Do You Trust Our Web Site? (Dallas Morning News Poll)

The Dallas Morning News - Online ^ | 7/19/2002 | Dallas News, AP Managing Editors, & The Ford Foundation

[I_Publius]

How credible are online news sources?

DallasNews.com, in conjunction with the Associated Press Managing Editors and the Ford Foundation, is conducting the largest online news survey ever undertaken on the credibility of online news sources. The results of this study will be used by journalists across the country to improve online news services.

We need your help.

Would you please take a few minutes to fill out and return this survey? The questions were prepared by Dr. Camille Kraeplin and Prof. Chris Peck at Southern Methodist University. APME represents the nation's 1,500 daily newspapers and the Ford Foundation is an internationally known non-profit, non-governmental foundation.

No one will contact you unless you give us your permission first. We will share the results of this survey after it has been completed. Thanks in advance for your assistance.

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1. People usually define news as up-to-date information about a range of topics. For instance, news could be the results of an election in your town, or scores from last night's football game, or information about a tornado in another state. In general, how important would you say keeping up with the news is to you?
	Very important Important Somewhat important Not important Don't know

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2. On the scale below, please tell us how important each category of news below is to you.
	Very important	Important	Somewhat important	Not important	Don't know
a. News about the place where you live
b. News from around the country
c. News from around the world
d. Entertainment and personalities
e. Business and careers
f. Sports news
g. Lifestyles, fashion & health
h. Relationships, family & friends

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3. When people believe that the information they get from a news source is thorough, balanced, accurate and fair, they say it is "credible." Which of the following news sources, including radio, television, a daily newspaper and the Internet, would you say provides information that best matches the descriptions below (choose one response per lettered item)?
	Radio	TV	Newspaper	Internet	Don't know
a. The most credible information
b. The least credible information
c. The most comprehensive information
d. The least comprehensive information
e. The most timely information
f. The least timely information

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4. About how often do you use each of the sources listed below to keep up with the news?
	Never or Seldom	Occasionally	Often	Don't know
a. Radio newscasts
b. TV newscasts
c. A daily newspaper, such as The Dallas Morning News
d. An alternative newspaper, such as the Dallas Observer
e. Internet news sites, such as DallasNews.com
f. Late-night TV shows, such as The Late Show with David Letterman

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5. Assume you have access to a radio, a television set, a daily newspaper and an Internet connection. Where would you go first to catch up on the day's news (choose one)?
	A radio newscast A TV newscast A daily newspaper An Internet news site Other Don't know

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6. Do you find an Internet news site more credible if it is associated with a TV or print news organization(s) that you are familiar with, such as The Dallas Morning News, The New York Times or a major TV network like ABC?
	Yes No Don't know

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7. How familiar with an Internet news site do you have to be to judge its content? In general, how many visits would it take to decide whether it was credible?
	1-5 visits 6-10 visits More than 10 visits Don't know

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8. Is there anything that will immediately lower your opinion of an Internet news site's credibility? What, if anything, might make you believe a news site was not credible?

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9. Using the scale below, tell us how much you care about or value each characteristic of news listed below when going online for information.
	Value highly	-	-	Don't value	Don't know
a. Up-to-date information
b. Story subjects that interest me
c. Accurate information
d. Information that is thorough
e. Information that is fair and balanced
f. Stories that are brief/short
g. Links to other stories
h. Audio elements
h. Video elements

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10. Has an Internet news source that you trusted later given you incorrect information, such as spelling someone's name wrong or listing the wrong date for a concert?
	Yes No Don't know

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11. Has any other news medium that you trusted, such as a newspaper or a TV news program, later given you incorrect information?
	Yes No Don't know

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12. Sometimes online journalists post information more quickly than other mediums. Some people say this is OK, that they want news quickly even if the online report lacks all the details or the complete story. Other people would rather wait for all the details. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
	Strongly agree	-	-	Strongly disagree	Don't know
a. I want news quickly online, even if the report lacks all the details.
b. I think having all the details is more important than posting information quickly online.

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13. People go to different Internet sites for different types of information, such as sports, weather or music news. Tell us which of the following Web sites you would go to first for details on the topics listed below - a local newspaper Web site like DallasNews.com, a local TV Web site like WFAA.com, a national TV Web site such as ABCNews.com, a national newspaper Web site such as USAToday.com, a newsmagazine site such as Time.com or a portal site such as Yahoo.com.
	Local news-paper site	Local TV site	Nat'l TV site	Nat'l news-paper site	News-magazine site	Portal site	Other
a. A major local weather story, like a tornado
b. A major local news story, like a fire
c. A major local sports story, like a Mavericks game
d. A national sports story, like the NBA playoffs
e. A major national story, like a presidential election
f. A major international story, like conflict in the Middle East
g. Tour information for your favorite band
h. A review of a new movie

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14. Would you say you follow sports news on a regular basis?
	Yes No (skip to question 16)

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15. Which Internet site or sites would you say you visit most often for sports news?

