For Major Events, Consumers Trust Traditional Media Most

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October 02, 2006 (12:29 PM EDT)

By K.C. Jones , TechWeb Technology News

Consumers trust traditional media over blogs, podcasts and other Internet-only publications for information on major news events, like pandemics and natural disasters, according to the results of a recent survey.

Half of the respondents said that they would turn to network television for immediate news on such events, according to results of a nationwide survey released Monday by LexisNexis. Radio (42 percent), local newspapers (37 percent) and cable news and business networks (33 percent) ranked next for popularity.

About 25 percent would turn to print and broadcast media Internet sites, according to the survey. Only six percent of respondents said they would seek information from Internet user groups, blogs and chat rooms.

Results are based on responses from 1,167 American consumers and 333 business executives and managers, all between the ages of 25 and 64.

Some 52 percent of consumers said they believe they will continue to place the most trust and reliance in traditional news sources, but 35 percent expected to primarily trust and rely on emerging media (Internet pundits, citizen journalists and bloggers) in the future. Thirteen percent anticipated trusting and relying mostly on emerging media.

Blogs, user groups and chat rooms ranked second, behind traditional lifestyle magazines for entertainment, which ranked first among news topics of interest.