Overview

During the autumn 2006 campaign and election season, Americans flocked in record numbers to their favorite media sources for political news. When asked why they preferred one medium over the others, consumers all pointed to convenience of use and unbiased presentation of information in their favorite medium, whether they preferred TV, newspapers, or the internet. Beyond that similarity, newspaper readers appreciated being able to settle in comfortably to pore over pages and scrutinize the information. TV viewers liked the effortless experience of being presented the news and valued seeing faces and hearing voices. For internet users, it was all about control, control, control of the when, where, what, and how fast of their online experience.