Two-Thirds of Americans Believe Traditional Journalism is 'Out of Touch'

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According to a new poll, more than two-thirds of the U.S. believe traditional journalism is out of touch with what Americans want from their news. The survey also showed more people are turning to the Web to get their daily news fix.

Digital Journal – America is the land of the free and the home of the journalistically dissatisfied. According to a We Media/Zogby interactive poll, 67 per cent of Americans believe traditional journalism is out of touch with what Americans care about.

While most Americans (70 per cent) believe journalism is important to the quality of life in their communities, 64 per cent are dissatisfied with the quality of journalism they receive.

The survey found that the Internet outweighs TV, radio and newspapers as the most frequently used and important source for news and information. Websites were also cited as being more trustworthy than traditional sources by 32 per cent of respondents.

“For the second year in a row we have documented a crisis in American journalism that is far more serious than the industry’s business challenges – or maybe a consequence of them,” said Andrew Nachison, co-founder of iFOCOS, in a news release." “Americans recognize the value of journalism for their communities, and they are unsatisfied with what they see. While the U.S. news industry sheds expenses and frets about its future, Americans are dismayed by its present."

The survey also showed more people moving away from traditional news sources like TV and radio, searching online for information instead. The We Media/Zogby Interactive poll shows this trend happening most with "digital natives," or people under 30.

What may come as a surprise to many is almost half of the survey's respondents said their primary source of news comes from the Internet. That is up 40 per cent over numbers this time last year.

"We see clearly the generational shift of digital natives from traditional to online news – so the challenge for traditional news companies is complex," said Nachison. "They need to invest in new products and services – and they have. But they’ve also got to invest in quality, influence and impact. They need to invest in journalism that makes a difference in people’s lives. That’s a moral and leadership challenge – and a business opportunity for whoever can meet it.”

More than half (55 per cent) of younger adults (18 to 29 years old) turn to the Web for news, compared to 35 per cent of people 65 and older. Adults aged 65 and older are the only age group who prefer a source other than the Internet as their primary source for news.

The Web is largely being regarded as an important source for today's news, as 86 per cent of Americans said it's an important source of news, while 56 per cent of respondents said it was very important. Only 38 per cent of respondents said they consider blogs to be an important source of news.

The survey was conducted across the U.S. from Feb. 20 to 21, contacting 1,979 adults. It carries a margin of error of +/- 2.2 percentage points

Other findings from the survey:
- Although the vast majority of Americans are dissatisfied with the quality of journalism (64 per cent), overall satisfaction with journalism has increased to 35 per cent in this survey from 27 per cent who said the same in 2007.

- Both traditional and new media are viewed as important for the future of journalism – 87 per cent believe professional journalism has a vital role to play in journalism’s future, although citizen journalism (77 per cent) and blogging (59 per cent) are also seen as significant by most Americans.

- Very few Americans (1 per cent) consider blogs their most trusted source of news, or their primary source of news (1 per cent).

- Three in four (75 per cent) respondents believe the Internet has had a positive impact on the overall quality of journalism.

- 69 per cent believe media companies are becoming too large and powerful to allow for competition, while 17 per cent believe they are the right size to adequately compete.

- Republicans (79 per cent) and political independents (75 per cent) are most likely to feel disenchanted with conventional journalism, but the online survey found 50 per cent of Democrats also expressed similar concerns. Those who identify themselves as “very conservative” were among the most dissatisfied -- 89 per cent of that demographic viewed traditional journalism as out of touch.