How do Americans see the world five years after 9/11?
Just two months before the midterm elections and two years before the next presidential election, a study by JWT shows that the environment and the war in Iraq are the issues of greatest concern to Americans. Last month, JWT surveyed 929 Americans -- a random sample representative of 80,000 Americans -- from its proprietary SONAR panel. The 358 men and 571 women completed a 20-minute online survey on their attitudes toward current events. The median age of respondents was 39.8, with a median household income of 59,900. The goal of the study was to gauge American attitudes and issues of concern in the New Normal, five years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
"In the New Normal, Americans accept a level of uncertainty unprecedented in their history," says Marian Salzman, EVP/Chief Marketing Officer at JWT. "Today, politics is a popular pastime, and news consumption isn't just an all-day activity, it's modern pop culture. Americans are besieged by national, international and local news via 24-hour news networks, RSS feeds and blogs, and they pay painfully close attention to the events of a world that seems to be spiraling out of their control."
As the world gets more menacing, Americans are finding comfort close to home, renewing their faith in community values. They may be tuned in to myriad news sources, for example, but almost half of respondents in the JWTstudy rated regional and local press as the most trustworthy news outlets.
Five key themes emerged from the study
-- There are similar levels of angst regarding the environment and the war: 81% of respondents were "strongly interested" or "interested" in the topic of environmental pollution, and 76% were equally interested in global warming. Similarly, 80% were captivated by the war in Iraq; 90% of respondents over 50 ranked it as the issue they were most interested in. The war was also the topic of most interest among respondents with household incomes above 70,000.
-- Men and women are focused on different areas of interest: 64% of men said they were "strongly" or "somewhat interested" in international politics compared with 54.5% of women. Conversely, 59.5% of women showed interest in Hollywood and the entertainment industry compared with 46% of men.
-- Women are more focused on religion: For example, 62% of women said they are interested in religious issues compared with just 46% of men.
-- Faith and family: When asked what factors guide and influence their choices and actions, 80% cited family as the biggest influence and 48% said religious faith.
-- Trendopolis: In the face of the confusion and hype of the 21st century-media saturation, information overload, political strife at home and abroad -- some Americans are looking to their local communities for comfort. Close to half (46%) of respondents rated regional and local press as the most trustworthy news outlets. Similarly, more than two-thirds (67.5%) of respondents said big business should make a positive impact by supporting local producers and businesses.
