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Patch Poll: Where Do You Get Your News?

Patch asks the question on the heels of news that more than 500 employees of newspapers around the state will be out of jobs in January.

 

Booth Newspapers confirmed last week that more than 500 layoff notices have been issued to employees at six newspapers in Michigan as the company prints fewer papers and its owners plan a greater online focus. It was a harsh blow to those facing job loss and those who still prefer newspapers to get their news. The changes, according to a report Friday on MLive, "involve the launch of two new companies and both are hiring: MLive Media Group and Advanced Central Services Michigan."

Which begs the question: Do you read newspapers anymore? How DO you get your news and information?

Answer our poll, then add your thoughts.

  • Where do you get most your news?

    (Voting has been closed for this question)
    • Daily newspaper (print edition)
        35 (13%)
    • Online
        153 (60%)
    • Television/Radio
        50 (19%)
    • Facebook/Twitter
        2 (0%)
    • Weekly publication
        8 (3%)
    • Other (tell us in comments)
        7 (2%)
    Total votes: 255
  • Your vote will only count once. This is not a scientific poll. View Results Vote!
Related Topics: Layoffs and Newspapers

Erin

4:21 pm on Sunday, November 20, 2011

Multiple sources for a balanced view. I like to formulate my own opinions.

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nickpesas

6:47 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012

You should check out http://beepreport.com/. It aggregates multiple sources for the same story.

Its a news feed type format and has a picture and quick summary but links out to multiple sites for the same story. A story on Obama's relation with Iran might link out to NYT, WSJ, and the BBC for example.

Lianne Mathie

5:29 pm on Sunday, November 20, 2011

Most online but I do get a paper delivered.

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Daryl Patrishkoff

5:45 pm on Sunday, November 20, 2011

My wife and I read 2 local papers every day, but most of my reading and info comes from multiple sources to ensure a balanced view. I am old school and enjoy reading the paper every morning over breakfast with her and discuss some of the articles and cartoons.

I rely on the internet for most of my news from several local and national sources. I like the every updated sites to keep me informed real time.

I must say I really do like the Patch and the work they do. Very local information and done in a very balanced way, great job Kristin!

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Fire in the Belly

5:46 pm on Sunday, November 20, 2011

I just have been experiencing that we are being left out the loop on what is happening in the world. Our daughter and many other Peace Corp volunteers are being evacuated from Kazakhstan due to the escalation of violence and the PC kids being the targets of violent crimes and false accusations. The only way we can find out is to seek out other news sources from around the world and hearing from the kids themselves as to what is occurring.What amazing kids we have!
As far as local news goes, there is no unbiased news reporting in Rochester Hills right now. The Patch does a lot of good things for the community but lacks credibility with the editorializing and the obvious impact that certain advertisers have on the content.
Just my 2 cents.

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Terry Parris Jr.

1:30 pm on Monday, November 21, 2011

"As far as local news goes, there is no unbiased news reporting in Rochester Hills right now." What is the side of the story you feel you aren't getting?

Audre Zembrzuski

8:10 pm on Sunday, November 20, 2011

I like reading the paper more than anything, I like the Patch, but, the computer can get
shut down at times or electric power off, so I like to see the paper. I also get a lot of new from friends in the Army Corp of Engineers, they say what is going on in other
countried that we do not get in the newspapers.

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Thomas Gagne

8:26 pm on Sunday, November 20, 2011

Almost exclusively online. The only paper I'd like to read I can't find online is the Michigan Chronicle.

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Randy

8:32 pm on Sunday, November 20, 2011

I read Saline Patch, the Saline Reporter and AnnArbor.com. It's sad to see the way newspapers have killed themselves. Ann Arbor News was a great paper and AnnArbor.com isn't even close to as valuable. The Reporter is a good local paper but there are too many non-local stories in it. Saline Patch started out gangbusters but now it looks like one person does all the stories now.

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Mary Hess

9:17 am on Monday, November 21, 2011

Saline Patch has been great with all the local news, activities, sports and is receptive to all input, toward the common goal , of Saline and the Saline school District. The Saline Reporter appears to carry very little local news. I do not get it anymore . Ann Arbor news, has a local Saline section every Sunday that I enjoy.

M. Imsosure

9:03 pm on Sunday, November 20, 2011

Haven't bought more than 10 or 20 newspapers since 1995. The strike back then turned a lot of people against the nasty and greedy owners.

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James Coller

9:18 pm on Sunday, November 20, 2011

I still read the Macomb Daily in print, but I read countless others online

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David Lee

10:47 pm on Sunday, November 20, 2011

While I read most news online -- various local, regional, national and international sites -- I really look forward to unplugging in the morning with the printed Press and Argus and cup of coffee. Thinking about subscribing to the Tri-County Times.

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Lucas Zdenek

12:06 am on Monday, November 21, 2011

I read the Patch during the day each day, but I also enjoy sitting down in the morning with a cup of tea and reading the Woodward Talk. I've considered subscribing to another larger paper from time to time, but I'm not keen on the amount of paper that comes with a larger publication.

