Introduction and Summary

Television news is in trouble with the American public. Fewer adults are regularly watching it these days. Viewership of nightly network news is particularly hard hit. Fewer than half the public (42%) now says it regularly watches one of the three nightly network broadcasts — down from 48% in 1995 and 60% in 1993.

Opinion of the network news has also eroded. An independent nationwide survey conducted as part of this study found that believability ratings for two of the four national news networks declined significantly since 1993. Two of the three broadcast news anchors also received lower credibility ratings than they did in earlier Center surveys.

Public evaluations of the credibility of print news did not decline over this period, but as in the past, most print media were rated as less believable than television news. The poll found no further decline in newspaper readership this year. Half those polled (50%) said they had read a newspaper the day prior to the survey interview. This is comparable to a Center measurement taken in June of last year (52%), and higher than observed in March 1995 (45%), at the high point of interest in the televised proceedings of the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

In contrast, the percentage saying they watched TV news “yesterday” slipped to 59% in the current survey. This percentage had been as high as 74% as recently as 1994. While the decline in television news viewing is most pronounced for the nightly network broadcasts, it was found for all TV news programming covered in the poll. Regular viewing of local TV news is still considerably higher (65%) than watching nightly network news, but lower than observed in 1995 (72%). Similarly, reports of regularly watching TV news magazines declined from 43% in 1994 to 36% in the current poll. Watching CNN regularly was also reported less often (26%) than in 1995 (30%) and 1994 (33%).

The percentage who listen to radio news is largely unchanged in the current survey, as it has been over the past five years. Four in ten (44%) said they listened to news on the radio “yesterday” in the current survey, compared to 42% in 1995. The survey found 13% of respondents reporting they were regular National Public Radio (NPR) listeners, which is not significantly different than the 15% recorded in last year’s study.

The overall percentage of Americans reading the papers, watching TV news or listening to news on the radio has changed very little in recent years. However, the number of news outlets regularly used by the public appears to be shrinking, more for television news than radio and newspapers. For example, in 1994 64% of the public got their news “yesterday” from two or more of the principal outlets — from television, a newspaper or from the radio. That percentage fell to 52% in 1995 and 1996. The percentage not using any of the three basic media “yesterday” remains twice as high as in 1994.

 

Trend in Use ofMultiple News Outlets199419951996%%%News Use Yesterday:Three sources:Radio, TV and Newspaper221616Two sources:423636Radio and TV131311TV and Newspaper231617Radio and Newspaper678One source:283233TV only151615Paper only759Radio only6119No news yesterday:81615100100100(N=3667)(N=1817) (N=1751)

 

Considering only TV outlets, the same pattern is apparent. The percentage of Americans who say they regularly watch two or more of the basic TV outlets (network, local and CNN) has declined from 62% in 1993 to 51% in 1995 to 44% in the current poll. The percentage not using any TV outlet regularly rose from 14% to 25% over this period. The only users category to increase since 1993 is the audience which watches only local TV news regularly.

 

Multiple TV News Outlets199319951996%%%Regular Viewers:All Three:Network, Local and CNN231613Two TV News Sources:393531Network and Local302623Network and CNN212Local and CNN786One TV News Source:243031Network only444Local only172223CNN only344No Regular TV Source:141925100100100

While it is beyond the scope of this study to fully address the question of why television news is being watched less often, there are at least three dimensions to this trend. First, younger people are turning away from TV news in greater numbers than older people. Secondly, the rate of TV news audience falloff among Americans who use computers appears greater than among those who do not use a PC. Thirdly, lack of time is the top reason given for watching less television news, and it is offered much more often by young people than by older people.

A dwindling television news audience is apparent in nearly all demographic groups, but is particularly evident among younger people. Network, local and CNN regular audiences slipped the most among people under 30 years of age, followed by those 30-49 years of age. Regular viewing of all three types of news programs was off only slightly, or not at all, among people 50 years of age and older.

 

Trend in Regular ViewershipBy AgeNetwork Nightly NewsMarch 1995April 1996Difference%%AGE:18-293622-1430-494235-750+62620Local TV NewsMarch 1995April 1996Difference%%AGE:18-296451-1330-497263-950+7776-1Cable News Network (CNN)March 1995April 1996Difference%%AGE:18-292519-630-493024-650+3233+1

[For more information on computer use, see “Technology in the American Household: Americans Going Online…Explosive Growth, Uncertain Destinations.” Times Mirror Center for The People & The Press. October 16, 1995. Washington, DC]

Trend in News ConsumptionAmong Computer UsersWatched TV News YesterdayJune 1995April 1996Difference%%Computer User6356-7Also goes on-line6354-9Non-User6663-3Read Newspaper YesterdayJune 1995April 1996Difference%%Computer User5549-6Also goes on-line6248-14Non-User4851+3Listen To Radio YesterdayJune 1995April 1996Difference%%Computer User4950+1Also goes on-line5152+1Non-User36360When respondents who acknowledge that they are watching less TV news are asked why, "lack of time" is the reason given most often by far. Younger people gave this excuse much more often than older people.Reasons People Give For Watching:Network Nightly News Less Often----------Age----------Total18-2930-4950+%%%%No time/Too busy48645021Don't have TV/Notreadily available15121810Critical of coverage1421431No interest in it1291215Get the same info fromother forms of media1051015Other52410Don't know/No answer51234Local TV News Less Often----------Age----------Total18-2930-4950+%%%%No time/Too busy50555536Critical of coverage1591517No interest in it14121317Don't have TV/Not readily available12131014Get the same info fromother forms of media82913Other62510Don't know/No answer3811

While young people blame lack of time for less news viewing, they spend as much time as older people engaging in a variety of other media activities. Center surveys have shown that young people devote about as much time as older consumers to watching entertainment TV and reading books and magazines. They spend more time using computers, but decidedly less time following the news on TV or in the newspapers.

 

TIME DEVOTED TO MEDIA USE"YESTERDAY"*By Age18-29 30-49 50-64 65+%%%%DAILY NEWS USE:Read Newspaper 30 Min. or More17334757Watch TV News 1 Hour or More28304460Listen to Radio News 15 Min. or More28373134OTHER MEDIA:Entertainment TV viewing 3 Hrs. or More27222836Read Book 15 Min. or More27292931Read Magazine 15 Min. or More25263031Use A Home PC 3+ Days A Week54464138* All figures are from February 1994 except for computer usewhich comes from June 1995.