How People Get News and Information - Media Ownership Study 1

Possible Nielsen Survey Questions (February 26, 2007)
Thank you for participating in this survey about how you obtain news and current affairs
programming. I will be asking you questions on your sources of information for national
news, local news, and current affairs.
Before we begin we want to make a clear distinction between broadcast TV stations and
cable or satellite TV stations. Broadcast TV stations are the stations that you could
receive over the air if you had good reception. They are often the traditional stations like
ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS etc. These are often retransmitted by the cable company, but are
nonetheless Broadcast Stations. Alternatively there are cable and satellite stations such
as CNN, HBO, Disney Channel, Discovery Channel, Cartoon Network, etc. that you can
only receive if you subscribe to either cable or satellite service.

INITIAL DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTION TO CHECK SAMPLING
1. What year and month were you born?
2. Male or Female?

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BROADCAST TV:
3. Remembering that in some cases you may only use BROADCAST
TELEVISION in short sittings, but perhaps several times a day, in an average
week, how much time do you spend watching BROADCAST TELEVISION?
(If they state they don’t watch Broadcast TV, skip to Cable/Satellite TV.) (If they
state they don’t watch any TV, skip to Internet)

4. What type of information do you get from BROADCAST TELEVISION
stations (such as ABC or FOX)? (choose all that apply)
a. National or International News
b. Local News and Local Current Affairs
c. Emergencies
d. Weather and Traffic
e. Local Cultural Events
f. Sports
g. Help Wanted or Economic Opportunities
h. Opinion or Commentary on News and Current Affairs

5. Remembering that in some cases you may only use BROADCAST
TELEVISION in short sittings, but perhaps several times a day, in an average
week, how much time do you spend watching BROADCAST TELEVISION to
get information on news and current affairs?

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NON-BROADCASTING NETWORKS: CABLE/SATELLITE TV
6. Remembering that in some cases you may only use Cable or Satellite TV in
short sittings, but perhaps several times a day, in an average week, how much
time do you spend watching Cable or Satellite TV? (If they state they don’t
watch Cable or Satellite TV, skip to Internet)

7. What type of information do you get from Cable channels (such as ESPN or
CNN)? (choose all that apply)
a. National or International News
b. Local News and Local Current Affairs
c. Emergencies
d. Weather and Traffic
e. Local Cultural Events
f. Sports
g. Help Wanted or Economic Opportunities
h. Opinion or Commentary on News and Current Affairs

8. Remembering that in some cases you may only use Cable or Satellite TV in
short sittings, but perhaps several times a day, in an average week, how much
time do you spend watching Cable or Satellite TV to get information on news
and current affairs?

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INTERNET:
9. Remembering that in some cases you may only use the INTERNET in short
sittings, but perhaps several times a day, in an average week, how much time do
you spend using the INTERNET? (If they state they don’t use the Internet, ASK:
Do you have access to the Internet? then skip to Local Newspapers.)
10. What type of information do you get from the INTERNET? (choose all that
apply)
a. National or International News
b. Local News and Local Current Affairs
c. Emergencies
d. Weather and Traffic
e. Local Cultural Events
f. Sports
g. Help Wanted or Economic Opportunities
h. Opinion or Commentary on News and Current Affairs
11. Which internet site do you use most often to get news and current affairs
information? _____________________ (If none, skip to 10)
a. Is it specific to the internet (i.e. is an original source like blogs or ?) or
b. Is it presenting information from other media like CNN, NYT, WSJ, ABC
news, local news station, etc?
12. Which internet site do you use the second most often to get news and current
affairs information? _____________________
a. Is it specific to the internet (i.e. is an original source) or
b. Is it presenting information from other media like CNN, NYT, WSJ, ABC
news, local news station, etc?
13. Do you have internet access at home, work, or both? (If answer work only, skip
the next question)
14. Do you receive the internet at home via cable, DSL, or dial-up?
15. Remembering that in some cases you may only use the INTERNET in short
sittings, but perhaps several times a day, in an average week, how much time do
you spend using the INTERNET to get information on news and current
affairs?

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DAILY LOCAL NEWSPAPER
16. Remembering that in some cases you may only read the DAILY LOCAL
NEWSPAPER in short sittings, but perhaps several times a day, in an average
week, how much time do you spend reading the LOCAL NEWSPAPER? (If
they state they don’t read a local newspaper, skip to national newspapers.)

17. What type of information do you get from DAILY LOCAL NEWSPAPERS?
(choose all that apply)
a. National or International News
b. Local News and Local Current Affairs
c. Emergencies
d. Weather and Traffic
e. Local Cultural Events
f. Sports
g. Help Wanted or Economic Opportunities
h. Opinion or Commentary on News and Current Affairs

18. Remembering that in some cases you may only read the DAILY LOCAL
NEWSPAPER in short sittings, but perhaps several times a day, in an average
week, how much time do you spend reading the LOCAL NEWSPAPER to get
information on news and current affairs?

