Tag Archives: America

18Apr 2011

Healthy Parks, Healthy People: nearly 400 national parks for FREE during National Park Week 2011

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April 18, 2011, WASHINGTON, (Coal Geology)– The National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks, and the National Park Service are inviting people everywhere to experience the beauty and wonder of America’s nearly 400 national parks for FREE during National Park Week 2011 which officially began on Saturday, April 16 and runs until Sunday, April 24. Celebrating “Healthy Parks, Healthy People,” national parks across the country are encouraging people to come visit, get outdoors, and embrace a healthy lifestyle, while also embracing the importance of keeping our parks protected and preserved.

“Our national parks give people everywhere a fun and adventurous way to get outdoors, get active and get fit,” said Neil Mulholland, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation. “Our nation is blessed with nearly 400 national parks — and they all belong to you.  Join the National Park Foundation in showing your support. Take time this week to get out, visit, and experience these treasured places.”

Throughout the week, people are encouraged to share their National Park Week stories, photos, and videos online at http://www.facebook.com/nationalpark. In addition, The National Park Foundation will be giving away daily prizes including park passes, outdoor gear, and a trip to Shenandoah National Park with the “I Heart Parks” promotion running April 18 – April 22. Visit http://www.facebook.com/nationalpark for more information.

In honor of National Park Week, national parks across the country will be celebrating with special events.  Information can be found at www.nationalparkweek.org.  Just some of the FREE activities taking place this week across the nation include:

  • Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve (Louisiana)

Monday, April 18

9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. CT

Take an hour-long stroll along the Mississippi River levee for an overview of New Orleans history. 25 free tickets are distributed at 9:00 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis at the French Quarter Visitor Center, 419 Decatur Street, New Orleans.

  • Biscayne National Park (Florida)

Tuesday, April 19

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET

Explore Biscayne National Park’s mangrove shoreline on a leisurely paddle to learn about mangroves, manatees, fish and more.

  • Amistad National Recreation Area (Texas)

Wednesday, April 20

8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. CT

Join a ranger and volunteers for a bird walk below the Amistad Dam.

  • Muir Woods National Monument (California)

Thursday, April 21 (John Muir’s birthday)

8:00 a.m. PT

Start the morning off with a quiet walk through what John Muir called “the best tree-lover’s monument in all the forests of the world.”

  • Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

Friday, April 22 (Earth Day)

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET

Celebrate Earth Day with a 5-mile hike on Ledges area trails and learn how organizations and individuals worked together to plant seeds of conservation in the Cuyahoga Valley.

  • Jewel Cave National Monument (South Dakota)

Saturday, April 23 (Junior Ranger Day)

9:00 a.m. MT

Young visitors and their families are invited to take a guided hike on the one-quarter mile Roof Trail and learn about the second longest cave in the world.

Visit www.nationalparkweek.org for more information on National Park Week including a full listing of events, get FREE national park travel guides, details on how you can share your park adventure with other travelers, and information about how you can support the parks.

Whether it is during National Park Week, or any other day of the year, it is the generous support of individuals, foundations and corporations that allow the National Park Foundation to continue its Congressionally-chartered mission to support and protect America’s treasured national parks. Give today at www.nationalparks.org to the National Park Foundation and your gift will be MATCHED up to $50,000! With your help we can provide the necessary support to America’s nearly 400 national parks.

The National Park Foundation is proud to recognize Aramark Parks and Destinations, Bank of America, Energizer, Peace Cereal and The North Face for their support of National Park Week.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION

You are the owner of 84 million acres of the world’s most treasured landscapes, ecosystems, and historic sites – all protected in America’s nearly 400 national parks.  Chartered by Congress, the National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national parks.  We work hand in hand with the National Park Service to connect you and all Americans to the parks, and to make sure that they are preserved for the generations who will follow.

