Study: Listeners Largely Trust Local Radio News

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, November 7, 2017

The latest NuVoodoo Ratings Prospects Study of nearly 3,000 (persons 14-54) across all PPM markets has revealed that people largely trust local radio to give them timely and accurate news. The NuVoodoo study further showed that this perception is strong across a broad ideological spectrum. When its consumer research specialists ranked the mean scores for all the news sources listed, they found that "Your local news radio station" ranked number one across the sample. Tied for number one in the sample was "Your daily local newspaper."

In the NuVoodoo Ratings Prospect Study, respondents were asked the question:"On a scale of "0" to "10," where "0" is no trust at all and "10" is complete trust, how much do you trust these sources to give you timely and accurate news?" Respondents rated a list of 20 media outlets, which are shown below.

When NuVoodoo filtered responses down to the groups likely to accept a meter or diary to play the Nielsen game, "Your local news radio station" becomes a solid number one - ahead of "Your daily local newspaper" as the single most trusted source for timely and accurate news.

NuVoodoo Media Services President Carolyn Gilbert said, "The bottom line is that listeners still trust the radio stations they rely on for news and information... Local radio is a platform with continued goodwill in the community. Listeners are interested in things that will impact their lives directly. That can be a powerful combination."