News consumption affects Canadians' levels of political engagement, Statistics Canada reported Tuesday.

The 2003 study found that not only was their political engagement impacted by the frequency they consumed news, but by the choices they make from the media sources available to them.

Canadians who frequently followed the news were more likely to participate in non-voting political activities such as: volunteering for a political party, signing a petition, or participating in a demonstration.

"This finding lends support to previous research that suggests that following the news and current affairs is related to being a more politically engaged citizen," the study said.

"Moreover, these same studies argue that individuals who use media that require them to read and engage more actively with the material being presented have higher levels of civic engagement and more knowledge of current affairs than those who use television as their primary or only source of news."

Those who relied only on television tended to participate in fewer non-voting political activities, than those who got their news from a variety of sources.

In fact, the government agency said that the participation of people who used only television as a source of news closely mirrored those who did not follow the news at all.

The finding supports previous U.S. research that associated lower rates of political participation with using television as the only source of news.

News consumption

The study also found that 89 per cent of Canadians followed the news daily or several times a week.

However, Canadians aged 65 and over were more likely to follow the news -- 95 per cent of them -- on a frequent basis than 79 per cent of young adults aged 19 to 24.

"It is unclear why this difference exists but previous research points to differences in the amount of time that can be devoted to following the news, as well as to generational differences," Statistics Canada reported.

Men, people who were married, workers employed as professionals or managers, and those with higher incomes, also followed the news more frequently.

Language most often spoken at home also appeared to impact one's news consumption. Canadians for whom French is the language of preference were most likely to follow the news at least several days a week.

Media diet

Most respondents who frequently followed current affairs almost always got some of their news from television, with 91 per cent citing it as a source.

Certain groups used television more than others, including: Canadians aged 45 and older, women, those married or living in a common-law relationship, those with household incomes below $60,000 per year, and people living in Quebec.

Meanwhile, 70 per cent of respondents who frequently followed current affairs read newspapers.

People with a higher consumption of newspapers included those 45 years and older, men, those with postsecondary education, individuals with household incomes above $60,000 per year, and those Canadians in a professional or management occupation.

Furthermore, 53 per cent of frequent news followers got some of their daily dose from the radio.

Seniors listened to the radio at a much higher rate than other Canadians, at 83 per cent.

Other groups who reported a high use of radio included those who are married or living common-law, individuals with some postsecondary education, in a professional or management occupation, those who speak English most often at home, and those living outside Quebec.

Internet consumption

The 2003 survey also found that 30 per cent of Canadians who frequently followed the news reported using the Internet.

"This is not surprising, since other studies have shown that accessing online news services is one of the most common things to do on the Internet," Statistics Canada said.

However the government agency warned that Internet use patterns have changed considerably since the study was conducted in 2003.

Among news junkies, use was most common among 19 to 24-year-olds, with 42 per cent of them surfing for current affairs on the Web.

It was the least common among seniors, at 9 per cent.

Respondents more likely to use the Internet as a news source:

• Men were more likely to use the Web than women
• Canadians with postsecondary education used it more often than those without
• Professionals and managers were twice as likely as other occupational groups
• Canadians with higher incomes used it more frequently than those in lower-income groups
• Those who speak a language other than English or French
• Frequent news users born outside Canada were more likely to use the Internet as a news source

"The Internet can provide news about other areas of the world in a more in-depth manner than might be possible with the more conventional sources of print and broadcast news," Statistics Canada said.

"Immigrants may also use the Internet more commonly as a news source due to the availability of news in their language of preference."

Multiple media sources

Canadians who follow the news daily or several times a week tend to get their information from more than one media source.

Only 17 per cent who followed the news frequently used a single source, which was likely television.

In contrast, 72 per cent consumed two to four sources of news. About 10 per cent used five types of media to get their news.

On average, news junkies consulted 2.7 media sources.

More specifically, those aged 45 to 64 used more sources than other age groups, as did men in comparison to women.

Those with postsecondary education also consulted a wider variety of sources than those with a high school diploma or less.

Among professionals and managers, 3.0 media sources were consulted, which is higher than that of other occupations, who used an average of 2.6 sources.

"This trend was also reflected in the finding that those Canadians whose household income is more than $60,000 per year consumed a wider variety of news media than any other income group," Statistics Canada reported.

Language preference also impacted the number of sources Canadians consumed on a daily basis.

Canadians who speak English at home relied on the most varied sources, followed by those who speak a language other than English or French. Those who speak French at home had the least varied media consumption.

On a regional basis, frequent users in Quebec and the Atlantic provinces chose fewer sources than their counterparts in the rest of Canada, as did those in rural areas.

"In order for the news diet to be varied, it is essential that media in many forms and in one's language of preference be readily available and personally accessible," the report said.

"Thus, when the selection offered is more limited, the tendency will be to turn to television as it is the staple that is almost universally available."