Consumers' loyalty to specific news outlets is on the rise, according to a recent poll by Gallup.
Among consumers, 48% identify a specific medium (TV, Internet, radio, newspaper) as their main news source—down 10 points from three years ago; while 42% identify a specific outlet (Fox, Huffington, NPR, The New York Times, etc.) as their main source—up 12 points from three years ago.
"The shift in thinking on the subject is partly powered by Americans' increasing ability to gather news from a single organization on multiple platforms," says pollster Jim Norman.
Loyalty to social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) as news outlets is also on the rise—particularly among Millennials.
According to the poll, 15% of Millennials identify a social media site as their main news source, up from 3% three years ago.
While the shift in media habits will affect news outlets in their battle for customers, it also could spill into politics and social behaviors, Norman says.
Consumers may shut out viewpoints not presented by their favorite news outlet, and be more apt to mistake entertainment for news.
According to the poll, 15% of Millennials identify a social media site as their main news source, up from 3% three years ago.
While the shift in media habits will affect news outlets in their battle for customers, it also could spill into politics and social behaviors, Norman says.
Consumers may shut out viewpoints not presented by their favorite news outlet, and be more apt to mistake entertainment for news.
