The Kaiser Survey on Americans and AIDS: The Role of the Media
June 1996
Methodology
The Kaiser Survey on Americans and AIDS/HIV was a national random-sample telephone survey of 1,511 adults, 18 years and older, including over samples of 250 African Americans and 250 Hispanics. The survey was designed by the Kaiser Family Foundation and conducted by the Foundation and Princeton Survey Research Associates (PSRA) between November 27-December 17, 1995, prior to Magic Johnson's announcement that he would resume playing professional basketball. The margin of error for the national sample is plus or minus 3 percent.
1. I'm going to read you some different sources of news and information about AIDS. As I read each one, please tell me whether you, yourself, got any news or information about AIDS from this source, in the past month. (First,) did you get any information about AIDS from... what about... (rotate)
| |
Yes, got
information
% |
| a. Television |
67 |
| b. Radio talk or call-in shows |
37 |
| c. Other radio programming |
23 |
| d. Newspapers |
54 |
| e. Magazines |
50 |
| f. Street signs or billboards |
27 |
| g. Family members, friends or acquaintances |
27 |
| h. Materials distributed at work |
13 |
| i. Materials distributed at church or by a religious organization |
10 |
| j. Your doctor or another health care provider |
19 |
| k. Materials available from the local health department or another local government agency |
17 |
| l. Materials distributed by AIDS organizations or advocacy groups |
14 |
2. I'm going to read you the names of some people and organizations that might provide information about AIDS. I'd like to know how believable you find each one. (First,) do you think information provided by ... (rotate) is very believable, somewhat believable, not too believable, or not at all believable?
| | Very
believable
% | Somewhat
believable
% | Not too
believable
% | Not at all
believable
% | Don't know
% |
| a. The Surgeon General | 56 | 35 | 5 | 2 | 2 | =100 |
| b. Talk radio | 16 | 56 | 16 | 7 | 5 | =100 |
| c. Newspapers | 26 | 63 | 7 | 3 | 1 | =100 |
| d. TV news | 31 | 58 | 7 | 3 | 1 | =100 |
| e. Churches/Religious Organizations | 34 | 49 | 9 | 4 | 4 | =100 |
| f. AIDS groups | 57 | 34 | 4 | 2 | 3 | =100 |
| g. Public health officials | 55 | 39 | 3 | 2 | 1 | =100 |
| h. Magic Johnson | 48 | 36 | 6 | 4 | 6 | =100 |
3. Now I'd like to ask about any news coverage of AIDS you have seen or heard on television, radio, or in newspapers and other media in the last year or so. (First,) have you seen or heard a lot of news, some news, only a little news, or no news at all about...(rotate) in the last year or so?
| | A lot of news
% | Some news
% | Only a little news
% | No news
% | Don't know
% |
| a. Ways to prevent or reduce the spread of AIDS | 27 | 44 | 22 | 6 | 1 | =100 |
| b. Health care, drugs and other treatments for AIDS patients | 20 | 47 | 27 | 6 | * | =100 |
| c. AIDS as a political issue | 18 | 37 | 30 | 14 | 1 | =100 |
| d. AIDS cases involving celebrities | 21 | 42 | 28 | 9 | * | =100 |
4. Thinking about all the news coverage of topics related to AIDS, do you think there is too much news coverage, too little news coverage, or is the amount of news coverage about topics related to AIDS about the right?
| Response | Total % |
| Too much | 6 |
| Too little | 46 |
| About right | 46 |
| Don't know/Refused | 2 |
| Total | 100 |
| *indicates a value of less than 0.5% |
5. When you see media coverage of celebrities who have AIDS, does it make you...
| Response | Total % |
| Feel more aware of the threat of AIDS to people like you?, or | 58 |
| Feel that what happens to celebrities doesn't have much to do with people like you? | 36 |
| Neither | 3 |
| Don't know/Refused | 3 |
| Total | 100 |
6. In the past month, have you seen or heard any public service announcements or ads about AIDS on television or radio?
| Response | Total % |
| Yes | 61 |
| No | 37 |
| Don't know/Refused | 2 |
| Total | 100 |
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