Majority of Canadians still rely on traditional outlets for news fix – study

TORONTO – A new poll conducted by Ipsos Reid concludes that despite digital alternatives, a majority of Canadian still prefer to “consult” the more traditional outlets to get their daily news fix. The study was commissioned on behalf of The Canadian Journalism Foundation. The report however does not attempt to measure what “consult” means when it comes to the actual time spent using traditional news outlets.

The list below ranks these sources from always daily consulted to least consulted in helping Canadians get their daily news fill.

In ranked order:

• 40% of Canadians say they always consult daily a regular newscast on a TV station for either evening or late broadcast for their daily news fill
• 23% of Canadians say they always consult daily a daily newspaper that they would normally pay for or subscribe to for their daily news fill
• 19% of Canadians say they always consult daily community newspapers and magazines for their daily news fill
• 17% of Canadians say they always consult daily a television station dedicated to only news or information 24 hours a day for their daily news fill
• 14% of Canadians say they always consult daily a free newspaper that people hand out or make available around town for their daily news fill
• 14% of Canadians say they always consult CBC Radio news broadcasts to get their daily news fill
• 13% of Canadians say they always consult daily newspaper websites for their daily news fill
• 13% of Canadians say they always consult daily social media sites like Facebook for their daily news fill
• 12% of Canadians say they always consult talk radio stations with regularly scheduled news broadcasts on the half hour
• 11% of Canadians say they always consult daily television stations dedicated to only business news and information for their daily news fill
• 10% of Canadians say they always consult daily online news sources like TV news websites for their daily news fill
• 7% of Canadians say they always consult daily news aggregators like 'Google News' for their daily news fill
• 7% of Canadians say they always consult 24-hour news-only radio stations
• 3% of Canadians say they always consult daily magazines, like Maclean's and Time, and their websites for their daily news fill
• 3% of Canadians say they always consult daily dedicated news services like Reuters or Bloomberg for their daily news fill
• 3% of Canadians say they always consult daily the popular micro-blogging medium, Twitter, making it the least consulted source amongst Canadians

The following table outlines in full detail how much Canadians 'consult' or 'don't consult' each available media source:

What Kind of News Seekers Are Canadians?

The poll also set out to examine Canadians and their desire to get the news. Respondents were asked to identify with one of four categories to determine which kind of "Newsie" they are:

1. I'm a 'hyper newsie' (10%) – I check the news all the time and depend on numerous sources to get it – ranging from newspapers and newspaper sites to news aggregators, Twitter.
2. I'm a 'moderate newsie' (29%) – I check the news a few times a day when I really need to or am interested and depend on a few sources to get it ranging from newspapers and newspaper sites to news aggregators, Twitter.
3. I'm a 'casual newsie' (42%) – I check on the news once and awhile in a given day from some regular sources and times that I pretty much stick to.
4. I'm really a 'non – newsie' (18%) – I don't seek out or care much about the news unless it's really something that's big or affects me directly.

In essence, the self identification grouped Canadians into two main news engaged/seeking categories: those who are highly engaged (39%) and those who are more remotely engaged (60%). Those who are highly engaged consider themselves to be either a 'hyper newsie' (10%) or 'moderate newsie' (29%), while those who are remotely engaged are 'casual newsies' (42%) or 'non-newsies' (18%).

• 'Hyper Newsies' are twice as likely to be male (14% vs. 7 % female) and tend to be from Western Canada (predominantly from Alberta – 18% and British Columbia – 15%) or Atlantic Canada (11%). Twice as many middle-aged Canadians (12%) and Canadian seniors (12%) consider themselves 'hyper-newsies' in comparison to younger Canadians (6%). They are most likely to be university graduates (12%), have high incomes ($100,000+ annually – 15%), and to be parents (12%).
• 'Moderate Newsies' are slightly more likely to be male (31% vs. 28% female), a senior over the age of 55 (32%), and from Alberta (36%) or Ontario (34%). 'Moderate Newsies' are also the most likely to be considered 'middle class' or 'middle income' (55%, annual income of between $40-$99,000) earners.
• 'Casual Newsies' are slightly more likely to be male (43% vs. 41% women) and be under the age of 55 (43% – 18-34 and 44% – 35-54). 'Casual Newsies' are most likely found in the Prairie Provinces (Saskatchewan and Manitoba – 55%) and Quebec (51%) and least likely to be from Alberta (30%). Interestingly, 'casual newsies' are equally, and most, likely to be Canadians earning the lowest annual income (44%, under $40,000 annually) and those who earn the highest incomes (44%, $100,000+ annually).
• 'Non-Newsies' are twice as likely to be female (24% vs. 12% male) and be under the age of 35 (27%). 'Non-Newsies' are most likely to be from Quebec (23%) or British Columbia (19%), revealing an interesting polarization within British Columbia as the province also had one of the highest proportions of 'Hyper Newsies'. They are also most likely to be lower middle income (21%, $40-$59,000 annually) earners.

More than eight in ten (84%) 'hyper newsies' consult a regular newscast on a TV station for either evening or late night broadcast, while three-quarters consult community newspapers and magazines (75%) and television stations dedicated to only news and information 24 hours a day (73%). Rounding out the top five most consulted outlets for 'hyper newsies' are newspaper websites (71%) and CBC Radio news broadcasts (70%). Less than two in ten (17%) 'hyper newsies' say they consult Twitter for their daily news fill, which is half as likely to be consulted as the next lowest choice, magazines like Maclean's and Time and their sites (35%).