Join us – This is Your Land. www.nationalparks.org
FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/nationalpark
TWITTER http://twitter.com/goparks

Media Contact: Alanna Sobel, 202.354.6480
asobel@nationalparks.org

SOURCE National Park Foundation

Web Site: http://www.nationalparks.org

12Apr 2011

Large majorities, including most African Americans, oppose changing ‘nigger’ to ‘slave’ in “Huckleberry Finn”

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April 12, 2011, NEW YORK, (Coal Geology)– Banning or censoring books has been debated for years.  A new Harris Poll shows, however, that a majority of Americans think no books should be banned completely (56%) while fewer than one in five say there are books which should be banned (18%); a quarter are not at all sure (26%).  The older and less educated people are, the more likely they are to say that there are some books which should be banned completely.  Opinions on banning books are linked to political philosophy: almost three quarters of Liberals (73%) say no books should be banned, compared to six in ten Moderates (60%) but only two in five Conservatives (41%) who say no books should be banned.

[ReviewAZON asin="B004GHNIRU" display="inlinepost"]These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,379 adults surveyed online between March 7 and 14, 2011 by Harris Interactive.

Books in School Libraries

While few Americans think that there are books which should be banned completely, opinions differ on books that should be available to children in school libraries.  Strong majorities say that children should be able to get The Holy Bible (83%) and books that discuss evolution (76%) from school libraries.  Majorities also say so for other religious texts such as the Torah or Talmud (59%) and the Koran (57%), but approximately a quarter say these texts should not be available (24% and 28%, respectively) to children in school libraries.  Half or more say that children should be able to get books with vampires (57%), books with references to drugs or alcohol (52%) and books with witchcraft or sorcery (50%) in school libraries, but between 34% and 41% say that each of these types of books should not be available there.  There is no consensus on books with references to sex (48% say they should be available, 45% say they should not) and violence (44% say should, 48% say should not).  A majority of Americans say, however, that books with explicit language should not be available to children in school libraries (62%).

Additional results include:

  • Older Americans are significantly more likely than those younger to say each type of book listed should not be available in school libraries with one exception—Echo Boomers (aged 18-34) are more likely than Matures (aged 66 and older) to say that The Holy Bible should not be available to children in school libraries (15% vs. 9%);
  • Women are more likely than men to think each type of book listed should not be available to children in school libraries with the exception of the religious texts (The Holy Bible, the Torah, Talmud and Koran), which men are slightly more likely to say should not be available; and,
  • The more education one has the less likely they are to say that each type of book listed should not be available to children in school libraries (there is between an 8 and 25 percentage point difference between those who have a post graduate education and those who have not attended college on what types of books should not be available to children in school libraries).

Changing Huckleberry Finn ?

One reason for asking these questions is the current debate about changing the word “nigger” to “slave” every time it appears in Mark Twain’s classic American novel, Huckleberry Finn. When asked if they support or oppose this change only 13% of Americans say they support it and 77% say they oppose it with six in ten (59%) strongly opposing it.  Men and those with more education are more likely than women and those with less education to oppose this change.  Additionally:

  • Despite stronger support for some book censorship explored in this survey, Conservatives are equally as likely as Moderates and Liberals to oppose this change to Huckleberry Finn (76%, 78% and 77%, respectively);
  • White adults are more likely to oppose this change (80%) than are those who are Hispanic (71%) or Black (63%); and,
  • Despite its setting in the antebellum South, Southerners do not have outlying opinions regarding the proposed changes to Huckleberry Finn.  Rather, Easterners are least opposed to the changes (71%) and Midwesterners are most opposed (81%) with Southerners and Midwesterners falling in the middle (78% and 79% respectively).

So What?

In this survey the minorities are as interesting as the majorities: large numbers of adults think that The Holy Bible (11%), the Torah (24%), the Koran (28%), books with vampires (34%) or ones which discuss evolution (16%) should not be available in school libraries, and 18% of the public think some books should be banned completely, including 26% of Conservatives and 29% of Matures.

