How do I find information about a particular media industry and how do I compare information across media industries?

Look at the "rail" on the left. In the upper half you will find a tab for each of the media platforms. Click it, and you will see top stories for that medium and a listing of each of the metrics about that particular medium.

In the lower half of that rail, you will see topics that are set up to be compared across the media. Click on them to see how the topic noted on the tab plays out for each media platform where it applies.

What are the sources for the data provided on the site?

Wherever data has been taken from an outside source, that source is noted and, usually, a link to that organization is provided. When no source is noted, the Media Management Center, the developer of this site, put together the numbers.

Where do you get the news stories that appear on your site?

The news stories on the site come daily from YellowBrix, Inc., an electronic information service for the corporate market. Content is drawn from major newspapers, wire services, trade publications, and other sources. Through its relationship with YellowBrix, MediaInfoCenter.org can offer visitors up-to-the-minute media-related content from authoritative global sources, including Advertising Age, Broadcasting & Cable, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, and more than 150 other daily newspapers.

If I want to learn more about a particular medium, where should I look beyond this site?

Our Sources and Related Links page is a good place to start.

Are there any comparisons on this site that are not truly comparable?

Yes, there are data that are not fully comparable. The reason is that the media industries use comparable terms, but not comparable definitions for their data.

For instance, both television and radio report the "average age of audience," but the ages may not be comparable because television usually bases average age on viewers age 18+ years while radio usually bases average age on listeners age 12+ years. Hence, the term "average age of listener or viewer" sounds like it should be comparable, but it really isn't. (Newspapers and magazines also base audience measures on readers age 18+ years.)

Another example of a measure that sounds similar but isn't is the term top 50 markets. Television's top 50 markets are based on the number of TV households, while radio's top 50 markets are based on population age 12+ years.

Time spent per day on each media is an example where data are comparable but are not really meaningful. For example, magazines are not published on a daily cycle,hence they have significantly less minutes on an average day.

Wherever this happens, site users will find an (*) that is footnoted with an explanation of the disparity.

Is the data on this site copyrighted and can data from this site be downloaded and used in other sites, publications, etc?

Yes, the data on the site is copyrighted by the Media Management Center and, often, by the organization that provided it. Hence, if it is used or referred to, please credit the Media Management Center and www.MediaInfoCenter.org.

Where appropriate, please check with, receive permission from, and credit the outside organization that provided data before it is used or referred to.

How can I contact you?

You can direct questions or suggestions to:

Jim Galloy
Director of Administration, Media Management Center, Northwestern University
E-mail: j-galloy@northwestern.edu
Phone: (847) 491-4900