• Ad Age, Thursday, June 26, 2008 11:17 AM

According to a new survey, 64% of 18- to 35-year-olds rely on digital communication for their election-related news because the Internet is the easiest way to access and share information. The survey, released by PR firm Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, also finds that 76% prefer online sources of information to traditional ones, because respondents claim that traditional news sources attempt to control and shape the news. The only good news for the traditional sector was that 38% of respondents had more confidence in its content, while 30% had confidence in Internet content.

Just how bad were the survey results for traditional media? So bad, that it prompted Derek LaVallee, VP-U.S. public affairs practice at Waggener Edstrom, to proclaim this "the death knell for traditional media among this demographic." He added: "We're seeing a shift from that model of one message to many people to many messages to one person, and that's a huge paradigm shift we're just starting to pick up now."

The Waggener Edstrom study polled 800 people, 400 over the telephone and 400 online. Sixty-seven percent of respondents were between 26 and 35 years old, while the 43% were 18 to 25 years old.

Read the whole story at Ad Age »