TABLE 1A

BOOKS CHILDREN SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET FROM SCHOOL LIBRARIES

“Do you think that children should or should not be able to get the following books, or types of books, from school libraries?”
Base: All adults
Should (NET) Definitely should Probably should Should not (NET) Probably should not Definitely should not Not at all sure
% % % % % % %
The Holy Bible 83 62 21 11 5 5 6
Books that discuss evolution 76 46 30 16 8 7 8
The Torah or Talmud 59 32 27 24 10 14 17
The Koran 57 31 25 28 11 18 15
Books which include vampires 57 23 33 34 20 14 9
Books with references to drugs or alcohol 52 22 29 41 27 14 7
Books which include witchcraft or sorcery 50 22 29 41 20 20 9
Books with references to sex 48 20 28 45 28 17 7
Books with references to violence 44 17 27 48 32 17 8
Books with explicit language 32 16 16 62 32 30 6
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding
TABLE 1B

BOOKS CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET FROM SCHOOL LIBRARIES

“Do you think that children should or should not be able to get
the following books, or types of books, from school libraries?”

Summary of those saying “probably should not” or
“definitely should not”
Base: All adults
Total Generation Gender
Echo Boomers (18-34) Gen X (35-46) Baby Boomers (47-65) Matures (66+) Male Female
% % % % % % %
Books with explicit language 62 48 61 68 74 57 67
Books with references to violence 48 34 47 52 67 43 54
Books with references to sex 45 39 43 50 49 40 50
Books with references to drugs or alcohol 41 38 40 41 47 39 42
Books which include witchcraft or sorcery 41 26 32 47 62 40 41
Books which include vampires 34 18 22 40 64 32 36
The Koran 28 25 27 25 43 30 27
The Torah or Talmud 24 20 22 21 37 25 23
Books that discuss evolution 16 12 16 14 26 15 17
The Holy Bible 11 15 11 7 9 11 10
Total Education Political Philosophy
H.S. or less Some college College grad Post grad Cons. Mod. Lib.
% % % % % % % %
Books with explicit language 62 65 62 58 53 74 61 42
Books with references to violence 48 55 49 38 38 56 49 33
Books with references to sex 45 51 44 39 35 58 43 30
Books with references to drugs or alcohol 41 46 42 35 27 50 41 26
Books which include witchcraft or sorcery 41 48 41 32 25 52 42 19
Books which include vampires 34 40 33 25 27 42 35 17
The Koran 28 38 26 18 13 39 26 16
The Torah or Talmud 24 32 23 15 11 30 22 16
Books that discuss evolution 16 22 14 11 5 25 14 7
The Holy Bible 11 14 11 5 6 7 12 13
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding
TABLE 2

ARE THERE BOOKS WHICH SHOULD BE BANNED COMPLETELY

“Do you think that there are any books which should be
banned completely?”
Base: All adults
Total Generation Political Philosophy Education
Echo Boomers (18-34) Gen X (35-46) Baby Boomers (47-65) Matures (66+) Cons. Mod. Lib. H.S. or less Some college College grad Post

grad

% % % % % % % % % % % %
Yes 18 13 15 19 29 26 15 12 20 18 16 15
No 56 68 59 56 36 41 60 73 49 58 64 68
Not at all sure 26 19 26 25 35 33 25 14 31 24 20 17
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding
TABLE 3

SHOULD HUCKLEBERRY FINN BE CENSORED

“Some believe that the word “nigger” should be removed from where it appears in Mark Twain’s classic American novel, Huckleberry Finn, and be replaced by the word “slave”.  Do you support or oppose this change?”
Base: All adults
Total Political Philosophy Education
Cons. Mod. Lib. H.S. or less Some college College grad Post grad
% % % % % % % %
Support (NET) 13 14 13 12 15 14 9 8
Strongly support 7 6 7 8 8 6 5 5
Somewhat support 7 8 6 5 7 8 4 3
Oppose (NET) 77 76 78 77 73 77 83 87
Somewhat oppose 19 16 20 19 17 18 22 23
Strongly oppose 59 60 58 58 56 59 62 64
Not at all sure 9 10 9 10 12 9 8 5
Total Race Gender Region
White Black Hisp. Male Female East Midwest South West
% % % % % % % % % %
Support (NET) 13 11 27 16 11 15 17 12 13 11
Strongly support 7 5 19 8 5 8 9 6 6 5
Somewhat support 7 6 7 9 6 7 7 7 7 6
Oppose (NET) 77 80 63 71 81 74 71 81 78 79
Somewhat oppose 19 18 23 14 18 19 17 20 22 14
Strongly oppose 59 62 40 57 63 54 55 61 56 65
Not at all sure 9 9 10 12 8 11 12 6 10 10
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

Methodology

This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States between March 7 to 14, 2011 among 2,379 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words “margin of error” as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

The results of this Harris Poll may not be used in advertising, marketing or promotion without the prior written permission of Harris Interactive.