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Julie

3:08 am on Monday, November 21, 2011

Drudge Report. WorldNetDaily.Glenn Beck. Big Government. Andrew Brietbart. David Horowitz. Never rely on conventional "news" sources. Always alternative and Grosse Pointe Patch is a great local alternative !! Keep up the good work !!

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Guy Fawkes

5:59 am on Monday, November 21, 2011

Huffington Post
Patch
Freep
Det News
MSNBC
Politico
The Hill
NY Times
BBC
Al Jazeera
Washington Post
Talking Points Memo
Crooks & Liars
Raw Story
The Daily Beast
Think Progress
Mlive
CNN
USA Today
Wired
New Scientist
ClickonDetroit (WDIV) online (can't stand their TV broadcasts)
WXYZ TV online (can't stand their TV broadcasts)
LA Times
Cnet (for tech news)

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David Lee

8:27 am on Monday, November 21, 2011

Great list, Guy. Hauntingly similar to my list. Here's mine in the exact order I browse them each morning -- some throughout the day:

Patch
Livingston Daily
AnnArbor.com
The Michigan Daily
Freep
Detroit News
Huffington Post
Huffington Post - Detroit (new)
CNN
Foxnews
NPR
The Washington Post
The New York Times
Al Jazeera
BBC
GuardianNews
LifeHacker.com (more for fun)
Gizmodo
Mashable

Patricia Kane

6:54 am on Monday, November 21, 2011

We read the newspaper every morning and then on line for the latest and a broader
more expansive coverage of happenings.
Unfortunate with new papers, time is limited in the morning to read before going to work-and delivery can be problematic.

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Teri

7:25 am on Monday, November 21, 2011

I pretty much read anything I can get in my inbox as well as a few online sources.

I want to add that today there is a perfect example of why I appreciate Patch: their coverage of a local murder...they actually went out there and did interviews, took photos, included information that the major local media sources didn't. That is why I found Patch a few months ago...searching for more information about a story in our city that the major outlets glossed over. Patch was the goldmine.

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Sue Czarnecki

8:50 am on Monday, November 21, 2011

Daily, I read the Detroit Free Press and the New York Times, and the News Herald the 3 times a week it is published. And still I sometimes feel uninformed about what's happening in
this world of ours.

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Char Kruse

12:31 pm on Monday, November 21, 2011

We get the free Press 3 times a week, watch tv, read online, Except no one gives the real news anymore, I am so sick of the Hollywood news, and the health news, instead of what is happening in the world. we used to get the Oakland press, but couldn't stand those flap pages of ads.

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Thomas Gagne

1:17 pm on Monday, November 21, 2011

".. sick of the Hollywood news.."

+1

If I want Hollywood news I can watch Entertainment Tonight, The View, read People Magazine, or watch the CBS Evening News. It would be great if the other channels had a "No Hollywood" policy.

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Terry Parris Jr.

1:32 pm on Monday, November 21, 2011

I think if you're looking at the television for news, it will be difficult to get away from "Hollywood" news. (Unless you're watching CSPAN.) As for the "real news." What is the "real news"? What are you looking for and where are you looking for it?

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Thomas Gagne

4:32 pm on Monday, November 21, 2011

"What is the 'real news?'"

Eliminate entertainers, their shows, their recordings, new releases, weddings, divorces, arrests, trials, attendance to rehab clinics, and probably most of anything having to do with sports. There's plenty of places to get that information and it needn't clutter up reporting on the more important things going on.

Of course, not sure where that leaves human interest stories..

The cool thing about reading on the 'net is I can skip stories that don't interest me. Such is not the case with TV and Radio, where I'm required to endure less interesting stories lest I miss the weather forecast.

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Terry Parris Jr.

4:41 pm on Monday, November 21, 2011

What is important to you as a consumer of news (or "real news")?

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Thomas Gagne

10:10 pm on Monday, November 21, 2011

Hmm. I can tell you that video from a big air dog jumping competition or 12 days-worth of Thanksgiving dinner planning will be passed-over but stories about Detroit's impending bankruptcy or attempts to siphon tax dollars away from Ferndale's general fund immediately after passing a Headlee override will grab my attention.

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Terry Parris Jr.

10:14 pm on Monday, November 21, 2011

12 days of Thanksgiving dinner planning isn't on your Google reader, eh? I suppose there is news and then there is interest -- which are different things in some cases. Sometimes their paths cross, sometimes they don't.

Char Kruse

5:59 pm on Monday, November 21, 2011

I would love to have more west Michigan news, Grand Rapids, Muskegon, K Zoo. It is as if W.Mi doesn't exist.

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Ann Wisniewski

7:49 pm on Monday, November 21, 2011

I like investigative reporting. Of course, that takes time and money.

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Sue Littles

8:10 pm on Monday, November 21, 2011

I read the print copy, then save the articles I like online.

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Miriam Breslauer

8:55 pm on Monday, November 21, 2011

I get my news On-line and on TV. I have a bad allergy to Soy and Corn and can't touch print newspapers without pain. I have been reading International news as well as US news On-line since the 1990's.

