Americans Consider Museums a Trustworthy Information Source

Posted on October 13, 2000

A study recently released shows that 43-percent of Americans consider museums to be more ``trustworthy'' than any other information source. The survey, commissioned by the nationally recognized museum exhibit design firm of Ueland Junker McCauley and Nicholson, asked respondents to compare museums with books, newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and the Internet on a range of issues. The national survey, carried out by RKM Research and the Western Research Group, is correct within five-percent.

Respondents to the study were asked what they considered the ``most trustworthy source of objective information.'' The 43-percent who trust museums the most was more than double the next highest tally -- 18-percent of Americans said books. Nine-percent of respondents said newspapers were most trustworthy, eight-percent the Internet, and television, radio and magazines each rated six-percent.

``Traditionally, Americans have been people who seek the truth,'' said Mark Ueland, partner at Ueland Junker McCauley and Nicholson. ``What they're saying in this poll is that museums give them more truth than other media, and that says a great deal about the value of museums in our culture.''

``The best-designed museums teach in an enticing and entertaining fashion,'' said Ueland. ``This study shows that people appreciate museums because they can have fun when they go to them, but they also know that they're going to come away with something more substantial.''

The poll shows that museums are considered an important part of the American cultural fabric -- 30-percent deemed museums the ``most important cultural institution,'' second only to libraries (57-percent). Concert halls, stadiums, and other cultural venues (one to five-percent) also were considered.



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