Relax (a little): survey finds current media myths are just that.

Late last year, Ketchum and the University of Southern California's Annenberg Strategic Public Relations Center released the results of a survey they conducted together, "Media Myths & Realities in America 2006." The survey explores media usage of 1,490 adults from the general U.S. population and 500 communications industry professionals.

Here are summaries of some of the findings, a couple of them followed by comments from Joel Whitaker of Whitaker Newsletters.

Myth: Traditional media are dead. The survey found that nearly 3 of 4 adult respondents rely on local TV news for key information, while only 13.4 percent of them turn to web logs, or blogs. And consumers are 4 times more likely to use local newspapers than blogs. Traditional media--print and broadcast, especially--continue to be a prime driver of consumer attitudes and choices.

Joel Whitaker: To the extent that a subscription newsletter serves its community, it will continue to prosper. But the definition of "community" is essential. Bernard Kilgore's groundbreaking insight was that the Wall Street Journal's community was businessmen. "The businessman in San Francisco is as interested in commodity prices as the farmer in Iowa."

Myth: Only blogs are relevant. The survey reports that while there's little debate that blogs, forums and social networking sites are legitimate sources of information and influence today for consumers, the notion that these new media channels are superseding traditional media is, at best, aspirational.

Blogging, of course, was born from self-expression, not from journalism. Bloggers, like editorial writers and essayists, are inherently opinionated and, many times historically, have not been overly concerned with veracity or objectivity. In the past few years, though, bloggers with strong credentials have emerged to provide commentary that is thoughtful, researched and fact-checked.

These bloggers are behaving more like traditional journalists. Yet the blogosphere still hasn't established the standards for accuracy and verification that guide traditional journalism.

Myth: Young adults don't read newspapers. The survey found that at least half of 18-to-34-year-olds rely on newspapers for information, hardly an inconsequential figure. Why? "Excellent coverage ... eclectic variety ... nearly every page has something to interest me ... easy portability."

Joel Whitaker: What the local newspaper--or the industry-specific newsletter--has that makes it so compelling is the carefully tailored focus on its community. Neither The New York Times nor The Washington Post does a good job at telling you what's going on in St. Petersburg, Florida, which is why they have never succeeded in getting good penetration. For that matter, you can't get vital beverage news by reading the WSJ. (Whitaker publishes 3 titles for the beverage industry.)