NEWS THAT MATTERS

1. September 23, 2010 NEWS THAT MATTERS An assessment of Chicago’s information landscape

2. NEWS THAT MATTERS An assessment of Chicago’s information landscape • Rachel Davis Mersey, Ph.D. • Northwestern University • Vivian Vahlberg • The Chicago Community Trust • with Bob LeBailly • Northwestern University Funded by The Chicago Community Trust, Knight Foundation, McCormick Foundation and Woods Fund of Chicago News That Matters

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. Chicago’s current information ecosystem Plus assorted other outlets, networks, channels, syndicates & services

7. Survey Results

8. Survey Results Most important source for… Chicago area information Neighborhood information Job-related information Special interest information

9. Survey Results Respondents with Internet access • 84% • of the • public • 100% • of • leaders

10. Survey Results Most Chicagoans feel informed • 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

11. Survey Results They get – or can get – needed information • 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%

12. Survey Results Libraries help people find information

13. Survey Results 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

14. Survey Results 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

15. Survey Results 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”

16. Difficulty processing and coping with the information available Survey Results

17. Survey Results 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

18. Survey Results 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

19. Survey Results 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

20. Survey Results 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

21. Survey Results People who are disproportionately having 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

22. Survey Results Not enough opportunity to hear the views of others

23. Survey Results 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

24. Survey Results 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

25. In summary

26. In summary • 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

27. In summary • 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

28. Thank you. Visit cct.org for the upcoming report • News That Matters: • An Assessment of Chicago’s • Information Landscape • from The Chicago Community Trust

29. Questions?