80 Percent Trust Online News

A survey by Jupiter Communications shows that more than 80 percent of US online consumers trust online news as much as the more traditional news outlets, such as newspapers, television, and cable news. An additional 7 percent view online news as more reliable than other mediums, according to Jupiter.

The report, which surveyed 2,200 online consumers, also found that consumers do not question the editorial integrity of online news providers that engage in commerce initiatives. For example, consumers can accept that a news sites’ review of a music CD is followed by a link to purchase the CD from a third-party vendor. According to the study, nearly 70 percent of online news consumers polled are unconcerned about the objectivity of sources that sell goods online.

“Due to the ease of self-publishing and distribution, there is a perception that the Web has a credibility problem,” said Mark Mooradian, group director of Jupiter’s Consumer Content Strategies. “However, consumers indicate that they both trust the online news sources and don’t object to the commerce-driven additions that come along with it.”