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Senior Citizen Politics
Senior Citizens Turn to Local TV for Political News;
Most Americans Distrust Media
Harris Poll says for political news people turn to
local TV, then cable networks and newspapers
 March 11, 2008 The Harris Poll recently looked at
how Americans trust and use the media for political news and found older
people called Matures in Harris talk are much more likely than
younger generations to turn to their local television news, while the
Baby Boomers chose cable television news. But, among all age groups,
Harris found most Americans dont trust the media.
Harris says 83% of the Matures (those aged 63 and
older) turn to their local television news all the time or occasionally.
(See chart below news report.)
Baby Boomers (those aged 44-62) responded saying
74% turn to cable television news, 74% local newspapers and 73% network
television news. Baby Boomers are actually more likely than younger
generations to use websites for national newspapers (40%) and the cable
television networks (40%) all the time or occasionally.
Trust the Media?
Looking at the press in general, over half (54%) of
Americans say they tend not to trust them, with only 30 percent tending
to trust the press. Just under half (46%) of Americans say they do not
trust television, while one-third (36%) do trust them.
Somewhat surprisingly, Internet news and
information sites do slightly better as a plurality of Americans (41%)
trust them while just one-third (34%) tend not to trust them. And, radio
tends to do best among Americans as 44 percent say they tend to trust it
and one-third (32%) tend not to trust radio.
These are some of the results of a nationwide
Harris Poll of 2,302 U.S. adults surveyed online between January 15 and
22, 2008 by Harris Interactiveฎ.
Partisan Attitudes towards the Media
● Just over half of Democrats (51%) trust radio
compared to 45 percent of Republicans
● 45 percent of Democrats tend to trust Internet
news and information sites compared to 40 percent of Republicans.
The largest differences are for television and the
press.
● Half of Democrats (50%) say they tend to trust
television compared to three in ten (31%) Republicans.
● When it comes to the press in general, a
plurality of Democrats (43%) say they tend to trust them, but only one
in five (19%) of Republicans say the same.
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Here is a
story from the past... when no one gave McCain a chance. |
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Does Negative Poll on McCain Indicate Senior
Citizens Want a Democrat?
About half of adults say they won't vote for him, 59%
of seniors
By Tucker Sutherland, editor
June 27, 2007 A new Harris Poll indicates there
is little chance for Senator John McCain to become the U.S. President,
because 47 percent of U.S. adults say they would not vote for him. Who
is most likely to say they would not vote for him senior citizens, of
course, who seem to always be at the extreme end of polls.
Read more...
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Political News Sources
● 70% turn to their local television news all the
time or occasionally, followed
● 66% turn to cable television news stations like
CNN, MSNBC or FOX all the time or occasionally.
● 65% go to their local newspapers for news on
politics all the time or occasionally,
● 64 percent turn to the network television news.
While the media has spent a great deal of effort
enhancing their various websites, these are not where people are
turning.
News Media on the Web
● 32% say they never go to the websites for
national newspapers for political news
● 30% say they never go to the websites for the
cable news stations when looking for political news
Other Media
● 28% turn to national newspapers such as The New
York Times or USA Today for political news all the time or occasionally
while the same number say they turn to weekly news magazines such as
Newsweek or Time.
There are also some partisan differences in where
people go for political news, although not as many as one might think.
Republicans are more likely than Democrats to turn to Cable television
networks (76% versus 66%). Democrats, on the other hand, are more likely
to turn to national newspapers (33% versus 22%) and weekly news
magazines (37% versus 19%).
So What?
This political year is one of firsts first
female candidate and first African American candidate to have a chance
at the White House. Both of these have definitely increased interest in
political news. While the Internet is the source of many a political
story, it is not where Americans are going for their political news
at
least not yet. When we get to the 2012 presidential race, the shape of
the media will most likely be very, very different and the Internet may
have become the top source for political news, according to Harris.
>>
Read the complete report, more tables at Harris
Political News Sources
By Generation and Party
"Thinking now of when you
are looking for news on politics, whether about candidates or issues,
how often do you go to each of these news sources?"
Those saying "All the time/Occasionally"
|
|
Total |
Generation |
Political
Party |
|
Echo Boomers
(!8-31) |
Gen X (32-43) |
Baby Boomers
(44-62) |
Matures
(63+) |
Rep. |
Dem. |
Ind. |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Local television news |
70 |
50 |
69 |
79 |
83 |
74 |
74 |
70 |
|
Cable TV news stations like CNN, MSNBC or FOX |
66 |
53 |
64 |
74 |
71 |
76 |
66 |
67 |
|
Local newspapers |
65 |
49 |
60 |
74 |
78 |
68 |
69 |
67 |
|
Network television news |
64 |
46 |
58 |
73 |
75 |
65 |
67 |
67 |
|
Websites for national newspapers |
36 |
36 |
36 |
40 |
30 |
32 |
44 |
38 |
|
Websites for the cable news stations |
35 |
30 |
38 |
40 |
32 |
38 |
38 |
38 |
|
National newspapers like the NY Times or USA Today |
28 |
29 |
28 |
29 |
26 |
22 |
33 |
33 |
|
Weekly news magazines, such as Newsweek or Time |
28 |
26 |
24 |
32 |
27 |
19 |
37 |
30 |
|
Specific publications geared towards politics |
22 |
20 |
23 |
21 |
24 |
23 |
26 |
21 |
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