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WEEKLY LOCAL NEWSPAPER
19. Remembering that in some cases you may only read the WEEKLY LOCAL
NEWSPAPER in short sittings, but perhaps several times a day, in an average
week, how much time do you spend reading WEEKLY LOCAL
NEWSPAPERS? (If they state they don’t read a local newspaper, skip to national
newspapers.)

20. What type of information do you get from WEEKLY LOCAL NEWSPAPERS?
(choose all that apply)
a. National or International News
b. Local News and Local Current Affairs
c. Emergencies
d. Weather and Traffic
e. Local Cultural Events
f. Sports
g. Help Wanted or Economic Opportunities
h. Opinion or Commentary on News and Current Affairs

21. Remembering that in some cases you may only read the WEEKLY LOCAL
NEWSPAPER in short sittings, but perhaps several times a day, in an average
week, how much time do you spend reading WEEKLY LOCAL
NEWSPAPERS to get information on news and current affairs?

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DAILY NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS
22. Remembering that in some cases you may only read the NATIONAL
NEWSPAPER in short sittings, but perhaps several times a day, in an average
week, how much time do you spend reading NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS? (If
they state they don’t read a national newspaper, skip to public radio.)

23. What type of information do you get from NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS like the
New York Times, USA today, the Wall Street Journal? (choose all that apply)
a. National or International News
b. Help Wanted or Economic Opportunities
c. Sports
d. Opinion or Commentary on News and Current Affairs

24. Remembering that in some cases you may only read the NATIONAL
NEWSPAPER in short sittings, but perhaps several times a day, in an average
week, how much time do you spend reading NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS to get
information on news and current affairs?

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PUBLIC RADIO
25. Remembering that in some cases you may only listen to PUBLIC RADIO in
short sittings, but perhaps several times a day, in an average week, how much
time do you spend listening to PUBLIC RADIO? (If they state they don’t listen
to public radio, skip to commercial radio)

26. What type of information do you get from Public Radio, like NPR? (choose all
that apply)
a. National or International News
b. Local News and Local Current Affairs
c. Emergencies
d. Weather and Traffic
e. Local Cultural Events
f. Sports
g. Help Wanted or Economic Opportunities
h. Opinion or Commentary on News and Current Affairs

27. Remembering that in some cases you may only listen to PUBLIC RADIO in
short sittings, but perhaps several times a day, in an average week, how much
time do you spend listening to PUBLIC RADIO to get information on news
and current affairs?

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COMMERCIAL AND SATELLITE RADIO
28. Remembering that in some cases you may only listen to COMMERCIAL/
SATELLITE RADIO in short sittings, but perhaps several times a day, in an
average week, how much time do you spend listening to COMMERCIAL/
SATELLITE RADIO? (If they state they don’t listen to commercial or satellite
radio, skip to Cable Packages.)

29. What type of information do you get from COMMERCIAL or SATELLITE
RADIO? (choose all that apply)
a. National or International News
b. Local News and Local Current Affairs
c. Emergencies
d. Weather and Traffic
e. Local Cultural Events
f. Sports
g. Help Wanted or Economic Opportunities
h. Opinion or Commentary on News and Current Affairs

30. Remembering that in some cases you may only listen to COMMERCIAL/
SATELLITE RADIO in short sittings, but perhaps several times a day, in an
average week, how much time do you spend listening to COMMERCIAL/
SATELLITE RADIO to get information on news and current affairs?

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CABLE PACKAGES
31. Do you currently subscribe to Cable or Satellite? (If no, skip to 45.)

32. Do you subscribe to
a. the smallest plan which mainly rebroadcasts the broadcast stations like (ABC,
NBC, CBS, PBS)
(If answer a. skip to 34)
b. a larger package which includes cable channels like CNN, ESPN, Disney
c. a premium package which includes channels like HBO, etc?

33. If answer b) or c) ask:
a. If you would be reimbursed, are there any channels you would be interested in
cutting out from your service?
b. If yes, how many?
c. If yes, please name.

34. If answer a) or b) ask:
a. Are there any channels that you would like to receive, but do not currently
subscribe to because you would have to subscribe to a larger package of
channels?
b. If yes, please name.

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OVERVIEW OF PATTERNS
35. What is your most important source of BREAKING NEWS?
36. What is your second most important source of BREAKING NEWS?
37. What source do you use the most when you want to find out more in depth
information on specific news and current affairs topics?
38. What source do you use the second most often when you want to find out more in
depth information on specific news and current affairs topics?
39. Overall, what is your single most important source of LOCAL news and current
affairs?
40. What is your second most important source of LOCAL news and current affairs?
41. Overall, what is your single most important source of NATIONAL news and
current affairs?
42. What is your second most important source of NATIONAL news and current
affairs?
ADDITIONAL DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
43. Ethnic background? (let them suggest the category)
Should include ½ whatever, or other in our list to check
44. Do you live in
a. a city,
b. a suburb,
c. a town or
d. a rural area?
45. What is your annual household income?
Below 20,000
20,000-40,000
40,000-60,000
60,000-80,000
80,000-100,000
100,000-150,000
150,000-250,000
Above 250,000

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