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Essay
Public Attitudes
For the first time in years, there are some signs of concern
in public perceptions of local TV news relative to other media,
a chink in a historic strength.
In the past, local TV news has been considered more credible
than network news. In 2004 the two were even. On the positive
side, viewers of local TV news see less bias in the news media
over all than do other news consumers.
The percentage of Americans giving local TV news the highest
grade for believability declined in 2004 to 23%, down from
26% in 2002, according to polling by the Pew Research Center.
The percentage giving local TV news the second-best ranking
also slipped, from 39% to 36%, while the percentages giving
it one of the two lowest rankings grew.
In 1985, local TV and network news were seen as equally credible.
In 1998, when the question was asked again, local TV news
had a slim edge of 4 to 6 points, which lasted through 2002.
Now, as of 2004, the gap has been erased, with local news
believability declining to the level of network news, and
network news holding steady at 22% on average.
In January 2004, when asked if media coverage was biased
in favor of Democrats or Republicans, people learning about
the election from local TV news were least likely to say it
was biased. Only 29% of those viewers saw bias, compared to
35% of network TV news viewers, 42% of newspaper readers,
and 52% of Fox News viewers. And 43% of local TV news viewers
said there was no bias at all in election coverage. Network
news viewers were the most likely to see no bias (45%), while
only 34% of newspaper readers and 29% of people following
the election on Fox News saw no bias in coverage.
Local TV viewers may see less bias, but the polling data
also raise some questions about the information they are getting
on local news. When asked two basic questions about the candidates
for the Democratic presidential nomination in January 2004,
local TV news viewers were less likely than average to answer
correctly. Indeed, they were tied with morning news viewers
in getting the answers wrong.
Knowledge of Presidential Candidates
Percentage of media users able to answer
two questions about Democratic presidential candidates
| Source of Election News |
2 Correct Answers
|
1 Correct Answer
|
No Correct Answers
|
| Daily Newspaper |
30%
|
23%
|
47%
|
| Cable News Channels |
24%
|
25%
|
51%
|
| Network Evening News |
20%
|
22%
|
58%
|
| Local TV News |
14%
|
19%
|
67%
|
Such data may reflect on the audiences as well as on the
news. Yet the success of a news medium at conveying certain
basic information seems essential to the mission. Further
study on how well different news media do in getting information
across would be useful.
Yet for the first time in awhile, the public polling data
suggest more reason for local news broadcasters to worry,
and less reason for them to be sanguine.
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