A poll released today indicates strong growth in online news consumption in Canada but a continued preference by a majority of those surveyed for traditional sources of such information.

The Ipsos Reid poll, taken October 4-15 of 1,006 Canadians and commissioned by the Canadian Journalism Foundation, suggests a slow-changing environment in which the newscast and newspaper remain prominent.

The poll found 40 per cent turn to a newscast and 23 per cent to a newspaper daily for their fill. Community newspapers (19 per cent), all-news television (17), free papers (14) and radio newscasts (14) are next in line. Only then are newspaper websites and social media (13 per cent) in the list of preferred sources.

The poll also sought to define segments of consumers. Ipsos Reid said 10 per cent define themselves as hyper-newsies, consuming online and offline a variety of sources all day, while 29 per cent can be categorized as moderate newsies who are checking sources throughout the day.
 
 
Hardly surprising but worth chronicling: A new United Kingdom study has found a decline in public trust of the broadsheet and tabloid press.

With the extent of the phone-hacking scandal much more evident, the poll suggested that only five per cent of Britons trust the tabloid journalists, while 41 per cent trust the broadsheet journalists. That level is down from seven per cent and 54 per cent, respectively, last November.

The YouGov survey for the University of Nottingham found that trust in British members of Parliament rose in the same period to 24 per cent from 17 per cent.
 

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