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The Shattered Mirror – The Audience Response

A Nation-Wide Study of Public Opinion towards News and Democracy conducted for the Public Policy Forum and The Canadian Journalism Foundation

January 2017

Background Methodology

2

This study is based on…

• Six focus group discussions conducted in Montreal (French), Toronto and Regina in August-September, 2016

• 2 groups were conducted in each market; one consisting of adult citizens and the other “involved Canadians”

• An on-line survey of 1.509 adult Canadians conducted between September 22 and October 2, 2016. The survey took approximately 16 minutes to complete.

News Consumption by Demographics

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27%

23%23%23%

28%38%

17%24%

31%46%

23%26%

31%25%

23%23%

54%

54%49%

59%56%

51%

54%55%

56%42%

55%51%

52%60%

56%58%

17%

17%26%

17%14%

10%

23%18%

12%11%

21%20%

14%14%

16%16%

3%

5%2%1%

2%1%

5%2%

1%1%

1%3%3%

2%3%

3%

1%

1%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Total

18-3435-4445-5455-64

65+

HS or lessColl

UnivPost-grad

ATQCON

M/SABBC

Very closely Somewhat closely Not very closely

Not at all DK/NR

Base: Total sample (n=1,509). Online. Fieldwork September 22nd – October 2nd, 2016.

Overall, would you say you follow the news very closely, somewhat closely, not very closely or not at all?

Importance of Different News

4Base: Total sample (n=1,509). Online. Fieldwork September 22nd – October 2nd, 2016.

An overwhelming majority consider current affairs, community and political news as important, whereas sports, entertainment and celebrity news is viewed as unimportant by a plurality to a majority.

How important is it to you personally to keep up-to-date on news about…?

50% 45% 38%

13% 7% 4%

41% 47%47%

29%33%

15%

7% 6%11%

29%42%

39%

2% 2% 4%

29% 18%42%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%Not important at all

Not very important

Somewhat important

Very important

News Sources Accessed Yesterday


Where did you get news yesterday?

62%

49% 50%

64%

75%81%

60% 61%64% 66%

62%

71%

61%

53%58% 59%

34%

23%29% 31%

45%50%

29%26%

41%

50%

34% 34% 34% 34% 33%38%

41%37% 35%

46% 44% 45%

33%

40%44%

54%

46%

36%42% 44% 43%

39%

63%70% 67% 67%

58%53% 54%

60%

72% 73%69%

60%66%

62%59%

63%

TV Print Radio Online

Number of News Source Types Accessed


Where did you get news yesterday? (Count of how many of the four sources were accessed by each respondent.)

9%

5%8%

12%9%

14%

6%6%

11%18%

11%8%10%8%8%9%

24%

19%18%

24%34%26%

18%22%

27%32%

29%24%

24%24%

22%20%

30%

28%28%

27%29%36%

28%28%

35%28%

24%32%29%

23%28%

34%

34%

43%41%

34%25%

23%

44%40%

25%22%

32%33%34%

41%39%

32%

3%

4%5%3%3%1%

5%

4%2%1%

4%3%3%3%3%

4%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Total

18-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

65+

HS or Less

Coll

Univ

Post-Grad

AT

QC

ON

M/S

AB

BC

All Four (TV, Print, Radio, Online) Three Two One None

News Subscriptions


Reflecting the decline in newspapers readership, one-fifth of Canadians report having a daily subscription. Half of those currently without a subscription used to subscribe.

Do you have a subscription to a daily newspaper? [IF “YES”] Do you have a print or digital subscription or both?

[IF “NO”] Did you ever have a subscription to a daily newspaper?

22%

77%

1%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Yes No DK/NR

49% 50%

1%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Yes No DK/NR

53%

34%

12%

1%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Print Both Digital DK/NR

Online News Consumption Behaviour


Did you get your online news…?

71%

54%

46%

12%

2%0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

From a TV,newspaper or

magazinewebsite

On a socialmedia site

From a digitalnews site like

Reddit,Huffington

Post, iPolitics

Via email froma friend, family

member orcolleague

DK/NR

Online News Consumption Behaviour


A desktop or laptop

computer

A mobile device like a cellphone or

tablet

Both

Did you get news on…?

When you got news online were you specifically looking for news or did you see it when you were doing something else on the internet?

