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CIVIC
AND POLITICAL LIFE:
LOCAL NEWS INTEREST
Television dominates newspapers as the source of
local news in Orange County. Fewer than half of county residents read
a local newspaper every day, while almost two-thirds tune in to local
television news on a daily basis. Newspaper reading is somewhat below
the national average, while television news watching is the same. Daily
newspaper reading is lower among Latinos (21%) than non-Hispanic whites
(56%), while a majority in both groups watch local television news every
day. Still, television watching is higher than newspaper reading in both
groups. Residents under 35 are less likely than older residents to read
a newspaper (23% to 59%) and to watch local television news daily (49%
to 68%).
We asked how closely residents followed five different
local stories this year—largely to see how much attention they
paid to the El Toro airport controversy compared to other news. About
a third said they followed the news about the El Toro airport plans
"very closely". News stories of two children killed when a
man drove into the playground of a Costa Mesa preschool (47%) received
more notice, and reports about babies being accidentally switched and
given to the wrong parents in a local hospital (32%) were followed as
closely as El Toro. Fewer residents closely followed reports about the
anti-Communist protests in Little Saigon (27%) and the Charles Ng murder
trial (21%). Non-Hispanic whites were much more likely than Latinos
to pay close attention to news about the El Toro airport (37% to 19%),
while Latinos were much more likely to follow stories on the preschool
killings (58% to 45%) and switched babies (44% to 28%). The El Toro
news story drew higher interest in the South County than the North (48%
to 25%); otherwise, there were no regional differences in attention
to local news stories.
| |
US* |
OC |
Latinos |
N.H. Whites** |
| Read a local newspaper: |
| Every day |
51% |
46% |
21% |
56% |
| A
few times a week |
19 |
19 |
23 |
15 |
| Once a
week |
16 |
16 |
21 |
14 |
| Less
often or never |
14 |
19 |
35 |
15 |
| Watch local news on television: |
| Every day |
62% |
62% |
57% |
64% |
| A
few times a week |
21 |
25 |
31 |
23 |
| Once a
week |
5 |
7 |
8 |
6 |
| Less
often or never |
12 |
6 |
4 |
7 |
| Followed very closely: |
| Costa
Mesa preschool killings |
-- |
47% |
58% |
45% |
| Babies
switched at hospital |
-- |
32 |
44 |
28 |
| El
Toro airport plans |
-- |
32 |
19 |
37 |
| Little
Saigon protest |
-- |
27 |
23 |
27 |
| Charles
Ng trial |
-- |
21 |
23 |
20 |
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