AMERICANS IDENTIFY MUSEUMS AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION THEY CAN REALLY TRUST

The American Association of Museums (AAM) recently commissioned a public opinion survey to assess the level of Americans' trust in museums as a source of objective information, and about their value for education. The following is a press release prepared by AAM that reports some of the findings:

In a skeptical age of information overload, what sources of information do Americans trust most? Is it books? Print and broadcast media? The Internet? None of the above. Almost 9 out of 10 Americans (87%) find museums to be one of the most trustworthy or a trustworthy source of information among a wide range of choices. Books are a distant second at 61%, and a majority of Americans find print and broadcast media and the Internet to be not trustworthy.

Edward H. Able, Jr., president and CEO of the American Association of Museums (AAM), announced during AAM's annual meeting in May in St. Louis the results of a recent AAM-commissioned national survey of the American people about museums as a source of education and information. The survey, conducted by Lake, Snell, Perry, a nationally recognized survey research firm, reveals that Americans view museums as "one of the most important resources for educating our children and as one of the most trustworthy sources of objective information."

The survey report notes that "among a wide range of information sources, museums are far and away the most trusted source of objective information. No other institution has a similar level of trust." Almost 9 out of 10 Americans (87%) find museums to be trustworthy, including 38% who see museums as one of the most trusted sources. Books are a distant second most-trusted source (61% finding them trustworthy, including 18% finding them one of the most trustworthy). Americans indicate a generally low level of confidence in the news media, with untrustworthiness percentages ranging from 50% for television news to 65% for newspapers to 76% for magazines. In addition, the survey reveals, as could be expected, that schools continue to be viewed by Americans as the most important educational source for children. Museums, however, along with libraries, are next in line among the institutions that people believe are important resources for this purpose.

In presenting the survey report, AAM President and CEO Edward H. Able, Jr. noted:

"To some extent we were not surprised by these findings. A 1998 book, The Presence of the Past, which documented Americans' trust in museums' treatment of history, indicated that Americans believe museum accounts of history even more than first-hand accounts by their own relatives. And a survey commissioned by the architectural firm Ueland Junker last year also indicated a high level of public trust in museums.

But the high degree of trust in comparison to that inspired by other types of information sources is striking, as is the information we asked the survey researchers to gather about why Americans take this view. We note that this rising level of trust parallels the increase in attendance at American museums, which is now 865 million visits per year; Americans are increasingly seeing for themselves what museums are doing now. Another factor may be that museums have become more transparent in their operations. The public's confidence in the validity of information presented by museums may be a reason why museums' growing collaboration with schools has been so well received. And public confidence in information presented by museums has given parents and grandparents the confidence to serve as teachers to their children and grandchildren when they visit a museum and use the museum's explanatory materials about the exhibits."

Museums view this very high level of trust as an awesome responsibility, reflecting not only what they have done in the past but also the public's ongoing expectations about museums as educators of the American people. America's museums will work every day to continue to be worthy of this level of trust.

KEY FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY:

* Americans trust museums and trust them the most. Almost 9 out of 10 Americans (87%) find museums to be trustworthy. No other institution has a similar level of trust. 38% find museums to be one of the most trustworthy sources.

* Everybody trusts museums. Americans of every demographic group, including gender, age, education, as well as in every area of the economy, believe that museums are a trustworthy source of objective information by at least 80% or more.

* Museums are primary contributors to the education of children. While schools continue to be viewed by Americans as first in importance in educating children, museums, along with libraries, are next in line among institutions that people believe are important education resources.

* Museums are trusted more than books. Books are a distant second most trust source (61% finding them trustworthy, including 18% finding them one of the most trustworthy).

* News media are not trusted. Americans indicate a generally low level of trust of the news media, with untrustworthiness percentages ranging from 50% for television news to 65% for newspapers to 76% for magazines.

* Most Americans visited a museum in the past year. Nearly 60% of Americans say they have visited an art museum, history museum, aquarium, zoo, botanical garden, or science and technology center within the past year.

* History, research, and facts. The public's trust in museums is based on three themes: they present history, they are research-oriented, and they deal in facts.

* Interaction vs. objective and independent. People are most evenly divided on whether museums are trustworthy because they present first-hand interaction with past events and history and/or because they offer independent and objective information.