Hostway National Survey Sets Benchmarks for Blogs' Credibility

As blogs compete for credibility among established media, respondents to a new national survey say they're torn between supporting full First Amendment rights for bloggers and favoring some limitations on bloggers' content.

In the poll, commissioned by global Web-hosting and managed services provider Hostway ( www.hostway.com ), more than 50 percent of respondents who shared their opinions on First Amendment rights said bloggers should benefit from the same First Amendment liberties and protections as professional journalists. (Fifty-two percent agree, and 21 percent disagree.)

Participants also had strong opinions about various free speech rights of bloggers:
• Eighty percent believe bloggers should not have the right to publish home addresses and other personal information about private citizens.
• Seventy-two percent believe bloggers should not have the right to publish home addresses or other personal information about public figures (celebrities, sport figures, etc.).
• Sixty-eight percent believe bloggers should not have the right to publish home addresses or other personal information about appointed government officials (judges, mayors, etc.).

The survey data additionally suggests that young adults (under 30 years old) are more open to Internet bloggers' free speech rights than older cohorts, regardless of their income or geographic locations: A larger percentage of young respondents are less disagreeable and more undecided (neither agree nor disagree) on First-Amendment-related issues.

Participants who believe bloggers should not have the same First Amendment rights as traditional journalists:
• Under 30: 10 percent
• Over 50: 26 percent
Participants who believe bloggers should not have the right to publish home addresses and other personal information about private citizens:
• Under 30: 62 percent
• Over 50: 85 percent
Participants who believe bloggers should not have the right to publish home addresses or other personal information about public figures (celebrities, sport figures, etc.):
• Under 30: 61 percent
• Over 50: 75 percent
Participants who believe bloggers should not have the right to publish home addresses or other personal information about appointed government officials (judges, mayors, etc.):
• Under 30: 60 percent
• Over 50: 70 percent

In addition to identifying attitudes about bloggers' free speech rights, the survey found only a small percentage of the 2,500 respondents believe blogs are as credible as other sources in the mainstream media.

Only 28 percent agree that blogs are as or more credible than newspaper articles.
• Almost 30 percent agree that blogs are as or more credible than television and radio news.
Even though blogs have not achieved the perceived legitimacy of print, television and radio news sources, they are making headway with credibility against a variety of advertising media:
• Almost 45 percent feel blogs are as or more credible than television commercials.
• Forty-five percent feel blogs are as or more credible than Internet advertising.
• Forty-one percent feel that blogs are as or more credible that radio advertising.

"We're beginning to see blogs starting to take their place among other media for businesses to get their word out," said John Lee, vice president of marketing, Hostway. "They are easy to create, maintain and serve as valued portals of diverse, honest information."

In many cases, blogs serve as online journals that contain uncensored, unfiltered forms of commentary and opinions on various topics. From a business standpoint, blogs may be friend or foe, depending on the information that is revealed.

Overall, the survey found consumers are beginning to see the benefits of using blogs for product and service research -- nearly one out of four survey respondents said they refer to blogs for information on the products and services they are looking to purchase.

"With the right strategy, blogs can be a huge asset to organizations large and small," said Lee. "They are cost-effective, attract a well-targeted audience and, in some cases, are able to put a human voice to a company."

Further statistical analysis conducted on unweighted data by Hostway suggests that opinions on bloggers' First Amendment rights and blog credibility as a source of news and information are influenced by the respondent's age and direct exposure to blogs.

Hostway Corporation provides Web hosting and managed services to more than 300,000 customers worldwide. Hostway helps individuals, small businesses and large enterprises achieve more value from state-of-the-art Web-based technologies by reducing their complexity and cost.

TNS is one of the world's leading market information groups, providing market measurement, analysis and insight through its operating companies in 70 countries. Working with national and multi-national organizations, TNS helps its clients develop effective business strategies and enhance relationships with their customers.