J39773

Q905, 910, 920

The Harris Poll ® #47, April 12, 2011

Most Americans Opposed to Banning Any Books

Large majorities, including most African Americans, oppose changing ‘nigger’ to ‘slave’ in “Huckleberry Finn”

NEW YORK, April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Banning or censoring books has been debated for years.  A new Harris Poll shows, however, that a majority of Americans think no books should be banned completely (56%) while fewer than one in five say there are books which should be banned (18%); a quarter are not at all sure (26%).  The older and less educated people are, the more likely they are to say that there are some books which should be banned completely.  Opinions on banning books are linked to political philosophy: almost three quarters of Liberals (73%) say no books should be banned, compared to six in ten Moderates (60%) but only two in five Conservatives (41%) who say no books should be banned.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100517/NY06256LOGO)

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,379 adults surveyed online between March 7 and 14, 2011 by Harris Interactive.

Books in School Libraries

While few Americans think that there are books which should be banned completely, opinions differ on books that should be available to children in school libraries.  Strong majorities say that children should be able to get The Holy Bible (83%) and books that discuss evolution (76%) from school libraries.  Majorities also say so for other religious texts such as the Torah or Talmud (59%) and the Koran (57%), but approximately a quarter say these texts should not be available (24% and 28%, respectively) to children in school libraries.  Half or more say that children should be able to get books with vampires (57%), books with references to drugs or alcohol (52%) and books with witchcraft or sorcery (50%) in school libraries, but between 34% and 41% say that each of these types of books should not be available there.  There is no consensus on books with references to sex (48% say they should be available, 45% say they should not) and violence (44% say should, 48% say should not).  A majority of Americans say, however, that books with explicit language should not be available to children in school libraries (62%).

Additional results include:

  • Older Americans are significantly more likely than those younger to say each type of book listed should not be available in school libraries with one exception—Echo Boomers (aged 18-34) are more likely than Matures (aged 66 and older) to say that The Holy Bible should not be available to children in school libraries (15% vs. 9%);
  • Women are more likely than men to think each type of book listed should not be available to children in school libraries with the exception of the religious texts (The Holy Bible, the Torah, Talmud and Koran), which men are slightly more likely to say should not be available; and,
  • The more education one has the less likely they are to say that each type of book listed should not be available to children in school libraries (there is between an 8 and 25 percentage point difference between those who have a post graduate education and those who have not attended college on what types of books should not be available to children in school libraries).

Changing Huckleberry Finn ?

One reason for asking these questions is the current debate about changing the word “nigger” to “slave” every time it appears in Mark Twain’s classic American novel, Huckleberry Finn. When asked if they support or oppose this change only 13% of Americans say they support it and 77% say they oppose it with six in ten (59%) strongly opposing it.  Men and those with more education are more likely than women and those with less education to oppose this change.  Additionally:

  • Despite stronger support for some book censorship explored in this survey, Conservatives are equally as likely as Moderates and Liberals to oppose this change to Huckleberry Finn (76%, 78% and 77%, respectively);
  • White adults are more likely to oppose this change (80%) than are those who are Hispanic (71%) or Black (63%); and,
  • Despite its setting in the antebellum South, Southerners do not have outlying opinions regarding the proposed changes to Huckleberry Finn.  Rather, Easterners are least opposed to the changes (71%) and Midwesterners are most opposed (81%) with Southerners and Midwesterners falling in the middle (78% and 79% respectively).

So What?

