Lexis Nexis issued a press release this morning touting that traditional media was seen as more reliable than social media or as they put it:
Consumers are more likely turn to the mainstream media when they want information about urgent matters than to blogs, podcasts or Web-only publications
Not surprisingly the study showed that Americans turn to traditional news sources for breaking news.
Half of the respondents said they would turn to network TV for such news, while 42 percent chose radio, 37 percent would read daily local newspapers or watch cable news or business networks, and 25 percent said they would turn to Web sites of print publications and broadcast stations. But just 6 percent said they would turn to social media, including user groups, blogs and chat rooms.
This is not new. We see this every time there is a national disaster and everyone turns to CNN. They have the reporters and resources to best coverage these types of stories. The problem that CNN (and traditional media) has is how to capture eyeballs when there is no breaking news stories which is why so many news organizations struggle to be profitable.
One area of news that the social networks is making vast gains in, is entertainment related news.
About one-third of respondents said entertainment was among their favorite topics; that group most often said that traditional lifestyle media was the most trusted source of information, but blogs, user groups and chat rooms were the second-most-trusted sources–ahead of weekly magazines, monthly magazines and radio.
The cult of the celebrity is a huge market with multiple TV shows, cable channels, and magazines all dedicated to the latest celebrity gossip. Unlike breaking news stories, entertainment news does not require a lot of reporters and resources to cover the story, making it perfect for the social networks. Other types of news that fit this profile are sports, business, travel and automotive. Over the next 12-18 months I expect to see a significant increase in the number of people who look towards the social networks to be their trusted sources in these areas.
Connect With Me