Last Updated: September 20, 2006
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The good news is that after several years of ground-breaking research, newspapers
are seeing growth for most reader groups. The not-so-good news: young adults
still are not reading us.
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The presenters
Schedule
Registration
To learn
more
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Turning young adults into
newspaper readers is crucial. Contrary to the widely held industry belief,
readership
does not increase as people get older. The
reading habits of a lifetime are formed in early adulthood and don’t
change.
The American Society of Newspaper Editors, in conjunction with the Newspaper
Association of America and the Readership Institute at Northwestern University,
is offering new, low-cost sessions that focus on attracting young, diverse
readers to the paper.
ASNE will hold 24 sessions over the next two years, beginning in January 2005.
Seminars are limited to 35-40 participants.
The seminars pick up where the Readership Training Seminars left off. More
than 900 newspaper professionals attended the first round of sessions.
About the New Readers study:
The 2004 New Readers study
centered primarily on young adults –18-34
year-olds, African-Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans.
The data comes from 52 markets, 10,800 newspaper readers and 6,600 newspaper
employees. Thousands of newspaper stories, ads and in-paper promotions were
analyzed.
The 2003-04 research found
that readers’ ‘experience’ with
the newspaper is a better predictor of readership than content satisfaction.
Simply put, newspapers must be more innovative in creating reader experiences
that contribute to higher reading.
The New Readers survey complements the 2000 Impact Study, which outlined four
imperatives to grow readership.
Why should you take part?
The newspaper industry is at a critical juncture. To achieve real success,
newspapers will have to become even more reader-focused.
Growing readership is a challenge for editorial, advertising, circulation
and marketing. Because an integrated approach is necessary, news and business
side attendance is required at the seminars.
"In this new
millennium, newspapers recognize they must develop targeted strategies
to capture this crucial demographic. It is essential that we be bold,
creative and innovative across all departments – advertising,
editorial, circulation and marketing."
Gregg
Jones
co-publisher, The Greeneville (Tenn.) Sun
Chairman, Newspaper Association of America
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What can I expect from the sessions?
The seminars are rigorous
and intellectually challenging, compelling participants to re-examine long-held
assumptions about content, service and marketing.
Instructors will focus primarily on building readership for those under 35,
African-Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans. Participants will go beyond
content topics to mold a satisfying reading experience and move from tweaking
around the edges to true innovation.
What does it cost?
Each person pays a $150 registration fee, plus transportation and lodging.
Costs of instruction, material and meals will be covered by the project, which
is funded by the Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation.
"At
a time of circulation challenges at virtually every daily newspaper,
growing readership among young and minority populations has never
been more vital. Both are underserved markets that offer tremendous
opportunity to expand the base of regular newspaper readers. These
seminars hone
in the strategies that can open these opportunities, regardless of market
size."
Gilbert
Bailon
Editor and Publisher, Al Dia, Dallas
Chair,
ASNE Readership Issues Committee
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How long will these seminars last?
The day-and-a-half long sessions start in the early afternoon on the first
day and conclude at 5 p.m. The second day is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Should I attend
if I took part in the first round of seminars?
Yes. Most of the training material will be new. To add context, some of the
original research also will be summarized.
For additional information, please contact:
Cristal Williams
ASNE Project Director
703-453-1138
cwilliams@asne.org
