TV news comes in first, second and third as the top source of presidential campaign news among those paying attention to the race, finds a new survey from Crawford Johnson & Northcott.
The finding, released May 19, runs contrary to a general perception that TV news, as part of the traditional media landscape, has declined as a news and information source as the importance of the Internet has grown.
However, the new CJ&N survey reveals that TV news is at the top of the heap. According to the survey, the top three sources of presidential campaign news are national TV network news, followed by local TV news and cable TV news.
“Rumors of the death of traditional television news have been greatly exaggerated. And it’s not just older people — young adults are relying on television news too,” said CJ&N President John Altenbern.
Across age groups, TV news is at the top of the list as a source of information — even among 18- to 29-year-olds, according to CJ&N. Young adults do, however, rely equally as much on friends and family as a source of information and are more likely to turn to multiple sources, the survey found.
The study is based on a sample of 800 people living in the United States. All respondents, age 18 to 65, participated via Web-based survey. The study was fielded in late April.
For more information, visit www.cjni.com.
