Justin Bieber (17%) Edges out Stephen Harper (15%) as
Top Canadian Newsmaker of 2012

Toronto, ON - Stratford singing sensation Justin Bieber is the top Canadian newsmaker of 2012, according to new poll conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of Postmedia News and Global Television. According to Canadians, international teen singer and heartthrob Justin Bieber (17%) slightly edges out Prime Minister Stephen Harper (15%) for the accolade of the country's top newsmaker this year, among a list of 15 candidates assembled by Postmedia News. The table below outlines in full the top Canadian newsmakers of 2012.

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• Women (21%) are most likely to believe that Justin Bieber is the top Canadian newsmaker of the year, while men (18%) are most likely to believe the top newsmaker for 2012 is Stephen Harper.
• The top newsmaker according to younger Canadians, aged 18-34, is Justin Bieber (26%), twice the proportion who chose Rob Ford (13%), and Luka Magnotta (13%), the second choices among this demographic. Middle-aged Canadians (17%), aged 35-54, and Canadian seniors (18%), aged 55+, however, most believe Prime Minister Stephen Harper to be the year's top newsmaker.
• There is great regional variation amongst Canadians when it comes to the year's top Canadian newsmaker:
• Two in ten (20%) Columbians believe Amanda Todd was Canada's top newsmaker this year, only 1 pt. behind Stephen Harper (21%).
• Ontarians believe former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford (21%) is the top Canadian newsmaker for 2012
• Quebecers believe it to be newly-elected Premier and Parti Quebecois leader Pauline Marois (36%).
• Atlantic Canadians (23%) and Albertans (22%) are more likely than the national average to believe Justin Bieber was the top Canadians newsmaker

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.

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.