More Americans (nearly 50%) turning to Web for news

[UpInArms]

Source: Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nearly 70 percent of Americans believe traditional journalism is out of touch, and nearly half are turning to the Internet to get their news, according to a new survey.

While most people think journalism is important to the quality of life, 64 percent are dissatisfied with the quality of journalism in their communities, a We Media/Zogby Interactive online poll showed.

"That's a really encouraging reflection of people who care A) about journalism and B) understand that it makes a difference to their lives," said Andrew Nachison, of iFOCOS, a Virginia-based think tank which organized a forum in Miami where the findings were presented.

Nearly half of the 1,979 people who responded to the survey said their primary source of news and information is the Internet, up from 40 percent just a year ago. Less than one third use television to get their news, while 11 percent turn to radio and 10 percent to newspapers.

More than half of those who grew up with the Internet, those 18 to 29, get most of their news and information online, compared to 35 percent of people 65 and older. Older adults are the only group that favors a primary news source other than the Internet, with 38 percent selecting television.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN2824760420080229

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Note to Mods: I am 6 hours past the posting limit of 12 hours on this story - but I think that it is good news that the MSM is losing its appeal to a large segment of the population. Do as you wish and thanks for all you do. UIA

[Bicoastal]

1. THIS JUST IN:

Paris Hilton looks glassy-eyed from another magazine cover!

[bpeale]

2. gee, ya think???? they are way behind the times

either MSM reports the actual news or people quit buying newspapers/magazines, quit watching tv newscasts, or people will go out & actually find the fucking news. what a bunch of dumbasses!

[Arugula Latte]

3. The younger people get their info. online and are more liberal.

I wonder if there is a correlation?

[angrycarpenter]

4. good and bad

They are getting news from whatever outlet that carries whatever slant is wanted by the reader. Right or left. There is nothing short of researching every story for its veracity yourself that will give a balanced answer. People who only get their news from one internet site are very likely to be getting an extreme bias that would never be allowed in MSM. Barring talk radio of course.

It is where rumors become gospel.

[Demeter]

5. Hey! I'm On The Cutting Edge Yet Again!

And so are all of you! And I'm not even young, so there's no excuse for it.

[Rob H.]

6. I can't speak for anyone else, but

I get my news from the web because I don't get home from work in time to catch the national news. I do get home in time for the locally-produced news, but they do exactly zero minutes of national news coverage.

FWIW, I don't get the local newspaper, either; I worked at a daily paper some years back and vowed that not only would I never work for one again, I'd never buy one again, either. (The sad thing is, I graduated college with a B.A. in journalism! Thank goodness my concentration was advertising and not news-editorial.) Bonus fun fact: the number of pages in the newspaper were determined by how many ads were sold, not how much actual news content was available for inclusion.

[Bilbo Heugan]

7. Nice thought, but no sale.

An online interactive survey is just too easy to skew. On the face of it, isn't it obvious that only internet users would even have access to the survey? I'd like to believe it but the state of this nation's abysmal ignorance is glaring testimony that 50% of Americans do not get their news from the internet. If they did, they would know a hell of a lot more about what is going on.

[ConcernedCanuk]

11. I agree - good post.

.
.
.
But I'll say it louder:

I'd like to believe it but the state of this nation's abysmal ignorance is glaring testimony that 50% of Americans do not get their news from the internet.

If they did, they would know a hell of a lot more about what is going on.

[AndyTiedye]

17. Those Who Still Get Their News From TV = Those Who Still Vote Republican

Anyone who still believes the "news" they see on TV is almost certainly still voting Republican.

[melody]

22. I believe the number you're looking for is 29% ... or whatever Shrub's ratings tanked at this week

We've not heard from 50% of Americans.