Specifically looking for

news

Saw it doing something else on the

internet

DK/NR 2%

40%24%

36%

60%

38%

Online News Behaviour by Demographics


When you got news online were you specifically looking for news or did you see it when you were doing something else on the internet?

60%

45%52%

66%69%

80%

46%56%

65%77%

68%56%

60%47%

61%65%

39%

51%46%

33%31%

19%

51%43%

33%22%

31%42%

39%50%

35%33%

2%

3%2%1%0%2%

3%1%2%1%

1%2%1%

2%4%2%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Total

18-3435-4445-5455-64

65+

HS or lessColl

UnivPost-grad

ATQCON

M/SABBC

Were you specifically looking for news or

Did you see it when you were doing something else on the internet

DK/NR

Comparative Quality of the News


Is the news that is available on television, newspapers and magazines identical, similar or different than the news that is available online?

[IF “SIMILAR” OR “DIFFERENT”] Would you say the professionalism and objectivity of the people who

write and produce news stories for media like television, newspapers and magazines is significantly better, somewhat better, the same, somewhat worse

or significantly worse than the professionalism and objectivity of the people who write and produce news

stories exclusively for online?

13% 25% 44% 6%2%10%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Significantly better Somewhat betterThe same Somewhat worseSignificantly worse DK/NR

9%

67%

15%9%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Identical Similar Different DK/NR

Trust in News


Would you say you completely trust, mostly trust, partially trust or do not trust the news that is…?

2%

2…

2%

4%

11%

12%

12%

14%

11%

13%

15%

30%

55%

53%

58%

55%

53%

50%

47%

44%

29%

29%

25%

24%

27%

28%

27%

11%

3%

3%

2%

4%

7%

7%

9%

10%

2%

3%

3%

2%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Sent to you by a friend on social media

On social media

Received via email

From a digital news site like Reddit, Huffington Post, iPolitics

In newspapers and magazines

From a television, newspaper or magazine's website

On the radio

On television

Completely trust Mostly trust Partially trust Do not trust DK/NR

Attitudinal Statements


People have offered many views about news that appears online compared to news that appears in non-digital media like television and newspapers. For each of the following statements, please indicate whether you strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree?

10%

10%

11%

17%

17%

23%

26%

32%

33%

57%

28%

49%

32%

41%

49%

53%

54%

48%

50%

36%

43%

25%

34%

27%

22%

15%

11%

13%

9%

3%

10%

4%

18%

7%

3%

3%

3%

2%

1%

1%

9%

11%

5%

7%

9%

6%

7%

5%

7%

3%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

If more people are getting their news online today, traditional media likenewspapers and television have no one to blame but themselves

Most of the news that is available online comes from stories that wereoriginally generated by newspapers and television

Nothing would change for me if online news and social media replacednewspapers and local television

A day will come when we will get ALL of our news online

Online news tends to be less rooted in and covers less news about thelocal community

The main advantage of online news is that it tends to be free

Getting news from friends or through social media is alright but sometimesI want to get news from organizations and journalists that I know

You can get news much more quickly online than you can by reading thenewspaper or watching television

A lot of bogus and untrue news and information appears online

We get more news, more quickly and frequently today than we ever havein the past

Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree DK/NR

Role of News and Journalists in Democracy


What role, if any, do you think news plays in democracy? And, what role do you think journalists play in democracy?

70%60%

17%26%

5% 6%8% 8%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

News Journalists

DK/NR

No real role

Minor role

Major role

Would Democracy be Threatened if No News?


If there was no news from the sources below do you think democracy would be seriously threatened, somewhat threatened or not threatened at all?

8%

13%

18%

29%

33%

34%

38%

26%

33%

42%

46%

45%

44%

40%

54%

42%

27%

16%

13%

13%

13%

12%

11%

13%

9%

9%

9%

9%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Received via email

On social media

From digital news sites like Reddit, Huffington Post,iPolitics

On the radio

In newspapers and magazines

From television, newspaper or magazine websites

On television

Seriously threatened Somewhat threatenedNot threatened at all DK/NR

News Consumption by Civic Involvement


Overall, would you say you follow the news very closely, somewhat closely, not very closely or not at all?