In this survey the minorities are as interesting as the majorities: large numbers of adults think that The Holy Bible (11%), the Torah (24%), the Koran (28%), books with vampires (34%) or ones which discuss evolution (16%) should not be available in school libraries, and 18% of the public think some books should be banned completely, including 26% of Conservatives and 29% of Matures.

TABLE 1A

BOOKS CHILDREN SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET FROM SCHOOL LIBRARIES

“Do you think that children should or should not be able to get the following books, or types of books, from school libraries?”
Base: All adults
Should (NET) Definitely should Probably should Should not (NET) Probably should not Definitely should not Not at all sure
% % % % % % %
The Holy Bible 83 62 21 11 5 5 6
Books that discuss evolution 76 46 30 16 8 7 8
The Torah or Talmud 59 32 27 24 10 14 17
The Koran 57 31 25 28 11 18 15
Books which include vampires 57 23 33 34 20 14 9
Books with references to drugs or alcohol 52 22 29 41 27 14 7
Books which include witchcraft or sorcery 50 22 29 41 20 20 9
Books with references to sex 48 20 28 45 28 17 7
Books with references to violence 44 17 27 48 32 17 8
Books with explicit language 32 16 16 62 32 30 6
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding
TABLE 1B

BOOKS CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET FROM SCHOOL LIBRARIES

“Do you think that children should or should not be able to get
the following books, or types of books, from school libraries?”

Summary of those saying “probably should not” or
“definitely should not”
Base: All adults
Total Generation Gender
Echo Boomers (18-34) Gen X (35-46) Baby Boomers (47-65) Matures (66+) Male Female
% % % % % % %
Books with explicit language 62 48 61 68 74 57 67
Books with references to violence 48 34 47 52 67 43 54
Books with references to sex 45 39 43 50 49 40 50
Books with references to drugs or alcohol 41 38 40 41 47 39 42
Books which include witchcraft or sorcery 41 26 32 47 62 40 41
Books which include vampires 34 18 22 40 64 32 36
The Koran 28 25 27 25 43 30 27
The Torah or Talmud 24 20 22 21 37 25 23
Books that discuss evolution 16 12 16 14 26 15 17
The Holy Bible 11 15 11 7 9 11 10
Total Education Political Philosophy
H.S. or less Some college College grad Post grad Cons. Mod. Lib.
% % % % % % % %
Books with explicit language 62 65 62 58 53 74 61 42
Books with references to violence 48 55 49 38 38 56 49 33
Books with references to sex 45 51 44 39 35 58 43 30
Books with references to drugs or alcohol 41 46 42 35 27 50 41 26
Books which include witchcraft or sorcery 41 48 41 32 25 52 42 19
Books which include vampires 34 40 33 25 27 42 35 17
The Koran 28 38 26 18 13 39 26 16
The Torah or Talmud 24 32 23 15 11 30 22 16
Books that discuss evolution 16 22 14 11 5 25 14 7
The Holy Bible 11 14 11 5 6 7 12 13
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding
TABLE 2

ARE THERE BOOKS WHICH SHOULD BE BANNED COMPLETELY

“Do you think that there are any books which should be
banned completely?”
Base: All adults
Total Generation Political Philosophy Education
Echo Boomers (18-34) Gen X (35-46) Baby Boomers (47-65) Matures (66+) Cons. Mod. Lib. H.S. or less Some college College grad Post

grad

% % % % % % % % % % % %
Yes 18 13 15 19 29 26 15 12 20 18 16 15
No 56 68 59 56 36 41 60 73 49 58 64 68
Not at all sure 26 19 26 25 35 33 25 14 31 24 20 17
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding
TABLE 3

