Are Web users losing faith in search engines? A study released today by the University of Southern California's Center for the Digital Future suggests the answer may be yes.
A slim majority
of all Web users, 51%, surveyed by the center, said that most or all of the information they find on search engines like Google is reliable -- down from 61% in 2006. But other information on the
Internet appears to be gaining in credibility and importance with the public.
Consider, 80% of respondents said most or all of the information on sites like CNN.com is accurate, compared
to 77% in 2006. Web users are even more satisfied with the sites they frequent, with 83% saying most or all of the information on such sites is reliable; that's the same proportion as in 2006 and up
from 81% in 2005.
In fact, some mainstream media news sites are viewed as so good that Web users no longer see a need for hard copies. One in five, 21%, have cancelled subscriptions to
newspapers or magazines because they're accessing the content online, while 27% said they wouldn't miss hard copies if they were no longer available.