27%

29%

22%

30%

25%

51%

38%

23%

15%

43%

22%

54%

53%

55%

55%

53%

37%

47%

57%

60%

48%

56%

17%

16%

19%

13%

19%

8%

14%

17%

20%

9%

19%

3%

2%

4%

2%

3%

4%

2%

2%

5%

1%

3%

0%

0%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Total

Donated to charity/NFP

Did not

Volunteered for charity/NFP

Did not

Always try to convince

Often

Sometimes

Never ry to convince

Ever campaigned

Never have

Very closely Somewhat closely Not very closely Not at all DK/NR

Daily Newspaper Subscription by Civic Involvement


Do you have a subscription to a daily newspaper?

22%

26%13%

28%18%

16%24%23%

17%

34%18%

77%

73%

87%

70%

82%

82%

75%

77%

82%

65%

81%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Total

Donated to charity/NFP

Did not

Volunteered for charity/NFP

Did not

Always try to convince

Often

Sometimes

Never ry to convince

Ever campaigned

Never have

Yes No

Awareness of Financial Difficulties Facing News Organizations


Have you heard, read or seen anything recently about news organizations facing business and financial difficulties?

To the best of your knowledge, what part of the news media is facing the biggest business and financial difficulties?

Which of these perspectives is closer to your own?

48%44%

8%

Yes

No

DK/NR

68% 10% 8% 3%2% 9%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Newspapers Magazines Television Radio Online news DK/NR

57% 28% 15%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

The decline of news gathering organizations is a serious problemThe decline of newspapers is not a serious problemDK/NR

Contributing Factors to Financial Difficulties


Of these five things, which ONE do you think is the single biggest contributor to the financial difficulties?

To the extent that news gathering organizations in Canada are facing business and financial difficulties, how much do you think that each of the following contributes to those difficulties?

31%

55%

57%

62%

63%

40%

28%

29%

26%

25%

13%

9%

6%

4%

5%

16%

7%

8%

9%

7%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

The cost of paying journalists is too expensivecompared to those who write and produce stories…

People do not want to pay to get their news online

Readers prefer to get their news from digitalplatforms

They are losing advertisers to digital platforms

The cost of printing newspapers is too expensivecompared to digital news

A major contributor

A minor contributor

Does not contribute in any significant way

DK/NRSINGLE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTOR

24%

19%

31%

15%

5%

Consequences of the Decline of News Organizations


Some people say the following consequences will result from the decline of Canadian news gathering organizations. How serious would you say each one is…?

57%

61%

62%

68%

68%

69%

69%

71%

73%

30%

31%

29%

20%

21%

20%

23%

20%

18%

13%

8%

9%

12%

11%

10%

8%

9%

9%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Foreign news organizations dominate CDN media landscape

There will be fewer journalists covering major stories

The number of professional CDN journalists will decrease

Powerful interests will be less accountable

No one will be around to keep politicians honest

The professionalism/objectivity of CDN journalism will go down

There will be less coverage of local news

Average citizens less well informed/able to protect rights

There will be less investigative reporting

Very serious Not very serious DK/NR

Public Policy Response to the Decline of News


Because of the business and financial difficulties facing the print news, do you think there is a role for government to step in and somehow help them out?

25%

54%

21%

Yes

No

D.K

Specific Public Policy Responses to the Decline in News


Please indicate whether you think government doing this would be a… idea?

5%

6%

8%

8%

7%

12%

12%

19%

14%

16%

17%

11%

13%

14%

22%

24%

26%

29%

26%

32%

33%

32%

25%

26%

22%

32%

31%

29%

29%

25%

27%

26%

29%

25%

24%

21%

14%

16%

13%

11%

10%

10%

9%

8%

19%

17%

22%

15%

8%

7%

8%

14%

6%

7%

6%

14%

13%

8%

10%

11%

14%

11%

7%

10%

10%

12%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Prohibit CBC text stories

Open cpyright laws

Remove foreign ownership

Independent granting body

Socan-like system

Grant charitable access

Fund centralized organizations

Extend CBC mandate and funding

Tax credit to eploy journalists

Allow advertisers to deduct costs

Cable-like fund supported by foreign platforms

Very Good Good 50/50 Bad Very Bad D.K.

Attitudinal Statements


People have expressed many different views on the idea of government stepping in to support journalists or news gathering organizations. Do you personally strongly agree, agree, disagree or strongly disagree with the following statements.