SHOULD HUCKLEBERRY FINN BE CENSORED

“Some believe that the word “nigger” should be removed from where it appears in Mark Twain’s classic American novel, Huckleberry Finn, and be replaced by the word “slave”.  Do you support or oppose this change?”
Base: All adults
Total Political Philosophy Education
Cons. Mod. Lib. H.S. or less Some college College grad Post grad
% % % % % % % %
Support (NET) 13 14 13 12 15 14 9 8
Strongly support 7 6 7 8 8 6 5 5
Somewhat support 7 8 6 5 7 8 4 3
Oppose (NET) 77 76 78 77 73 77 83 87
Somewhat oppose 19 16 20 19 17 18 22 23
Strongly oppose 59 60 58 58 56 59 62 64
Not at all sure 9 10 9 10 12 9 8 5
Total Race Gender Region
White Black Hisp. Male Female East Midwest South West
% % % % % % % % % %
Support (NET) 13 11 27 16 11 15 17 12 13 11
Strongly support 7 5 19 8 5 8 9 6 6 5
Somewhat support 7 6 7 9 6 7 7 7 7 6
Oppose (NET) 77 80 63 71 81 74 71 81 78 79
Somewhat oppose 19 18 23 14 18 19 17 20 22 14
Strongly oppose 59 62 40 57 63 54 55 61 56 65
Not at all sure 9 9 10 12 8 11 12 6 10 10
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

Methodology

This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States between March 7 to 14, 2011 among 2,379 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words “margin of error” as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

The results of this Harris Poll may not be used in advertising, marketing or promotion without the prior written permission of Harris Interactive.

J39773

Q905, 910, 920

The Harris Poll ® #47, April 12, 2011

By Samantha Braverman, Sr. Project Researcher, Harris Interactive

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is one of the world’s leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through our North American, European, and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us – and our clients – stay ahead of what’s next. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

Press Contact:
Corporate Communications
Harris Interactive
212-539-9600
press@harrisinteractive.net

SOURCE Harris Interactive

Web Site: http://www.facebook.com/harrisinteractive?ref=share 

By Samantha Braverman, Sr. Project Researcher, Harris Interactive

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is one of the world’s leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through our North American, European, and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us – and our clients – stay ahead of what’s next. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

Press Contact:
Corporate Communications
Harris Interactive
212-539-9600
press@harrisinteractive.net

SOURCE Harris Interactive

Web Site: http://www.facebook.com/harrisinteractive?ref=share

10Apr 2011

Tips to Protect Your Identity Online: More than 10 million Americans fall victim to identity theft each year

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April 10, 2011, LAS VEGAS, NV  (Coal Geology) - More than 10 million Americans fall victim to identity theft each year, and victims can spend more than 300 hours over the course of six to twelve months repairing the damage. Being careful about what information you supply and to whom can help prevent you from becoming a victim of identity theft. To combat online identity theft, Instant Checkmate is pleased to offer helpful tips to help individuals protect their identities online.

[ReviewAZON asin="0470597224" display="inlinepost"]Limit the number of website operators to which you provide personal information. Get a generic free e-mail account at Yahoo! or gmail.com and make up registration information you can use on any website that insists on registering its visitors for non-essential services. While you’re at it, uncheck any default authorizations to share your information with third parties and disallow any emails that are offered by default. As a bonus, your generic email account will catch the spam that would otherwise land in your inbox.

Don’t allow Web site operators to store your personal and/or financial information. The transaction information itself may not be vulnerable, but retailers can lose your stored credit information through lax network security and internal theft. Instead, check out as a guest whenever a retailer presents that option.

For online shopping and bill paying, consider purchasing a Visa gift card at your bank. Register it with the bank, which will associate your name and address with the card and enable online purchase authorizations. Use this card exclusively for your online purchases and bill payments. Recharge it whenever you need to but limit the recharge to the amount you know you’ll be spending. If the card gets stolen, report the loss to the bank, get a new gift card and start over. The rest of your financial identity will remain safe.

About Instant Checkmate

Instant Checkmate is an online background check service available to both businesses and individuals on a subscription basis. Results include comprehensive federal, state and local criminal background checks, including sex offender registries, and publicly available information including financial and credit information stored in private databases. For more information about Instant CheckMate, please visit our website or call 866-490-5980 to speak with a customer support representative.

05Apr 2011

A majority of American households now have two or more computers (51%)

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April 5, 2011, COLUMBIA, Md.,(Coal Geology)- The percentage of Americans age 12 and older who have a smartphone has more than doubled in the past year, from 14 percent to 31 percent of the population according to the new national survey from Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) and Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 2011: Navigating Digital Platforms.

