According to a Magid study, COVID-19 is a locally driven story, with interest at record levels.
According to a consumer survey, the top six drivers of coronavirus-related coverage are all local angles, with an audience hungry for news specific to their region and demo.
Broadcasters have said their audience numbers are up--though ad dollars supporting that coverage have plunged--and the Magid numbers bear that out.
"[C]onsumers continue to seek local news and information at record levels," said Magid, "with 79% of consumers still getting local news about the virus daily," and almost half (45%) multiple times a day.
Evening remains the post popular tune-in time, with 49% of consumers watching in the early evening (4-7 p.m.), with 35% watching at 7-11 p.m. Morning news has seen a jump, says Magid, with 37% saying they are now tuning in early.
More than half of those surveyed said they felt the local coverage was about the right amount (56%), with about the same saying that about national coverage (54%).
The survey is based on 1,235 consumers polled via an online survey April 13-14. The margin of error is 4%.
