ISIS and Ebola Voted Top International News Stories for 2014

Toronto, ON - Canadians have voted ISIS terrorism and the Ebola outbreak in Africa as the top international news stories for 2014, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Global News.

One in three (33%) Canadians believe that the ISIS terrorism acts and the war in Iraq and Syria is the top international news story of the year, while a similar proportion (30%) believes that the top story belongs to the Ebola outbreak in Africa. These two stories placed well ahead of the other possible candidates as assembled by Global News.

Tied for a distant third place, one in ten believe the top international news story was the Russian takeover of the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine (9%) or the Malaysian Airlines double disasters - one missing in the Indian Ocean, the other shot down over Ukraine (9%).

Fewer think the top international news story is Boko Haram, the Islamist terrorist group in Africa that kidnapped 276 girls (5%), the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games (5%), the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza (4%), Philae the European Space Agency Probe that successfully landed on a comet (4%), or the capsizing of a Korean ferry killing 290 people (2%). Fewer than 1% believe that the Oscar Pistorius trial in South Africa was the top international news story of the year.

The data also reveal some interesting demographic differences:

• Men (35%) are more likely than women (31%) to believe ISIS was the top story, while women (35%) are significantly more likely than men (26%) to say the Ebola outbreak was the top story.
• Older Canadians aged 55+ (40%) are significantly more likely than those aged 35 to 54 (30%) or 18 to 34 (28%) to say that ISIS was the top story.
• Atlantic Canadians are more likely (41%) than average (33%) to say that ISIS was the top story.
• Those in BC (38%) and Alberta (38%) are more likely than average (30%) to say that Ebola was the top story.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between December 16 to 19, 2014 on behalf of Global News. For this survey, a sample of 1,005 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 within +/- 3.5 percentage points had all Canadians adults been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

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.

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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. Ipsos ranks third in the global research industry.

With offices in 86 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 e1,712,4 million (2 274 M$) in 2013.

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