The study, released today, is the 19th in a series of studies dating back to 1998.  Among the many other findings:

  • Facebook is now being used by a majority of all Americans age 12 and over (51%); this number was only 8% when Arbitron/Edison Research first measured the social media phenomenon in 2008.
  • A majority of American households now have two or more computers (51%); as compared to 24% of households in 2002.
  • Usage of online radio is up significantly, with weekly usage of all forms of online radio having doubled in the last five years; self-reported weekly time spent with online radio is now nearly 10 hours (9 hours 47 minutes).
  • Daily time spent with TV, Radio and the Internet combined has increased by 20 percent in the last ten years, with self-reported daily usage now at 8 hours 11 minutes compared to 6 hours 50 minutes in 2001.
  • Just under one-third of all Americans (31%) have plugged an MP3 player such as an Apple iPod into their car stereo systems.
  • One in ten Americans report listening to Pandora Internet Radio in the week before they were surveyed.
  • Among the 81% of American households with Internet access, two-thirds now have a Wi-Fi network installed.
  • More than one-tenth of all cell phone owners have listened to online radio streamed in their cars by connecting their phones to their car stereo system.

“When you consider the rapid growth in ownership of smartphones in context with the continued rise in the use of social media it becomes increasingly clear that these platforms are fueling fundamental changes in consumer expectations and how they use media,” said Bill Rose, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Arbitron Inc.

“What’s fascinating about the Internet over the past ten years is the additive effect it has had upon the American media diet, which continues to expand,” said Tom Webster, Vice President of Strategy and Marketing, Edison Research. “Rather than crowding other forms of media off the plate, so to speak, digital media is being consumed simultaneously with offline media, and in venues and opportunities where media might not have been consumed previously.”

Since 1998, this notable research series has reported on and analyzed consumer use of the Internet, digital platforms and their impact on radio.

“This study provides further evidence of radio’s continued resilience and relevance in today’s digital landscape,” said Arbitron’s Rose.

“The ubiquity of social media usage — and Facebook, in particular  — has had an enormous impact upon the ways in which people communicate with each other – which has profoundly affected not only how companies market themselves, but also how they hire and train internally,” said Webster from Edison Research.

This study, as well as previous studies, may be downloaded free of charge via the Arbitron and Edison Research Web sites at www.arbitron.com and www.edisonresearch.com.

How the study was conducted

A total of 2,020 persons were interviewed to investigate Americans’ use of digital platforms and new media.  From January 4 to February 2, 2011, telephone interviews were conducted with respondents age 12 and older chosen at random from a national sample of Arbitron’s Fall 2010 survey diarykeepers and through random digit dialing (RDD) sampling in  geographic areas where Arbitron diarykeepers were not available for the survey.  Diarykeepers represent 46% of the completed interviews and RDD sampled respondents represent 54% of the completed interviews.  The study includes a total of 480 cell phone interviews.

About Arbitron

Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) is a media and marketing information services firm primarily serving radio, television, cable, advertising agencies, advertisers, retailers, out-of-home media, and online media. Arbitron’s core businesses are measuring and estimating network and local market radio audiences across the United States; providing application software used for analyzing our media audience and marketing information data; and providing consumer, shopping, and other media usage information services. The Company has developed the Portable People Meter™, a new technology for media and marketing research.

About Edison Research

Edison Research conducts survey research and provides strategic information to radio stations, television stations, newspapers, cable networks, record labels, Internet companies and other media organizations. Edison Research is also the sole provider of election exit poll data for the six major news organizations: ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, NBC and the Associated Press. Edison Research works with many of the largest American radio ownership groups, including Entercom, Clear Channel, Citadel, CBS Radio, Bonneville and Westwood One; and also conducts strategic and opinion research for a broad array of companies including Time Warner, Google, Yahoo!, Sony Music, the Voice of America, See Saw Networks and Zenithmedia. Edison Research has a seventeen year history of thought-leadership in media research, and has provided services to successful media properties in South America, Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe.

Portable People Meter™ and PPM™ are marks of Arbitron Inc.

SOURCE Arbitron Inc.
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