion.
Participants were asked whether they considered each event one of the MOST important
events of the century, important but not the MOST important, somewhat important,
or not important.
Most Important
Events Of The Century
Gallup Poll |
| |
|
|
|
|
Most
Imp't |
Imp't
But not
MOST |
Some-
what
Imp't |
Not
Imp't |
Don't
Know |
| 1. World War II |
|
71% |
21% |
05% |
02% |
01% |
| 2. Women gain vote 1920 |
|
66% |
20% |
11% |
03% |
00% |
| 3. Atomic bomb on Hiroshima |
|
66% |
20% |
09% |
04% |
01% |
| 4. Nazi Holocaust |
|
65% |
20% |
09% |
05% |
01% |
| 5. 1964 Civil Rights Act |
|
58% |
26% |
13% |
02% |
01% |
| Field: Nov. 4-7, 1999 |
|
|
|
Sample: 489 |
You can review the top 18
events at the Gallup site.
Claim: Less crime news is wanted. In 1995, a Boston Globe poll found
viewers claiming they wanted less crime news and more consumer information.
Polling analysis: Talk radio
listeners are more men, more conservative
A University of Michigan team studied recent polling to define just who it is that is
listening to this opinion-oriented radio.
Talk radio: Who's listening?
Here's a summary of findings
of an August, 1996 study done at the University
of Pennsylvania.
20 Questions About Polls For
Journalists
There are polls and there are "polls." Here's an excellent introduction to
polling, and how to separate the valid from the frauds. This is a publication of the
National Council on Public Polls in keeping with its mission to help educate journalists
on the use of public opinion polls
The authors, Sheldon R. Gawiser. Ph.D. and G. Evans Witt. were the cofounders of the
Associated Press/ NBC News Poll.
Viewer lifestyles and attitudes
A wide-ranging, random selection of polling bits and general factoids is available at the
archives for USA Today's Snapshot.
THE RUNDOWN has debriefed many television newspeople and documented their specific
advice. Is there a subject that you would like us
to add to this online archive?
Here's information you need to subscribe
to The Rundown and also contact us via
electronic mail. |
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You can track current attitudes and check trends of
previous years through these polling resources.
Gallup
This veteran firm tracks most major issues and is often in the field with fresh surveys.
Washington
Post
An ongoing national polling effort is maintained by
this top newspaper.
Los Angeles
Times
National and California surveys.
Institute for
Public Opinion
at Marist College
New York city and state issues.
Eagleton, Rutgers
University
New Jersey issues.
Quinnipiac College
Access their Polling Institute for their work in CT, NY, NYC and NJ.
Ohio Poll
Institute for Policy Research, University of Cincinnati.
KAET-TV
Polls at Arizona State University
Kunz
Center for the
Study of Work and Family
Views of the workplace from the University of Cincinnati.
The Center for the People and
the Press
Pew Research Center documents trends and offers polling analysis.
Wirthlin Worldwide
Ronald Reagan's pollster advises business and political clients, check
their monthly online newsletter.
What
Americans Think
The polling director of the Washington Post offers a weekly
column.
AD TRACK index
USA Today and Lou Harris have an extensive polling project dedicated to rating
the effectiveness of current television commericals.
Is there another polling site you
would recommend?
Fedstats
One stop shopping for federal statistics.
Search
the Census Bureau
Current demographic information on many subjects and places in the United States.
Tipsheets for Reporters, Editors, & News Directors, Census Bureau
American Statistical
Association
Venerable organization dedicated to accuracy in the numbers.
Journalism Education Association
This group provides educators with many services.
Television Now
Links to resources that provide you with the latest industry information.
Polls
Measure HMO Impact
To discover whether managed care and the growth of HMOs had changed the quality of health
care, patients and physicians were interviewed separately by WCVB-TV, Boston.
New Hampshire
Primary:
Polling Picks Up Shifts
In 1988, George Bush and Robert Dole fought for the Republican presidential nomination in
New Hampshire. Large blocks of voters were not firmly locked on either candidacy.
Frequent media polling allowed the public to know what the political insiders knew
from their own tracking.
 You can quickly locate information anywhere throughout the public
portion of our site using a full-text search engine.
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