ASNE - Study urges editors to heed readers? advice

Published Thursday, April 5, 2001
Study urges editors to heed readers’ advice

BY KRISSAH WILLIAMS
ASNE Reporter

Survey Breakdown

“The Power to Grow Readership” examined 100 newspapers across America, from 10,000 circulation dailies to major metros. Readers answered a 12-page questionnaire.

37,036 respondents

48.5% were male
51.5% were female
48.4 average age
72.6% attended some college

Income breakdown:
30% $75,000 annually
19% $55,000-$75,000 annually
23% $35,000-$55,000 annually

Presentation of Readership Institute’s survey

Thursday, April 5
9-10:30 a.m. Presentation on newspaper organizational culture

10:30 a.m.-noon Repeat of content presentation

Afternoon
One-on-one
discussions available

Friday, April 6
Morning One-on-one
discussions available

Not only can newspapers survive, they can flourish by simply following advice from readers, according to a study released Wednesday at the ASNE convention.

Looking at newspaper readers vs. viewers of two of the most popular TV shows on the same Sunday offers hope for the popularity of print: 43 million adults watched the premier of “Survivor,” 86 million tuned in to the Super Bowl, and 132 million adults read the newspaper, the study showed.

Despite the bad news of declining readership over the past 30 years, researchers said newspapers are healthy products with an average 85 percent of the adult population using a newspaper on a weekly basis. The study gave specific strategies for attracting and retaining readers.

“It is absolutely not true that pressure on time is keeping people from reading the newspaper. We’ve not been this strong since the forties,” said John Lavine, director of the Readership Institute at the Media Management Center at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.

The institute surveyed readers of 100 newspapers across the country to determine what they like about their newspapers and what would make them read newspapers more often. Researchers said the study provided a comprehensive analysis of how people use newspapers. A little more than 37,000 readers responded.

The study recommends drastic improvements in customer service, more story promotion within the newspaper, making the paper easier to navigate and more feature-style local stories instead of straight local news.

After hearing the results, some editors wondered if it wasn’t the same old news.

For instance, most editors said they already knew that people like to read about ordinary people and previous research has shown that making the paper easier to navigate increases readership.

But “the real test is have we been acting on it?” said incoming ASNE president Tim McGuire, editor of the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. “This study pulls things together that I had never imagined that we could get our arms around.”

The survey found that women and young people respond well to teasing upcoming stories in the newspaper and readers in general enjoy stories about “chicken dinner” – which some don’t consider “real journalism.” Those stories included calendar listings, group meetings, school lunch menus and church services.

“It’s clear from the findings that the path to increasing readership goes to content,’’ Mr. McGuire said. “If we stop being so damn male we can improve readership.”

One solution that prompted more discussion was the branding of newspapers. The study urged newspapers to focus on creating a positive brand that makes them relevant to readers. But some editors questioned how to convince reporters that branding isn’t simply a marketing tool.

“It’s very difficult for journalists to get a grip on that,” said Linda Lightfoot, executive editor of The Advocate in Baton Rouge, La. “In our paper we’ve always separated the marketing function and the news function. I think it’s time we change that.”

However, Rick Rodriguez, executive editor of The Sacramento Bee, said he is more cautious about using the study’s results without balancing them against the tenets of good journalism.

“I love research and think it’s a great tool, but I don’t think we should only be doing the things that bolster our readership,” said Mr. Rodriguez, incoming chairman of ASNE’s Readership Issues Committee. “That cuts into our credibility.”

Mr. Rodriguez’s own paper found that sometimes, readers are fickle.
For example, in one survey readers were asked what celebrity the paper was most like. Some said Tom Hanks. In a later survey the answer was Grumpy Old Men, Mr. Rodriguez said.

The Readership Institute launched the study in October 1999, a joint effort between ASNE and the Newspaper Association of America, representing more than 2,000 newspapers in the United States and Canada.

Small and large papers were chosen in proportion to their representation in the country and ranged from the Houston Chronicle to the Quincy (Ill.) Herald-Whig to the Chicago Tribune. The survey measured readers’ behavior and usage of their newspaper on weekdays and weekends. “Readership” was defined as the time spent, frequency of and completeness of reading the newspaper.

In light of the slowing economy and newsroom budget cuts, editors were reminded that they could boost readership without much financial strain. “Most of this is smarter thinking and using the resources that we have more effectively,” said Linda Cunningham, executive director of the Rockford (Ill.) Register Star. “You can’t put a price tag on ideas.”

Over the next year, the Readership Institute will continue to analyze the numbers, looking at gender, ethnic and age differences, and to outline more clearly how to attract more readers. Participating newspapers will receive their individual scores and analysis.

In the mean time, editors can use the data released Wednesday to develop plans for their own newspapers to increase readership, researchers said.

“This study is my hope,” Mr. McGuire said. “Now we have to use it.”

ASNE Reporter staff writer Johnny Lewis contributed to this article.
For more information about the Readership Institute’s new study, check out www.readership.org .