Most Chicagoans Are Content with Local News but Stigmatize Opioid Use Disorder
ChicagoSpeaks is the only probability-based panel built exclusively for Chicago, giving decision-makers reliable evidence on residents’ opinions and priorities.
December 2024
A ChicagoSpeaks® survey from NORC at the University of Chicago reveals key insights about news habits in Chicago and residents’ perceptions of opioid use disorder.
Chicagoans consider news about the weather most important for their daily lives, followed by crime and traffic news. Religion, immigration, local sports, and obituaries are viewed as least important or interesting by Chicagoans.
Chicagoans’ satisfaction with the news coverage of topics tends to track with how important they perceive that topic. Three quarters of Chicagoans are satisfied with the information they receive about the weather. Six in 10 are satisfied with the news they receive about traffic. But Chicagoans are less satisfied (48 percent) with news they receive about crime and public safety.
Additionally, 65 percent of Chicagoans say they have no issues accessing local news. However, 16 percent view the cost of a subscription to a local news outlet as a barrier, and 13 percent say there aren’t enough local news outlets in their area. Seven percent say lack of news sources in their preferred language is an issue.
The most popular source for news overall among Chicagoans is national broadcast networks. Thirteen percent prefer local television news, and about 1 in 10 most frequently tune into YouTube, CNN, or Fox News.
“Most Chicago residents are satisfied with their local news landscape, but views on opioid use disorder reveal a more complicated picture.”
Most Chicagoans are unwilling to work with someone currently experiencing opioid use disorder or are uncomfortable with them marrying into their family. About half of Chicagoans say those currently experiencing opioid use disorder cannot be trusted and are more dangerous than the general population.
These attitudes extend to perceptions of people who have experienced opioid use disorder in the past. The stigma persists for some, even for those who are in recovery. A quarter of Chicagoans remain unwilling to work closely with someone with a past history of opioid use disorder. Four in 10 are uncomfortable with someone with a past history marrying into their family.
At the same time, many residents express confidence in the potential effectiveness of treatment. Many Chicagoans are optimistic about treatments for opioid use disorder. The majority believe evidence-based treatments can help people recover, and 43 percent agree that FDA-approved medications are effective in treating it. However, most Chicago residents say finding treatment is difficult. Only a quarter of residents say effective treatment is easy to find.
Methodology
The Chicago poll was conducted November 14–December 2, 2024 using ChicagoSpeaks®, NORC at the University of Chicago’s probability-based panel of Chicago residents. Overall, 1,097 Chicago residents completed the survey, including 572 probability cases and 525 non-probability cases. The overall margin of sampling error is +/- 4.5 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level, including the design effect. The margin of sampling error may be higher for subgroups.
NORC conducted the survey using three sample sources: (1) AmeriSpeak® panelists residing in Chicago, (2) ChicagoSpeaks panelists, and (3) Chicago residents from Dynata’s web panel. AmeriSpeak and ChicagoSpeaks are probability-based panels and Dynata is a non-probability panel. Final survey estimates were calibrated to account for the three sample sources. This research supports a scientifically rigorous, community-driven resource that informs policymakers and the public about the experiences and opinions of Chicago residents.
Interviews were conducted online in English and Spanish with Chicago residents ages 18 and older. AmeriSpeak panelists were invited through the password-protected AmeriSpeak Mobile App and received email reminders. ChicagoSpeaks panelists received a combination of email and SMS communications, while Dynata used their typical panel recruitment methods. Respondents were offered a small monetary incentive for completing the survey.
Quality assurance checks were conducted to ensure data quality. In total, 21 interviews were removed for nonresponse to at least 50 percent of the questions asked of them or for completing the survey in less than one-third the median interview time for the full sample. These interviews were excluded from the data file prior to weighting.
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About ChicagoSpeaks
Funded and operated by NORC at the University of Chicago, ChicagoSpeaks® is a probability-based panel designed to be representative of the Chicago household population.
For more information, email ChicagoSpeaks-BD@norc.org.
About NORC at the University of Chicago
NORC at the University of Chicago conducts research and analysis that decision-makers trust. As a nonpartisan research organization and a pioneer in measuring and understanding the world, we have studied almost every aspect of the human experience and every major news event for more than eight decades. Today, we partner with government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world to provide the objectivity and expertise necessary to inform the critical decisions facing society.
Contact: For more information, please email press@norc.org or call (877) 832-0392.
