Pew Study Looks At Media As Sources For Local Community Information

Media Study

The latest PEW INTERNET AND AMERICAN LIFE PROJECT study is a look at "how people learn about their local community," and radio shows up as "a key information source for the most time-sensitive local news and information topics."  

Radio, at 15%, trails only TV (at 19%) as respondents' main source for traffic and transportation news and information, and 9% say radio is a "key source for breaking news and weather," making radio fourth-ranked for breaking news (behind TV, newspapers, and the Net) and third for weather (behind TV and the Net).  5% say radio is a main source for political and arts/cultural information, and 4% get their crime updates from radio.  Other topics show radio as a lesser source (3% or lower), including local businesses, community events, taxes, schools, government activities, social services, restaurants, housing and real estate, zoning, and local jobs.

The study indicated that most Americans use a wide range of sources for community news and information, and that age and the subject matter are the primary variables.  While local TV news is the most utilized source, it gains its advantage for weather, breaking news, and traffic and is less important for other purposes.  Newspapers get good and bad news in the study, with 69% of respondents saying that the loss of their local newspaper would not have a major impact on their ability to get local information, yet remain the most relied-upon source for more topics than any other media source.  And for those online, the Internet is first or second for 15 of the 16 local topics examined.

Read the report by clicking here.

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