With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
US Census to offer online survey option for the first time
Listen
• 0:57
The U.S. Census Bureau, which collects demographic and economic data for almost every household in the country, is about to go digital.
(
PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images
)
The U.S. Census Bureau, which collects demographic and economic data for almost every household in the country, is about to go digital at long last.
As the cost of reaching America's increasingly diverse (and mobile) residents grows higher, the thrifty bonus of a paperless Census is seeming even more attractive than in past years. That’s what U.S. Census Bureau Director, Robert Groves, recently told the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in Congress.
For more than a decade, the Bureau has been concerned about the possibility that personal data could be hacked. There’s also been fear that an online survey wouldn’t reach many immigrant residents who don’t have Web access, or who are wary of placing their personal information on the internet.
According to Census Bureau researchers, in trial surveys, online respondents have been more likely to be younger and possess a higher education level. They were also more likely to speak a language other than English at home.
Support for LAist comes from
The kinks are currently being worked out, and the first online questionnaire, the annual American Community Survey, will become available next year.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures. -
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump. -
The university says the compact, as the Trump administration called it, could undermine free inquiry and academic excellence. -
This is the one time you can do this legally! -
Metro officials said it will be able to announce an opening date “soon.” -
While working for the county, the DA’s office alleges that 13 employees fraudulently filed for unemployment, claiming to earn less than $600 a week.
Best of LAist