Posted on March 7, 2001 at 4:35 p.m.
BIRMINGHAM, AL — A new poll shows that Birmingham-area residents believe television and newspapers are more credible as sources of news and information than the Internet. Only 42 percent of the 226 adults polled in Jefferson County gave the Internet “good” or “excellent” ratings for accuracy. Television news and newspapers received “good” or “excellent” ratings of 56 percent and 53 percent respectively.
Jonathan H. Amsbary, Ph.D , an associate professor of communication studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, conducted the survey along with co-investigator Larry Powell, Ph.D., also an associate professor of communication studies at UAB. The survey had a margin of error of ± 6.5 percentage points with a 95 percent degree of confidence. Amsbary says the survey is arguably representative of the U.S. population.
The most surprising aspect of the survey was how younger adults, ages 18-34, gave the Internet high ratings for accuracy, said Amsbary. In fact, younger adults rank the Internet as being equally as accurate as newspapers and television news, with all three receiving “good” or “excellent” ratings of 64 percent among this age group.
“I almost expected the opposite since younger people are more familiar with the Internet and understand its flaws,” said Amsbary. “But in fact, the younger people appear less suspicious of the Internet than older adults who are less familiar with the Internet.”
Accuracy ratings for the Internet declined with age, according to the survey, dropping to a low of 22 percent among older adults over the age of 64. Older respondents gave lower ratings to all media in general, but their highest accuracy rating was for television news at 50 percent. Newspapers ranked second among this group with an accuracy rating of 43 percent.
Most respondents thought that information on the Internet influenced other people more than it influenced them. A majority, 59 percent, agreed with the statement "Other people believe most of what they see on the Internet," but only 30 percent said that they believed what they see on the Internet.
The public is generally less trusting, however, of those who place information on various Web sites. The survey also showed that only 32 percent of those polled said the people who develop Web sites were trustworthy.
The survey also asked respondents about navigating the Internet. Only 26 percent said it was hard to get information from the Internet, but 39 percent said they felt other people had trouble getting such information. Those who were polled often over-estimated the difficulty that others had in navigating the Internet, said Amsbary.
The single biggest factor that increases the credibility of a Web site is the presence of links to other Web sites. Nearly three-fourths, 73 percent, said links made them more likely to trust the information at that site. The survey also showed that other factors that can increase a Web site’s credibility are quotes from a medical doctor, 60 percent, the use of graphic, 53 percent, and quotes from a Ph.D., at 51 percent.
Responses to Individual Questions
How would you rate each of the following at providing information about national and local news?
| NEWS | Internet | TV | Newspapers |
| Excellent | 15 percent | 14 percent | 9 percent |
| Good | 27 percent | 42 percent | 44 percent |
| Average | 48 percent | 30 percent | 31 percent |
| Only fair | 4 percent | 7 percent | 8 percent |
| Poor | 5 percent | 8 percent | 8 percent |
Do you agree or disagree with these statements:
I believe most of what I see on the Internet. | Strongly agree | 8 percent |
| Somewhat agree | 22 percent |
| Somewhat disagree | 26 percent |
| Strongly disagree | 21 percent |
| Unsure | 24 percent |
Other people believe most of what they see on the Internet.
| Strongly agree | 26 percent |
| Somewhat agree | 33 percent |
| Somewhat disagree | 17 percent |
| Strongly disagree | 6 percent |
| Unsure | 18 percent |
It's hard to get information from the Internet.
| Strongly agree | 9 percent |
| Somewhat agree | 17 percent |
| Somewhat disagree | 23 percent |
| Strongly disagree | 28 percent |
| Unsure | 23 percent |
Most people think it's hard to get information from the Internet. | Strongly agree | 14 percent |
| Somewhat agree | 25 percent |
| Somewhat disagree | 25 percent |
| Strongly disagree | 20 percent |
| Unsure | 16 percent |
Most people who create Web pages are trustworthy. | Strongly agree | 10 percent |
| Somewhat agree | 23 percent |
| Somewhat disagree | 28 percent |
| Strongly disagree | 13 percent |
| Unsure | 26 percent |
Most people think that people who create Web pages are trustworthy. | Strongly agree | 13 percent |
| Somewhat agree | 27 percent |
| Somewhat disagree | 17 percent |
| Strongly disagree | 12 percent |
| Unsure | 32 percent |
Would you be more or less likely to believe what you read on a Web site if the Web site had …
Graphics?
| Much more likely | 14 percent |
| Somewhat more likely | 39 percent |
| Somewhat less likely | 7 percent |
| Much less likely | 4 percent |
| No difference | 24 percent |
| Unsure | 13 percent |
Links to other Web sites on similar topics? | Much more likely | 25 percent |
| Somewhat more likely | 38 percent |
| Somewhat less likely | 5 percent |
| Much less likely | 3 percent |
| No difference | 16 percent |
| Unsure | 13 percent |
Quotes from someone with a Ph.D.? | Much more likely | 15 percent |
| Somewhat more likely | 36 percent |
| Somewhat less likely | 12 percent |
| Much less likely | 6 percent |
| No difference | 19 percent |
| Unsure | 12 percent |
Quotes from a medical doctor? | Much more likely | 21 percent |
| Somewhat more likely | 39 percent |
| Somewhat less likely | 11 percent |
| Much less likely | 5 percent |
| No difference | 13 percent |
| Unsure | 11 percent |