Contact: Ryan Williams, NABJ, 866-479-6225, rwilliams@nabj.org; Shawnta Walcott, Ariel & Ethan Polling and Market Research, 202-714-7771, shawnta@arielandethan.com

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 /Standard Newswire/ -- As an estimated 2 million inaugural attendees witness the first African-American be sworn into office as president of the United States, scores of African Americans/Blacks celebrate the historic occasion by attending the inaugural festivities-many for the first-time, according to a new TV One/National Association of Black Journalists Inaugural Poll.
 
The poll of 462 inaugural attendees was conducted by Ariel & Ethan Polling and Market Research via face-to-face interviews during the Jan. 20th swearing-in ceremony and parade.  Survey highlights include:
 
Three of four (77 percent) of African-Americans were attending the inauguration for the first-time, with seven in ten (70 percent or more) at age 30 or older.

Nearly two in three (63 percent) say the election of Barack Obama as the 44th president signals an improvement in race relations, yet nearly a quarter (22 percent) somewhat agreed and 15 percent disagreed. Age factored into opinion, however.  Among those who strongly agree with the statement, 75 percent were 65 years of age or older-versus 4 percent of respondents between the ages of 45-64 who strongly disagreed.

Nearly half (45 percent) liken President Obama most to former president John F. Kennedy. Significant percentages see similarities between the President and former presidents: Bill Clinton   (20 percent); Abraham Lincoln (17 percent); and Lyndon B. Johnson (5 percent). In term of age, younger attendees (18-29 years of age) were among those who most often chose Kennedy- with more than half (55%) drawing a comparison between the two presidents.

Nearly eight in ten (78%) chose the economy as the number one issue- the majority (83%) dwelling in cities with populations at or beyond 100,000.

Ariel & Ethan Polling and Market Research, Pollster Shawnta Walcott: "This survey is chock full of nuts and bolts that offer keen insight on how to frame messages intended to reach urban America and citizens throughout the diaspora."

The poll also provided keen insight into the shift away from traditional network news media for urban Americans, with 59 percent of attendees saying that their primary source for news and information is cable television.
 
National Association of Black Journalists President Barbara Ciara: " In a day and age where information is power-the survey results will be helpful in determining what governance issues are important to the African-American community-and how our community chooses to receive information."

For a complete report of poll results, go to www.nabj.org

Launched in January 2004, TV One (www.tvoneonline.com) serves nearly 47 million households, offering a broad range of entertainment, reality and lifestyle -oriented original programming, classic series, movies, and music designed to entertain, inform and inspire a diverse audience of adult African American viewers.  TV One's investors include Radio One [NASDAQ: ROIA and ROIAK; www.radio-one.com], the largest radio company that primarily targets African American and urban listeners;  Comcast Corporation [NASDAQ: CMCSA and CMCSK; www.comcast.com], the leading cable television company in the country; The DirecTV Group; Constellation Ventures; Syndicated Communications; and Opportunity Capital Partners.

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is an organization of journalists, students and media-related professionals that provides quality programs and services to and advocates on behalf of black journalists worldwide. Founded by 44 men and women on Dec. 12, 1975, in Washington, D.C., NABJ is the largest organization of journalists of color in the nation. Many of NABJ's 3,300 members also belong to one of the dozens of professional and student chapters that serve black journalists nationwide. www.nabj.org
 
Ariel & Ethan, LLC is a full-service polling and communications firm based in Bethesda, Md. and Washington, D.C.  Committed to unparalleled accuracy, Ariel & Ethan, LLC operates from a core belief that no poll is too large or too small for the care and precision that has quickly become our hallmark.  From our 2005 poll of the Haitian presidential election, to numerous commercial and political polls conducted for corporations and campaigns of varying sizes, A&E has established a reputation for accuracy and precision in the field of survey research.

Methodology -Ariel & Ethan, LLC was commissioned by TV One and National Association of Black Journalists to conduct a survey among 462 African American/ Black inaugural attendees. Respondents were chosen at random. All interviews were conducted via face-to-face on inaugural day January 20, 2009. The margin of error is +/- 4.6 percentage points. Margin may be higher in sub-groupings, Slight weights were added to "gender" to more accurately reflect the overall population.  Ariel & Ethan, LLC surveys employ sampling strategies in which selection probabilities are proportional to population size.