Traditional media, including TV, radio, and newspapers, are the first news source for 72 percent of Americans, according to a survey from the First Amendment Center. The survey found that, while new innovations such as Twitter have attracted users and headlines, television and other traditional news media remain the dominant source for Americans on major new stories. 

Additionally, 71 percent still see a free press as a necessary "watchdog on government," though nearly half of those responding (49 percent) strongly disagreed with the statement that the news media reports the news without bias. 

The 2009 State of the First Amendment National Survey reports how Americans view their First Amendment freedoms, as well as the reach and credibility of emerging news media. Perhaps surprisingly, 19 percent of those surveyed believe that the first amendment goes too far in guaranteeing rights of speech, religion, press and assembly. 

Of those who had an opinion on Twitter, only 3 percent found it a "very reliable source of news" and 14 percent considered it "somewhat reliable," while 21 percent said it was "not reliable at all" and 13 percent said "not too reliable." Only 49 percent of the respondents claimed to have enough knowledge about Twitter to have an opinion at all. Television was the first source for major news stories for about half of all responding (49 percent), followed by the Internet at 15 percent, radio at 13 percent and newspapers at 10 percent. 

According to the survey, 48 percent of Americans say TV is the primary source for follow-up reports on those news stories, followed by the Internet at 29 percent and newspapers at 9 percent. Newer media such as Twitter and social networks only garnered 1 percent of the response.