9%

10%

12%

23%

24%

40%

41%

35%

42%

44%

28%

28%

32%

22%

18%

7%

5%

10%

3%

3%

16%

16%

12%

11%

10%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

I could support government stepping in to support journalistsbut not corporate news gathering organizations

Without government support, there will be fewer journalists inCanada

If traditional news gathering organizations are in financialdifficulty, that is their problem; not mine

If government provided more support to journalists, I wouldworry that this might affect their impartiality and objectivity

If governments provided more support to news gatheringorganizations, I would worry that this might affect the way theycovered news about government

Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree DK/NR

The Conundrum

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Canadian feel they are inundated with news yet fewer than half have heard, read of seen anything about news organizations facing business and financial difficulties. Therefore the notion that “new is in peril” is counter-intuitive, runs contrary to the actual consumer experience and is not part of public consciousness.

The Story so Far

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• This inundation unquestionably relates to the changing ways Canadians are consuming the news.

• Additionally, a generational divide is driving this change.

• By and large, Canadians believe that the news that is available on non-digital media is “similar” and a plurality believe that the professionalism and objectivity of journalism is “the same” as is available on-line.

• The reason for this is perhaps both surprising and obvious – 7 out of 10 users of on-line media are getting their news from traditional media websites.

The Story so Far (cont.)

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• That said, consumers are also fully aware that “a lot of bogus and untrue news and information appears on-line”.

• In parallel, traditional sources of news continue to be accorded significantly higher levels of trust and authority than non-traditional, digital-only news.

• The pattern here suggests that it is the source and not the platform or channel that confers trust and authority.

• Add the other obvious advantage of speed and cost enjoyed by digital and it is small wonder that traditional news media is facing shrinking audiences.

The Big Picture

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• Canadians overwhelming value civic journalism and believe it plays a major role in democracy at both the individual – “news arms me with the information I need to protect my rights – and at the societal level – “news holds the powerful accountable”.

• Moreover, any threat to democracy is seen to be much greater if there were no news emanating from traditional media sources than digital-only news generators.

• Our research also indicates that there is a direct correlation between news consumption and democratic behaviours such as volunteering, donating and engaging with fellow citizens in civic discourse.

• However, it appears that civil involvement is driven much more by how close one follows the news and the volume of news consumed, than the media through which the news is obtained.

• Therefore, the threat to democracy – to the extent that it exists – comes not so much from a shift to digital news but from the prospect of less news being available.

As the Story Unfolds

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• When forced to consider the prospect of declining Canadian news organizations, consumers associated a number of negative consequences including less informed citizens, public accountability and political honesty.

• At bottom however, most believe that “day will come when we will get all of our news on-line” and for almost half of the population, when that day arrives, “nothing would change for me if on-line and digital news replaces newspapers and local television”.

• The picture that emerges therefore is a population that is both relatively unaware and indifferent to the plight of traditional media. At the same time, they associated negative consequences to their prospective demise. These conflicting impulses suggest that the public either has not internalized these consequences or simply rejects the premise that the decline in news gathering organizations would result in a decline in the availability of news.

Wither Goest

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• Public opinion does not provide a ready or easy answer to the conundrum posed at the start of this narrative.

• Canadians value news and see news as a pillar of our democracy. Its existence informs their views and influences the behaviour of both citizens and authority.

• They do not know much about any threat to news gathering organizations and their experience – largely of accessing these traditional sources, digitally – runs contrary to the notion that news is in peril.

• Basically, they reject the basic premise upon which a case could be made to support traditional news gatherers – namely that their demise would lead to the demise of news and the diminution of democracy.

Wither Goest (cont.)

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• Audiences seem to accept that content has value and that labour should be paid for their efforts, but because of the “free” culture of the internet – including digital news – just not by them.

• Canadians are also unenthusiastic about direct government or public policy support for the sector. Perversely, it is the very things that the public values most about news that seems at the foundation of this resistance.

• Pluralities are begrudgingly prepared to consider changes such as a regime where digital platforms that carry news would pay a royalty (as received by music publishers) or into a fund (like the cable industry) to compensate content owners, but even these are not policy changes that the public would likely champion.

• The industry clearly needs to educate audiences if it wishes to change this public opinion environment. But it also needs to explore new business models that would preserve those aspects of their operations that the public values most; that marshals the case that journalists can only work if there is revenue to pay them; and takes into account consumer preferences into these models.

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