James Rainey writes at The Los Angeles Times:
Facebook and Internet portals such as Google and Yahoo increasingly provide Americans their gateway for news, but the bulk of voters who catch up on current events daily turn to traditional sources, particularly local television stations, according to a nationwide poll.
Traditional news sources on TV and in print also remain more trusted than the burgeoning alternative ecosystem of blogs, late-night comedy shows and social media outlets, the USC Annenberg/Los Angeles Times Poll on Politics and the Press found.
The survey confirms a few widely suspected divides:Democrats and the young tend to be more trusting of a variety of media, while Republicans and older news consumers are more skeptical. Despite mixed feelings, though, the voters surveyed said by more than 2 to 1 that they got useful and important information from the media.
Full Text of Poll Questions and MethodologyThe study found only one source that most registered voters checked daily: local TV news. Almost one in five of those 18-29 got news at least daily from Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert, but rated them lower in trustworthiness.
The results help explain an enduring phenomenon, even of this Digital Age presidential race: the candidates' routine willingness to grant interviews to regional television outlets.President Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney spend good chunks of many days connecting with local TV news stations in person or by satellite.
On Thursday, for example, Romney and running mate Paul D. Ryan taped a total of six local TV segments between them — hitting key markets in the battleground states of Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio, Colorado and Nevada.
