• by David Goetzl , July 11, 2011

With controversy over tabloid phone hacking shaking up the U.K., there's a rather stunning media development stateside. America's favorite punching bag is apparently having to fend off fewer uppercuts than in recent years.

Somehow, an annual Gallup poll found "confidence" in both newspapers and TV news is up notably this year. Results show 28% of Americans expressed "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in newspapers and 27% in TV news - the highest figures since 2006.

The poll showed that even conservatives, a group with complaints about a liberal media bias, expressed increased trust in TV news - 23%, up from 18%. There was also a 9% increase among Republicans, from 16% to 25%.

To be sure, the percentages are hardly impressive -- 77% of conservatives don't have much faith in TV news -- by themselves, but the upward trend is noteworthy.

Consumers are increasingly getting their news from the Web, which continues to affect all traditional media. Yet, there may be other good news for TV news.

An RTDNA/ Hofstra survey found that in 2010, stations added 750 jobs. That more than made up for 2009 job losses. In addition, more hiring could bring staffing levels back to a level before the recession.

With TV news in comeback mode, the TVB, the trade group that looks to boost ad sales for local broadcasters, is floating data showing local news is outfoxing high-profile cable news shows.

One implication: despite consumer interest in stories such as CNN trying to reinvent itself, the impact of Keith Olbermann going to Current TV and Glenn Beck to broadband, and Piers Morgan replacing Larry King, that buzz doesn't necessarily translate into viewership.

Cable news nets have also spent liberally on promotions, such as a recent MSNBC campaign, featuring its stars.

"Don't be fooled by the celebrity value of the cable news personalities ... because it doesn't necessarily translate into the cable news ratings," said Jack Poor, TVB vice president of marketing insights.

In local markets, Poor said, stations promote their newscasters less and "try to sell their news product" or brand.

Overall, he said, local news may be able to fend off some of the challenge from the Web since people expsoed to news all day may be getting that from national sources on the Web. The local newscast may offer something fresh.

The TVB data shows that in markets stretching from the country's largest (New York) to the 50th (Louisville), aggregate viewing of the evening news for all stations - Spanish and English -- trumps the combined prime-time ratings for CNN, CNBC, Fox, HLN and MSNBC.

In New York, for example in 2010, the average 25-to-54 rating for all evening local newscasts was a 6.2 -- versus a 1.1 for the well-known prime-time cable shows featuring Anderson Cooper to Nancy Grace to Rachel Maddow.

In Dallas, where there is a large Hispanic population and the Univision and Telemundo local newscasts may be stronger, the aggregate local news in the early evening averaged a 9.1 -- versus a 0.8 for prime-time cable.

The story was largely the same across the markets studied. In market 50, Louisville, there was an 11.9 average compared to a 1.3.

"It didn't seem to matter too much about market size or geography," Poor said.

There may be several mitigating factors, including the local newscast figure included a slew of stations, while the prime-time cable shows face competition from top network shows.

Also, local news ratings aren't growing necessarily. But they declined at a lesser rate (1.5%) than cable (13.7%) in 2010, according to the Pew Research Center.

Still, cable should make a considerable comeback during the 2012 election season.

It will be curious if Americans' their trust in the news media continues to rise as campaigns dominate news coverage.