Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
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Members of the news media — particularly those in the newsroom — feel caught in a pressure cycle. Working journalists say that business pressures undermine quality, which hurts credibility, which in turn causes lost audiences. And that cycles back to added business pressure. Although there are striking differences between news media executives and newsroom journalists […]
Journalists and news media executives across mediums and markets are united in what they think defines journalism, saying accuracy and balance in reporting represent the essence of journalism. And described in their own words, many in the profession agree that journalism is distinguished because of its contributions to the public and its impact on society. […]
Nearly all journalists and media executives say they are proud of what they do for a living, and they express general satisfaction with the values, leadership and ethics programs of their own news organizations. This may reflect some of the common motivations that draw people to journalism: writing, communicating and providing information to the public. […]
While the news media appreciate the utility of new technologies in their work, they are mixed in their views of the way journalism is practiced in these new mediums. The advent of online-only news sites and the proliferation of cable channels are given only lukewarm endorsements by the news media today, particularly among older members […]
The overall quality of news coverage — including issues ranging from decreased accuracy to increased sensationalism — remains the most important problem area in journalism today, according to the press. But its relative seriousness has plummeted compared to the loss of credibility with the public. When asked about the validity of various criticisms of the […]
Introduction and Summary Journalists increasingly agree with public criticism of their profession and the quality of their work. Overwhelmingly, news media professionals say the lines have blurred between commentary and reporting and between entertainment and news. A growing number of reporters, editors and news executives also say that news reports are full of factual errors […]
Introduction and Summary The Internet audience is not only growing, it is getting decidedly mainstream. Two years ago, when just 23% of Americans were going online, stories about technology were the top news draw. Today, with 41% of adults using the Internet, the weather is the most popular online news attraction. Increasingly people without college […]
The number of Americans who go online to get news has tripled in the last three years. In 1995, just 4% of Americans went online for news at least once a week. Now, anywhere from 15% to 26% go online for news on a weekly basis, according to recent Pew Research Center surveys. This range […]
During the 1998 campaign season, approximately 11 million Americans logged onto the Internet for news and information about the elections. This is an increase of four million people over 1996, bringing the total to 6% of the general population, up from 4% in 1996. These election news seekers are a particularly active group, using the […]