Study: Radio, Internet News Sources For College Educated

A new report shows that a third of Americans use admittedly less reliable news sources, such as social media and peers, while two-thirds consider their sources to be trustworthy, consisting of printed news and broadcast television.

According to Courthouse News, the Rand Corporation report comes from a survey of 2,543 Americans in order to determine what makes people choose one news source over another, factoring in reliability, demographics and partisanship. It also delves into how often people actively seek out viewpoints that differ from their own in the news.

The pollsters identified the four most common combinations of news sources Americans consume daily: print publications and broadcast television, online, radio and social media and peers.

“A lack of time and competing demands may explain why a third of Americans turn to news sources they deem less reliable, which suggests improving the quality of news content or teaching people how to ‘better consume’ news isn’t enough to address Truth Decay,” said Jennifer Kavanagh, senior political scientist and co-author of the report.

“Media companies and other news providers may need to provide more easily accessible and digestible ways for individuals to consume high quality investigative journalism,” she added.

Truth decay has been increasing in presence for the past two decades, resulting in what Kavanagh describes as a blurred line between fact and opinion. Statistics show that 44% of respondents believe news is just as reliable now as it’s been in the past, 41% said it’s become less reliable, and 15% said it’s more reliable. It is noteworthy that the third group consisted of mostly women, racial and ethnic minorities and individuals without college degrees.

Furthermore, respondents who said they read print news and watch broadcast platforms were more likely to deem them trustworthy and reliable. On the other hand, respondents who said they rely on social media and their peers for the news admit they don’t see these as reliable sources, yet continue to obtain their news from them.

Those who were younger were found to be more likely to obtain their news from social media and peers, while older individuals were more likely to prefer print publications and broadcast television as their main news source.

Individuals with a college education were found less likely to use social media and peers for news, and instead turned to the radio or online sources. Additionally, individuals without a college education were more likely to report “never or almost never” when asked if they ever seek out news with opposing viewpoints.