TORONTO, Oct 5 /CNW/ - Canadians are sophisticated and critical consumers of news who are not satisfied getting information from any one source, according to a groundbreaking CBC News Balance Study which focuses on both content and public perception.
CBC News today released the conclusions of its study, preliminary results of which were first announced last June. Initiated in 2009 as the most detailed and comprehensive analysis of news undertaken by any news organization in Canadian history, it has yielded valuable insights into the Canadian news landscape and will be used as an ongoing development resource for Canada's national public broadcaster. CBC has conducted content analyses of its news (including specifically for election coverage) since 1977.
"This unique study will be invaluable for us as we build on a long tradition of journalistic excellence," says Jennifer McGuire, general manager and editor in chief of CBC News. "As the national public broadcaster, we are committed to the highest level of journalistic standards and as such, the knowledge we've gained will help to inform our news coverage on a day to day basis."
The study covers television, radio and internet-based news content, focusing on CBC News but also looking at major competitors. The content analysis, done by ERIN Research, covers a 25-week period from Oct. 26, 2009 to May 2, 2010 and includes 6,000 radio stories, 7,500 television stories and 2,400 internet stories. The public opinion component, done by Ipsos-Reid, took place between Apr. 6 and May 17, 2010 and included 2,555 anglophone Canadians aged 18+, as well as an "oversample" of 206 aboriginal people and 646 visible minorities.
The objectives of the research were to provide CBC with a comprehensive understanding of:
- What Canadian news consumers understand by "fair" and "balanced" news coverage;
- The degree to which Canadian news consumers feel these principles are being demonstrated through the various CBC News delivery platforms and competitor news organizations.
Among the content analysis findings:
- Most news organizations are fairly similar in how they cover events and issues; however, CBC News;
- tends to have more women and visible minorities as anchors and hosts;
- allocates more time to stories about politics and government;
- spends more time on major world issues;
- devotes more time to analysts and experts in its stories.
From the public opinion survey:
- "single source" news no longer exists; Canadians use multiple sources and media;
- Canadians aren't convinced any single news provider can be completely fair and balanced;
- Canadians don't see "fair" and "balanced" as the same thing; "fair" means accurate, unbiased, truthful, factual, honest and impartial; "balanced" means covering multiple points of view, a range of subjects and opinions and regional representation.
"Canadians' perceptions about journalism are changing," McGuire says. "They believe journalism plays a vital role in society and is critical to the health of democracy. However, they think there is much less fact and more opinion in contemporary journalism, that over time the quality of journalism is declining and that most journalism reflects the corporate point of view of owners and shareholders."
For Canadian news consumers, the most important factors contributing to integrity are:
- That news is well-researched to ensure it conforms with facts and reality;
- Makes a clear distinction between news and opinion;
- Is not distorted to justify or support a conclusion;
- Presents different sides or perspectives on a news story;
- Avoids personal or corporate bias on the part of the journalist.
These results were consistent among anglophone Canadians, visible minorities and aboriginal peoples.
CBC News will continue to conduct periodic assessments of its news programming as part of its continuing efforts toward transparency and accountability to Canadians and as a public contribution to establishing best industry practices in Canadian news. It will in coming months be releasing its updated Journalistic Standards and Practices, which are available online at http://cbc-radio-canada.ca/docs/policies/journalistic/.
Panel of Advisors
Five media experts from Canada and abroad were selected as a panel of advisors to the project. Their role is to provide methodological and interpretive advice. The five represent a spectrum of broad expertise and experience in mass media:
- Sarah Carter: Bureau Chief, CBS News, Johannesburg and visiting professor at the University of British Columbia;
- Fred Fletcher: Professor Emeritus, Communication Studies and Political Science, York University and founding president of the Canadian Media Research Consortium;
- Hanson Hosein: Director of the Master of Communication in Digital Media program at the University of Washington in Seattle;
- Mark Jurowitz: Associate Director of the Pew Research Centre Project for Excellence in Journalism;
- Holli Semetko: Vice Provost for International Affairs and Director of the Office of International Affairs at Emory University and 1995-2003 Professor and Chair of Audience and Public Opinion Research, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam.
For more information about the CBC News Balance Study:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/10/05/f-jennifer-mcguire-news-balance-report.html
For further information:
Jeff Keay, media relations, 416 205 3987, [email protected]
Share this article