NEWS THAT MATTERS

NEWS THAT MATTERSAn assessment of Chicago’s information landscape

September 23, 2010

NEWS THAT MATTERSNEWS THAT MATTERS

NEWS THAT MATTERSAn assessment of Chicago’s information landscape

Rachel Davis Mersey, Ph.D.Northwestern University

Vivian VahlbergThe Chicago Community Trust

with Bob LeBaillyNorthwestern University

Funded by The Chicago Community Trust, Knight Foundation, McCormick Foundation and Woods Fund of Chicago

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Four main objectives

•To assess the extent to which the critical information needs of citizens in a democracy are being met in the Chicago area

•To identify critical information gaps and deficiencies that may need to be addressed, particularly assessing how the information landscape varies by race, geography, economic status and other factors

•To develop a barometer of the area’s information health which can be repeated in future years to assess progress

•To examine how the information needs and experiences of the general public differ from those of community leaders

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Part One: Assessment of public opinion

800 20-minute phone interviews •Representative sample•720 landline and 80 cell phone interviews•Conducted in both English (91%) and Spanish (9%)

3 60-minute focus groups•Low-income participants (earnings less than $30,000 annually)•20 participants total

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Part Two: Parallel study of community leaders

Same survey online, plus questions to a diverse group of leaders•250 participants•Sampled from nonprofit, business, government, academia, other fields:

• Trust grant recipients• Leadership Greater Chicago fellows• Catalyst & Chicago Reporter subscribers• Lists of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club, Metropolitan Planning Council, and

Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning

4 60-minute focus groups •57 participants total•Group size: 11 to 16 people

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Plus assorted other outlets, networks, channels, syndicates & services

Chicago’s current information ecosystem

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Survey Results

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Most important source for…Chicago area information

Job-related information

Special interest information

Neighborhood information

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Respondents with Internet access

84%of thepublic

100% of

leaders

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87% feel “adequately” or “well” informed generally

When asked whether they feel “pretty well informed” about certain topics, many agreed:•79% on issues affecting the Chicago area•78% on their special interests •69% on neighborhood issues•66% on job-related, business or professional issues

Most Chicagoans feel informed

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Respondents able to access the information they need•To form opinions about local problems: 84% •To cope with emergencies: 83%•To learn about practical health concerns: 80%•To learn about government programs & services: 70%•To find out what’s for sale: 67%

They get – or can get – needed information

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Libraries help people find information

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Despite the positives, there are significantproblems in the information ecosystem• Inadequate political information• Unhappiness with media coverage• Difficulty processing & coping with information available• Some better served than others• Not enough opportunities to hear the views of others

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Inadequate political information

51% don’t know enough about candidates or issues to vote

42% don’t know much about the challenges facing the region

48% think local media does not do a good job keeping watch on state and local government

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Unhappiness with media coverage

49% say that “the media does not cover issues I care about very well”

43% say that “nobody covers what happens in my community very well”

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Difficulty processing and coping with the information available

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Some better served than others

The more education

and income people have…

…the better they can

navigate the ecosystem

and the happier they

are with coverage

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Groups who navigate the ecosystem and are happy with media coverage

• College educated• North & northwest suburbs• Central & north areas of the city• Incomes of at least $50,000/year• Whites

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Groups who have the most trouble navigating the ecosystem

• High school education or less• South & west areas of the city• Incomes below $30,000/year• Latino & African-American• Don’t speak English at home

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Those with lower incomes…

• Don’t feel as well informed• Have trouble navigating the ecosystem• Are unhappy with coverage of their communities• Are less civically engaged• Are less tech-empowered• Rely more on local TV

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People who are disproportionatelyhaving a hard time with the system also….

• Don’t enjoy keeping up with news• Are not civically engaged• Rely on neighbors for news, not the media or Internet• Are not tech-enabled

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Not enough opportunity to hear the views of others

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A Special Look: Leaders

• Differ from the public in many ways• Get a daily stream of information from many sources• Are more critical of the ecosystem• Are tech-enabled

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A Special Look: Information Literacy

• Leaders are savvier about what information to trust

• People with Internet literacy training more likely to successfully:• Navigate the info ecosystem• Get the info they need about issues and problems

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In summary

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Our challenges:

• Inadequate political information

• Unhappiness with media coverage

• Many have trouble coping with information

• Some better served than others

• Low income people particularly ill-served

In summary

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Our strengths:

• A wealth of sources, for different purposes

• Widespread Internet access

• Most feel informed

• Most can get the information they need

• Libraries help

• Leaders have special sources

• Information literacy training helps

In summary

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Thank you.

Visit cct.org for the upcoming report News That Matters:An Assessment of Chicago’sInformation Landscape

from The Chicago Community Trust

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Questions?