Survey: TV Remains Top News Access Device

Among all the new media devices, tablets, smart phones, and other handheld, luggable and desk-bound computers, the TV set remains the top access device for news and local TV news remains the top outlet and the most trusted news source, according to a new survey, "The Personal News Cycle" from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the American Press Institute's Media Insight Project.

The survey found that 87% of those polled said they use television to get news, with 69% saying a computer, 65% radio, 61% print, 56% a cell phone, and 29% a tablet. Local TV news was the top source, with 82% saying they got news from local TV, followed by 73% who got news from broadcast network TV. Newspapers were third at 66%, followed by 24-hour cable news at 62% and radio at 56%. Age was said to have only a limited impact on those numbers. The study found plenty of "tech-savvy" news consumers who use their phones and tablets for news, but also found that "they are no more or less likely than everyone else to use print publications, television, or radio to access the news." And when they and others want news about weather, traffic, crime and health, they are most likely to turn to local TV.