Internet Second Only to TV for Where Californians Get Most of Their Information About Politics

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Newspapers languishing and television declining as a source of news, while the internet is soaring and radio is creeping up

By Frank D. Russo

The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) poll released on Friday is crammed full of information about Californians' attitudes about elected leaders, state issues such as health care, national issues such as Iraq, and current choices of California voters for President.

So full, that little notice has been given to questions at the end of the survey that show that the internet is now second only to television as to where Californians get most of their information about politics, ahead of newspapers, radio, and other media. This is going to have profound implications for the 2008 elections and public policy, both locally and nationally. And there's a lot more here about how Californians get their news and how they feel about their choices for information.

When asked: "Where do you get most of your information about what’s going on in politics today—from [rotate] television, newspapers, radio, the Internet, magazines, or talking to other people?", 47% responded television, 17% the internet, 15% newspapers, and 12% radio.

Since September 1999, when the PPIC started polling on this question, the internet as the primary source of news has more than tripled (5% to 17%) while the percentage saying they get most of their information from newspapers has dropped sharply (30% to 15%). Radio has increased from 12% in 1999 to it's current 15% share.

And the trend of local television news viewership in California shows a decline as well. Only 46% watch daily compared with 59% in October of 1998. This is especially true for the younger set at 38% in both the age 18 to 34 and 35 to 54--compared with 65% of those age 55 and above.

Local newspapers are suffering a 14% drop between October of 1998 when 45% said they read daily and now when 31% say that they do. Of the 15% who responded that they received most of their information about politics from newspapers, 13% read the newspaper online and 87% read the paper version. 43% of those who get most of their information from the internet mostly read the websites of newspapers, while most, 55% mostly read other types of sites.