[L0oniX]

8. BREAKING NEWS: Britney Spears abducted by aliens ...body double in place.

<snip> Britney, who does not have any control over her mind or thought processes, will then be ordered to stay away from herself indefinitely.

http://www.dailysquib.co.uk/?c=122&a=1238

[bulloney]

9. Count me in that 70% that thinks journalists are out of touch and 50% who gets news from the web.

I have a degree in journalism. If my profs were judging what passes for news on today's television and radio, they'd have a massive heart attack.

I see White House correspondents yucking it up at parties with Karl Rove, Bush, and other high-ranking officials. How can you be objective?

[nancyr]

10. I'm over 65 and......

I get all my news from the internet. I gave up on the tv propaganda years ago when they ceased reporting the news and switched to entertainment and garbage. There is no reputable reporting either in newspaper or on television anymore. Not all of us old geezers are senile.

[benld74]

12. I'm in the 80% who think there aren't any journalists anymore,,,,

[benld74]

13. I haven't read or watched news in the past 9 years and get more information from

a wide variety of resources than most of my friends

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

14. I get most of my news here @ D.U.

[FunkyLeprechaun]

15. I absolutely agree

I've been using the 'net for information as long as I can remember (we started using AOL in 1992). I've been reading CNN since '98 and I remember I had a hard time getting onto CNN in 2001 when 9/11 happened, despite the fact I was watching TV as it was happening.

I go on here, Daily Kos, Google news, Yahoo news, for the information on this election. I'm keeping alert to Klobuchar's endorsement (not yet), Edwards' endorsement (not yet), etc by looking on Google.

I really like the idea of looking on the net for info, however, I do like having paper in my hands (reading the newspaper as often as I can).

As a 26 year old, I must be the youngest fuddy duddy ever.

[roseBudd]

16. online news still originates in newsrooms, if you get it for free don't block the ads

our newsrooms are being decimated by declining circulation for the paid print product while they struggle to make up the difference with the free online version, which requires a 2nd set of employees to disseminate, IT, online

[melody]

18. The forecast for tonight is dark, with darkness continuing through the next few hours

Until it becomes light.

It's so good to see Reuters finally waking up and realizing the public is leaving them behind.

[sofa king]

19. Yep, it's a good thing, too.

A question I hear asked often these days is, "where do you get your news?"

It makes me happy to hear it. After the past few years of being crapped on by the major news media, people are pissed.

I don't think all people are simply looking for the news they want to see, either. At least some of us spend a modest amount of time each day looking for the news they don't want us to see. That kind of news carries an importance all its own.

[Marc Bousquet]

20. Daily Show not the worst source for news

Most of my students get their news from The Daily Show, but it's better than getting their news from Fox!

[KillCapitalism]

21. Well, the internet is not censored and corporate controlled.

That's why it's the ONLY place to find the truth.

[yurbud]

23. I haven't written my local paper in a while, but this is worth forwarding to them.

I've exchanged letters with LA Times editors about stories they haven't covered, and they called a lot of it conspiracy theories (like the Diebold stuff) that is now pretty widely accepted as true--no thanks to the MSM.

[grilled onions]

24. TV News Is The Pits

They have turned most news shows into talk shows. They sit around in comfy chairs much of the hour and discuss the non news of the day. They fill the screen with fashion shows,cooking segments,wasting a lot of time giggling and talking to each other. When they finally get to a news story I find I have already read it on line a day or two before they aired it! It would be wonderful if one network would actually deal with "hard copy" and leave the silliness to the rest of them.
I find much of my headline news right here on DU.

[snot]

25. Newsflash! Traditional media lost the news audience because

they stopped reporting news!!!

[6th Borough]

26. Talk about a skewed poll...an online survey about online news consumption.

n/t

[bhikkhu]

27. TV news is infotainment. Criminally negligent, to a country in our position.

I cut the cable six years ago. The main thing that I notice is that when I do happen to catch some tv news here or there, it is glaringly obvious they neither know nor care what they are talking about.

The intelligent audience is their enemy, ratings are their friend. Good news that a younger generation is turning its back - there are too many problems on the horizon.