Canadians Cite Hurricane Sandy (20%) and U.S. Election (18%) as Top International Stories of 2012

Toronto, ON - Canadians believe the top two international news stories of the year occurred in the United States, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television. The data, collected prior to the Sandy Hook school shooting in Newton, Connecticut, reveal that Hurricane Sandy (20%) has been chosen as the top international story of 2012, with the U.S. Election (18%) a close second from among a list of 14 possibilities as assembled by Postmedia News. Rounding out the top five international news stories of the year are the Summer Olympic Games in London (14%), the Civil War in Syria (11%), and the NHL lockout (10%). The following table outlines in full the top international stories of 2012 as chosen by Canadians:

(Click to enlarge image)

• Men (14%) are nearly twice as likely as women (8%) to say that the top story was the Civil War in Syria.
• Canadian seniors (11%), aged 55+, are nearly three times as likely to say the top international story for the year was the Queen's Diamond Jubilee compared to younger Canadians (4%), aged 18-34, and middle-aged Canadians (4%), aged 35-54.
• Only residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba are more likely to believe that the top international story in 2012 was the U.S. Election (23%), not Hurricane Sandy (20%).

After the Sandy Hook school shooting on December 14th, Ipsos re-fielded the survey to see how this tragic event impacted the list of top international stories, understanding that it would be fresh in the minds of respondents when completing the survey. The new version of the survey resulted in the following ranking of top international news stories as chosen by Canadians:

(Click to enlarge image)

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between December 7th to 12th, 2012, on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television. For this survey, a sample of 1,021 Canadians from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case the poll is accurate to +/- 3.5 percentage points of the entire Canadian adult population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error. The re-fielding of the data took place from December 18 to 21 among 1.003 Canadians.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Reid Public Affairs
416.324.2002
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. In October 2011 Ipsos completed the acquisition of Synovate. The combination forms the world's third largest market research company.

With offices in 84 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management.

Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of e1,363 billion (1.897 billion USD) in 2011.

Visit www.ipsos-na.com to learn more about Ipsos' offerings and capabilities.