The internet makes it easier than ever to keep up with current events, but a recent poll, asking participants for their main source of news, suggests the majority of American adults choose to turn on a TV over a computer.
Of the 2,048 adults from across the country that participated in the Gallup Poll, 55 percent said they rely on television news broadcasts to keep them informed, while 21 percent said their main news source is the internet. Not surprisingly, only nine percent depend on print publications, and six percent favor scanning the radio for news.
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Fox News was the most-mentioned brand in the poll, with eight percent of those in the TV category name dropping the 24-hour cable news network. CNN was close behind after being mentioned by seven percent. MSNBC, BBC, PBS, NBC and ABC were each dentified as a main news source by only one percent of poll participants.
The New York Times and Wall Street Journal were the only print publications specifically mentioned in the open-ended poll — each by only one percent — while four percent of those relying on the radio named NPR as their main source of news.
It's no secret, but the poll also reflects that Republicans and conservatives prefer getting their news from Fox. Out of those who named Fox News, 67 percent identified as Republican (94 percent including those leaning toward the Republican party), and 79 percent identified as conservative.
Meanwhile, 46 percent who described themselves as Democrats (63 percent including party leaners) named CNN, along with 26 percent of those identifying as liberal.
The poll is the first time Gallup measured Americans' media habits with this particular open-ended question, which aims to provide insights into the importance of different types of media and media outlets as information sources to the public.