Friday, January 31, 2014

"Doesn’t Anyone Read the News?"

"If analysts at Microsoft Research are correct, a startling number of American Web users are no longer paying attention to the news as it is traditionally defined. In a recent study of “filter bubbles,” Sharad Goel, Seth Flaxman, and Justin Rao asked how many Web users actually read the news online. Out of a sample of 1.2 million American users, just over fifty thousand, or four per cent, were “active news customers” of “front section” news. The other ninety-six per cent found other things to read."
Various influences shaped the study. The data was collected only from Internet Explorer users (who, the authors say, tend to be slightly older), and it represents only those who agreed to make their Web-browsing history available. Additionally, just because people don’t surf news Web sites doesn’t mean that they don’t get news from other sources, like physical newspapers, talk radio, Twitter, “The Colbert Report,” or the evening news.

That said, the sample size, 1.2 million, is impressive—far greater than that of a typical survey. And the number of people whom the study shows to be paying attention to the news online is consistent with the low ratings of cable news during the same period. Also, as opposed to relying on what people said they did, the Microsoft researchers drew on a record of what they actually did, which is significantly different...

Assuming that Microsoft’s numbers show a real phenomenon, though, they do introduce some perspective. Journalists and political junkies often presume that everyone cares about politics all of the time. But the fourteen-per-cent number makes it seem more like a hobby or a subculture, something like the N.H.L. or Nascar—a deep obsession for some of members of the population but of limited interest to anyone else, unless something extreme happens.
The New Yorker Magazine

34 comments:

chickelit said...

Maybe there should special news, weather, sports reports here at KLEM. Bylined reporters. Commercial breaks.

chickelit said...

I volunteer to voice audio "commercials" and even script them if needed.

Michael Haz said...

Perhaps more people would read news papers and news magazines if they actually told the truth in their reporting, objectively and without any political bias.

The Crack Emcee said...

I've been telling you nobody in the real world sees what you do for some time now.

Glad you finally see it, too.

Michael Haz said...

The only news man I trust is Frankie MacDonald.

Leland said...

Front page news? All of it is overly sensationalized for the sole purpose of selling papers rather than conveying honest and accurate information. Once that is recognized, people quit reading, which incidentally shows that the tactics used by publishers is irrational; yet they still do it.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Being a scientific kind of guy, I just went to Bing to see what news stories it was offering.

These are all headline quotes: (1) Hawaii blizzard?; (2) CNN anchor goes off; (3) Irwin's daughter; (4) Toyota halts sales; (5) MSNBC apologizes; (6) Abdul's Laker secret; (7) Knox's ex caught; (8) Dr. 6 miles in snow.

Need I say more?

Icepick said...

Well, which is it, NASCAR or the NHL? I want to know if I am being compared to redneck gear heads or toothless idiots with frostbite.

Icepick said...

Ho, ho! I see Crack has appeared. Before reading his comment, let me guess:

The article is racist because both NASCAR fans and NHL fans are overwhelmingly white, and the article thus plays on the subconscious stereotype that blacks don't care about nuthin'.

Let's see if I win!

Icepick said...

Aw, bugger, I didn't win.

Icepick said...

I didn't check Bing, I looked at Yahoo. And there I see that Seinfeld (the show, not the comedian) will have a reunion soon. And it just sounds so ... 20th Century.

The Crack Emcee said...

Icepick

Aw, bugger, I didn't win.

That's because you're a racist and I'm not.

Good catch.

Icepick said...

Crack, you're just another angry black leftist. Now run along and go do something strenuous to your lower back.

Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Trooper York said...

Trooper York said...
Ice I would look forward to a bunch of posts denounce you at a certain deserted outpost of the internet where the French Foreign Legion of Doom has set up shot.

Just make sure he uses a flattering photo. I suggest this one.

It is very patriotic after all.

Trooper York said...

Wait a cotton picking minute. The link didn't work. This is the photo!

Looking good dude.

Icepick said...

Looking good dude.

Word.

Icepick said...

a certain deserted outpost of the internet where the French Foreign Legion of Doom has set up shot.


LOL

Let the ritual denunciations begin!

Icepick said...

The thing is, Troop, that sometimes one just wants to kick over a big pile of shit for no good reason. And after doing so, one remembers that it sticks to the shoes regardless.

What's needed are frictionless shoes, the tops of them that is, so that the shit slides right off. Now THAT would be a good use of science right there!

Icepick said...

Before long Crackers is going o be delving into the realm of bioessentialism, I'm just sure of it.

The Crack Emcee said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Icepick said...


Or sticking my dick in your mouth.


Wait, I'm not clear about this. Is this you saying you're a homosexual and love white men? Or is this some attempt to make me feel uncomfortable about teh gay thing?

Anyway, as I'm not crippled with a bad back (also not in Utah), you'd have a hard time catching up to me when I took a slow walk away from you, LOL.

Crack, really, you are reaching new lows. Before long you're going to be as bad as Meade and Althouse.

The Crack Emcee said...

Icepick,

Anyway, as I'm not crippled with a bad back (also not in Utah), you'd have a hard time catching up to me when I took a slow walk away from you, LOL.


It must be an internet thing, where you stake one thing - like me living in Utah - and you string a whole delusion around it.

What's the condition of my back now, Icepick?

You know I'm not even in the sam,e STATE you thought, so what's my health like, whitey-with-psychic-powers?

If you look anything like Trooper York, I don't think you can walk, period,...


edutcher said...

As Walter Lord noted, there were swabs at Pearl Harbor who didn't realize it was the Nips attacking.

edutcher said...

PS Never forget, however, that Microsoft is the MS in MSLSD.

Also, what's the intellectual breakdown of browser users?

Internet Exploiter is the LCD.

And what Haz said.

chickelit said...

Icepick wrote: Crack, really, you are reaching new lows. Before long you're going to be as bad as Meade and Althouse.

There is evidence of collusion there, but I haven't figured out the motive yet nor what's at stake because it seems an awful lot of personal integrity is at stake.

chickelit said...

@Icepick: I think it was only convenient for Crack to "be in Utah" when his entire life was dedicated to trashing Romney on the Althouse blog.

The evidence is still all there.

chickelit said...

@Icepick: Crack's now deleted 6:17 comment (which I have because I subscribe to follow-ups after posting one of my own) was indeed strange, but, I think, in character.

The Crack Emcee said...

chickenlittle,

The evidence is still all there.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I hereby submit the proposition chickenlittle is really Dwight from The Office.

chickelit said...

@Crack, I thought you were Dwight (especially after that deleted 6:17 comment).

chickelit said...

It's Dwight vs. Dwight fight!

Who is right?

rcocean said...

Good to see Crack back - troll or not - he adds some excitement.

The Crack Emcee said...

rcocean said...
Good to see Crack back - troll or not - he adds some excitement.


Now don't say that. They think it's all their hard work, doing posts on cooking and Irish Democracy.

You know, the important things.

And while that's happening, there's a really cool pastor in Madison, Wisconsin about to blow his stack over racism but these fools could care less because it's RACIST to bring that up even when it's true.

Which makes them part of the problem.

Trolling - it's what's for dinner,...