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16. Would you say you have a favorite Internet news site or sites?
	Yes No (skip to question 18)

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17. What are they?

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18. Think of the Internet news site or sites you visit the most. How often would you say you visit that news site or sites?
	Several times a day At least once a day Several times a week At least once a week Less than once a week Don't know

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19. At what time of day do you usually visit the Internet news site or sites you go to most often?
	Early morning (before 8 a.m.) Mid/late morning (between 8 a.m. and noon) Over the lunch hour Afternoon (between 2 and 5 p.m.) Evening (after 5 but before 10 p.m.) Late night (after 10 p.m.) Don't know

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20. What, if anything, might make you decide to shift away from an Internet news source and seek out news on TV?

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21. What, if anything, might make you decide to shift away from an Internet news source and seek out news in a newspaper?

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22. Have you ever cited an Internet news site as a reference in a school-related essay, paper or thesis?
	Yes No Don't know

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23. When reading online, do you believe you can usually distinguish between news and advertising content?
	Yes No Don't know

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24. Would the presence of any of the following types of advertisements make you feel an Internet news site was more or less credible, or would it make any difference?
	More credible	Less credible	No difference	Don't know
a. Pop-up ads
b. Ads with sound
c. Ads with video

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25. People pay to subscribe to media like cable TV, newspapers and magazines. Do you believe they should pay for news and information they get over the Internet, too? Please tell us how much you agree or disagree with the following statements.
	Strongly agree	-	-	Strongly disagree	Don't know
a. People should have to pay for news and information they get over the Internet.
b. People should not have to pay for news and information they get over the Internet.

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26. How willing would you be to pay for news and information you receive from the Internet?
	Willing to pay Somewhat willing to pay Not willing to pay Don't know

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27. How old are you?
	Younger than 15 15 to 18 19 to 25 26 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 or older

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28. Which gender are you?
	Male Female

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29. Are you currently in school (include full-time and part-time)?
	Yes (skip to question 31) No

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30. What is the highest level of school you have completed?
	High school Vocational school Some college College graduate Professional (law school, for instance) or graduate school Other

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31. Which type of school do you attend?
	Junior high or middle school High school Vocational school Community college Four-year college or university Graduate or professional school Other

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32. What is your marital status?
	Single Married Divorced/separated Other

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33. Which best describes your race or ethnic group?
	African-American/black Asian/Pacific Islander Latino/Hispanic White/Caucasian Other

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34. Do you pay your own taxes?
	Yes (Skip to question 36) No Don't know

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35. What is your family or guardian's approximate annual household income?
	Under $20,000 $20,000 to $34,999 $35,000 to $49,999 $50,000 to $74,999 $75,000 to $99,999 $100,000 or more Don’t know

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36. What is your approximate annual household income?
	Under $20,000 $20,000 to $34,999 $35,000 to $49,999 $50,000 to $74,999 $75,000 to $99,999 $100,000 or more Don’t know

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37. What U.S. state or country do you live in?
	or type in country:

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38. What is your e-mail address (this is not required)?

[I_Publius]

Very thorough, yet biased, poll.

One of the questions asked which sites I go to in order to get my news information and I put down the Drudge Report and Free Republic. I'm wondering if they will even consider my results.

I know that if more people list the same sites, then they almost have to consider the results; even if they don't want to.

(Darnit, I forgot to list NewsMax.)

[curmudgeonII]

Publish results when available, please.

[I_Publius]

I'll try to pay attention and see if they ever release the results.

Regards,

[Diddle E. Squat]

Okay, here were my responses:



8. Is there anything that will immediately lower your opinion of an Internet news site's credibility? What, if anything, might make you believe a news site was not credible?

Ommission of pertinent information.

Biased reporting, yellow journalism.

Repeating of simplistic political myths.

Presenting myths and opinions as facts.

Using innuendo and ignoring facts contrary to the reporter's slant.

Doing 1 story on Global Crossing and 100 on Enron and then claiming that you report all the news and don't slant.

Stories with leading conclusions/opinions/innuendo when the reporter clearly displays a lack of understanding of a complex topic, for example implying unethical conduct just because the reporter fails to understand accounting issues.

Character smearing, demonizing holders of opposing views.

Misrepresenting community support or the dynamics of an event. For example, when less than 2 dozens protesters at the Exxon shareholder meeting get far more print than the 100+ counterprotesters, or in some cases the reports didn't even mention that there were counterprotesters.

Ignoring stories, facts, and studies that run counter to the agenda the media outlet is pushing.

Ignoring the other side of an issue(for example supporters of school vouchers) because a reporter is afraid that he'll then lose his source(school official who might not tip the reporter to future announcements, etc.)

Using polls to create a story, rather than to reveal or reflect one.

Presenting only extremists as spokespersons for the viewpoint opposite of those of the reporter/media outlet.

Using small and/or unrepresentative sample sizes in a poll. Such as the poll showing Kirk leading Cornyn among self-identified conservatives 39%-30%! At least Clinton new how to lie believably, I guess Belo hasn't learned all the nuances.

