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NEW YORK—When people in the Boston area wanted to do about the impending “bomb cyclone” that made its way through the region last week they did so by tuning into their local broadcast news channels for storm coverage, according to a survey by TVB. The “Bomb Cyclone Media Usage in Boston” survey, which was conducted by Research Now, echoed other surveys issued about media usage during Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
As the bomb cyclone was going on, 97 percent of respondents in the survey said that they used local broadcast TV news as their preferred source for information. Viewers spent around three hours and 37 minutes daily watching local television’s storm coverage, more than any other news source. Local news was also the most trusted news source during the storm, with 84 percent of respondents putting their trust in local news; social media was the least trusted at 36 percent. Respondent’s chief reason for turning to local news broadcasters, according to the survey, was that they wanted “information that pertained to their area.”
Younger viewers also went with local broadcasters over other media sources, with 58 percent of local TV news’ viewers being between the age of 18-54.
In addition to traditional broadcast television, broadcasters’ websites and mobile apps were also key resources for Bostonians, as they would provide “constant updates and latest information.” Broadcasters’ digital platforms earned 67 percent trust among respondents during the storm.
