PEW SURVEY - A new nationwide survey finds that the coaxial and digital
revolutions and attendant changes in news audience behaviors have had
little impact on how much Americans know about national and
international affairs. On average, today's citizens are about as able to
name their leaders, and are about as aware of major news events, as was
the public nearly 20 years ago. The new survey includes nine questions
that are either identical or roughly comparable to questions asked in
the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 2007, somewhat fewer were able to
name their governor, the vice president, and the president of Russia,
but more respondents than in the earlier era gave correct answers to
questions pertaining to national politics.
In 1989, for example, 74% could come up with Dan Quayle's name when
asked who the vice president is. Today, somewhat fewer (69%) are able to
recall Dick Cheney. However, more Americans now know that the chief
justice of the Supreme Court is generally considered a conservative and
that Democrats control Congress than knew these things in 1989.
The survey provides further evidence that changing news formats are not
having a great deal of impact on how much the public knows about
national and international affairs. The polling does find the expected
correlation between how much citizens know and how avidly they watch,
read, or listen to news reports. The most knowledgeable third of the
public is four times more likely than the least knowledgeable third to
say they enjoy keeping up with the news "a lot."
Well-informed audiences come from cable (Daily Show/Colbert Report,
O'Reilly Factor), the internet (especially major newspaper websites),
broadcast TV (News Hour with Jim Lehrer) and radio (NPR, Rush Limbaugh's
program). The less informed audiences also frequent a mix of formats:
broadcast television (network morning news shows, local news), cable
(Fox News Channel), and the internet (online blogs where people discuss
news events).
More than nine-in-ten Americans (93%) could identify Arnold
Schwarzenegger . . . An equally large proportion of the public
identified Hillary Clinton as a U.S. senator, a former first lady, a
Democratic leader, or a candidate for president. Clear majorities can
also correctly identify Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (65%) and
Sen. Barack Obama (61%). House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is recognized by
about half of the public (49%).
http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=319
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revolutions and attendant changes in news audience behaviors have had
little impact on how much Americans know about national and
international affairs. On average, today's citizens are about as able to
name their leaders, and are about as aware of major news events, as was
the public nearly 20 years ago. The new survey includes nine questions
that are either identical or roughly comparable to questions asked in
the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 2007, somewhat fewer were able to
name their governor, the vice president, and the president of Russia,
but more respondents than in the earlier era gave correct answers to
questions pertaining to national politics.
In 1989, for example, 74% could come up with Dan Quayle's name when
asked who the vice president is. Today, somewhat fewer (69%) are able to
recall Dick Cheney. However, more Americans now know that the chief
justice of the Supreme Court is generally considered a conservative and
that Democrats control Congress than knew these things in 1989.
The survey provides further evidence that changing news formats are not
having a great deal of impact on how much the public knows about
national and international affairs. The polling does find the expected
correlation between how much citizens know and how avidly they watch,
read, or listen to news reports. The most knowledgeable third of the
public is four times more likely than the least knowledgeable third to
say they enjoy keeping up with the news "a lot."
Well-informed audiences come from cable (Daily Show/Colbert Report,
O'Reilly Factor), the internet (especially major newspaper websites),
broadcast TV (News Hour with Jim Lehrer) and radio (NPR, Rush Limbaugh's
program). The less informed audiences also frequent a mix of formats:
broadcast television (network morning news shows, local news), cable
(Fox News Channel), and the internet (online blogs where people discuss
news events).
More than nine-in-ten Americans (93%) could identify Arnold
Schwarzenegger . . . An equally large proportion of the public
identified Hillary Clinton as a U.S. senator, a former first lady, a
Democratic leader, or a candidate for president. Clear majorities can
also correctly identify Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (65%) and
Sen. Barack Obama (61%). House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is recognized by
about half of the public (49%).
http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=319
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