Ignoring corruption.



For the question on what are my favorite internet news sites:

Free Republic.com - a huge clearinghouse of articles from a variety of perspectives(from every side of the political spectrum, regardless of the site itself being conservative), because I can get several different viewpoints, instead of limited to only what one media outlet tells me I must think.

Washington Times website - since the New York Times, et. al. only provide "Half The News That's Fit To Print", the Washington Times provides the other half that ya'll leave out, so I can decide for myself.

FoxNewsChannel website - although a bit cheesy, limited, and overhyped, at least they present both sides of issues.

Wall Street Journal website - again, presents the untold side of business stories.

Salon.com - gives me the liberal perspective, generally without hiding their liberalism.

For breaking news CNN, USA Today websites.

Occasionally for local DMN, Star-Telegram, Chronicle, etc. Rarely does it matter, because you all usually use the same single AP story. Sports is the worst about that.

Too bad the Dallas Morning News descended to the level of the rest of the newspapers. At one time you had absolutely one of the best newspaper in the country. Why are you guys afraid to present the opposing view without spin? If you are right on the issues, won't your positions stand on their own merit? What are ya'll afraid of? For example, there are plenty of scientists and studies that dispute Global Warming theory, yet they are almost never written about, and certainly never covered on TV or radio news. If these dissenters are wrong, won't the facts simply disprove them? So what's the danger in at least occassionally presenting their side of the story, beyond just a middle sentence in the Saturday edition once a year?




20. What, if anything, might make you decide to shift away from an Internet news source and seek out news on TV?

Visually important stories.

The only way to bring me back to TV news is to implement a few reforms:

Insist on accuracy instead of fitting the established theme.

Present ALL the facts, and let me decide how to interpret them.

Present a balance of viewpoints, and reduce the slant(not eliminate, just don't pretend to be unbiased). Would it kill ya'll to have an occasional conservative-leaning editor/writer/reporter? Employ the terms 'far-left' and 'left-wing' in the same manner/proportion that 'far-right', 'right-wing', and 'extremist' are flung out.


For local TV news:

Cut the hysteria and hyperbole, don't report like we are all stupid idiots dazzled by loud noises and bright colors.

Spend more time occassionaly bringing in experts from BOTH sides to explain complicated issues for big stories.




21. What, if anything, might make you decide to shift away from an Internet news source and seek out news in a newspaper?

See answers to #20.

But not if the newspaper continues to ignore the corruption associated with candidates their owners endorse.

Nor if that newspaper or its owner is giving envelopes of money to politicians(irregardless of what an appeals court in New Orleans ruled). Report the news instead of making it.

I once subscribed to the DMN and would love to do so again, but not until it respects the basic tenets of journalism. Report ALL of the news, don't try to influence it. 100 years ago Hearst sunk the Maine, nowadays ya'll try to sink Cheney.

Fox News Channel(cable) may be cheesy and in some ways tabloidish, but at least they present both sides, are accurate, and have guests who explain the details of issues, instead of simply implying and smearing.

You guys could learn a lot from Brit Hume.

[gcruse]

Very thorough, yet biased, poll.

Please point out the bias, I missed it.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Any way to get this article added to the Texas list?

I know many residents of DFW hold very strong opinions of the Dallas Morning News, and would love to give them some 'feedback'. Adding it to the Texas list would make it accessible to far more Texans over the weekend.

[I_Publius]

To someone, like myself, who has set up these type of questions for polls, you get an idea, rather quickly, of which direction they are wanting the poll to go. That's one of the reasons why polls are most often skewed and should not be readily believed.

[I_Publius]

I believe I included all of Texas when I was setting up the post, if not, maybe our Moderator can fix it.

[gcruse]

To someone, like myself, who has set up these type of questions for polls, you get an idea, rather quickly, of which direction they are wanting the poll to go. That's one of the reasons why polls are most often skewed and should not be readily believed.

You characterized this poll as being very biased.  It isn't obvious
to me, other than they ask a lot of newspaper questions, being
a newspaper, and all.  Is that bias?

[Diddle E. Squat]

I believe I included all of Texas when I was setting up the post, if not, maybe our Moderator can fix it.

Yeah, its not showing up in the "News / Activism US: Texas" list on my sidebar.

Thanks for responding, we'll see what happens.

[Admin Moderator]

I believe I corrected the problem by removing the blue bar across the top. Please post here and let me know if it's working now.

[Admin Moderator]

Texas. 3rd article.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Well the link in reply #12 works, but it still doesn't show in the 'News / Activism
US: Texas' sidebar that I subscribe to. Tried refreshing and even did a restart on my computer, but still didn't appear.

Now if I go into 'Topics', then scroll down to the 2nd page and hit 'US: Texas
tx', the article is there, but not the sidebar.

Thanks for your efforts on this matter.

[Admin Moderator]

I did what I could, maybe John can take a peek.