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Erin

11:05 pm on Monday, November 21, 2011

Oh, and it's always good to look at sources for articles, especially polling sources.
Also, some good fact-checking sites trying to keep all sides honest:
http://www.politifact.com/
http://factcheck.org/about/

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Ann Wisniewski

8:47 am on Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Erin,
Thanks for the links. Checking out sources is a good practice.

Lianne Mathie

11:47 pm on Monday, November 21, 2011

Thanks Erin.
Boy ,the Patch asked a loaded question. Their parent company is AOL, but I know the editors are local ,so it's all good.

That being said, what has the Patch learned from the dialog?

Thanks

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Ann Wisniewski

8:37 am on Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Lianne,
Good question. What is the point of this poll and how might it be used by Patch?

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Erin

10:02 am on Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Hi Lianne,

I'm chuckling at myself. At this point in the comment stream, I had totally forgotten that this article had a poll in it! LOL

I hope you didn't think I was questioning Patch as a polling source (they're always careful to say "not a scientific poll"). I'm so NOT worried about about solid local sources like this.

With regard to checking sources, I was thinking more nationally. I often see polling, quotes (taken out of context) or graphs/charts with data discussed as if it were "fact". Then, when you look at the source of the data - sometimes it's from partisan leaning pollsters, PAC's or think tanks.

Especially in a world where folks can pick and choose where they get their information, not to mention unlimited anonymous monies that can be spent on PAC's/campaigns, we always have to be careful to look at data through the filter of the source.

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Joni Hubred-Golden

5:00 pm on Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Lianne and Ann, I can't speak for every editor, but I think the purpose of the poll is not necessarily information gathering for Patch – although I have found this conversation thread very informative. Polls encourage conversations and interaction, and I think the more information we share, the more informed we are about our communities. I think Erin's observation says it all: This poll did its job, by inspiring conversations that became even more interesting and important than the poll results.

Lianne Mathie

7:21 pm on Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Joni, the Patch is a format that was put together by AOL, please correct me if I am wrong. That being said, I was curious if any of the editors from the different local Patch's had any input to that regard.

With Facebook,Amazon and several other popular web sites collecting information regarding their target demographic, I would not be surprised if the Patch was doing the same.After all, they do sell advertising.

My curiosity is in part because I work in the graphic art field.I use my real my because the people and stories are local, and in the spirt of a small town newspaper in the age of the internet.

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Nancy Hanus

7:54 pm on Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Lianne:
As the person who created this poll, I'll chime in here about what we wanted or expected from throwing this question to Patch readers. I am a former newspaper editor, so watching newspapers struggle is personally painful to me. I want to understand how news is consumed – so that we can help Patch be part of the solution for the void sometimes created by closings or layoffs at other news entities. Truth is, people don't get their information from one source anymore. We have seen that in the comments here.

Furthermore, at Patch our mission isn't JUST news -- it's community information, connections, interaction. So all of the comments here have helped me and other editors to understand more about each of you. Ultimately, you are all PART of Patch. The more we understand about you, the more we can help make Patch relevant.

As for use of the actual poll results? These polls are, as Joni says, meant to stimulate discussion. Other than noticing how many people vote -- an indication of the interest in a subject -- we put very little stock in the "results," as they are TOTALLY unscientific. I hope that helps you understand where WE are coming from!

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Fire in the Belly

5:05 am on Wednesday, November 23, 2011

My suggestion is in an effort to make the Patch credible and a trusted resource:
Don't do what The Oakland Press did, letting advertisers and politics sway content and stifle discussion and debate. That paper pretty much become worthless to most Rochester Hills readers. When editorializing, label it so. When doing a story, due a balanced story. Don't let nasty bloggers engage in character assassination.
If The Patch is collecting data on bloggers and readers, than say it it up front and what the the data will be used for. Then readers can decide if they want to participate. The Patch must be unbiased in their reporting to gain and retain the trust of the community.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Lianne Mathie

10:30 pm on Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Thank you Nancy,
I was one of the first to chime in and say I was getting the news for digital and print.Your comments are appreciated by myself and I feel that the Patch editors are truly involved with the community.
Sadly, the printed word is going by the wayside, With that, we lose the jobs of printers, myself being one.You are not a former editor but a new kind of editor. I appreciate your response and from this exchange, can understand your question.

This has been informative.I hope the Patch becomes a vehicle to the community as the local papers have not been able to sustain themselves in this rapidly changing information/ advertising, addicted world.

I send a thanks to you and Leslie at the Berkley Patch. I have enjoyed watching this online community dialog develop and grow.

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Leslie Ellis

5:08 pm on Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Hey, Lianne! Thanks for being a leader in this discussion - I'm sure you voiced what some others were wondering! I, like Nancy, am a former newspaper editor AND, as you pointed out, also a new kind of editor! As a graphic artist, you naturally have an understanding of the kinds of changes our industries are going through and it's encouraging to see you embrace this new platform. Thanks for supporting Berkley Patch (and Patch in general)! Because it's a social form of media, we couldn't do it without you! Have a great Thanksgiving!

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Lianne Mathie

7:21 pm on Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Thanks Leslie, I'll keep reading what you keep typing.:)

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