From the Reynolds Journalism Institute, details of mapping tool Flourish, which may be especially useful for small newsrooms.
https://rjionline.org/news/tracking-inclusionary-zoning-developments-with-flourish/
Showing posts with label small dailies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small dailies. Show all posts
May 19, 2022
December 01, 2011
Readers in smaller communities may prefer the paper, but ...
A new study from the Reynolds Institute and the National Newspaper Association is being framed as "readers in areas served by community newspapers continue to prefer the
community newspaper as their sources of local news and advertising."
From the release:
If more than a third said they received local shopping information on a platform -- mobile -- and the suggestion was that perhaps not all of them are going to your site, would that be a cause for concern? Or are you willing to write off more than a third of your audience - a segment likely to grow? (Unfortunately, the release talks about a "trend," but provides no trend data or a link to the time series raw data files. You should also read the footnote to the study carefully because the methodology has changed a bit.)
Yes, it's clear community papers continue to have an important place in the media mix of consumers, but I don't think it's all unicorns and rainbows as the release might suggest with this quote:
If I'm running a business, I'm not willing to give up a quarter or a third of my market, yet I've sat in many a meeting in recent years where community publishers defiantly act as though digital is the enemy or, if they have digital assets, seem largely clueless about them. Bad move.
(Also published on Common Sense Journalism.)
From the release:
The survey, in its sixth year, shows consistent trends.
Readers prefer the printed copy to the online version, with 48 percent saying they never read the local news online.
They prefer to receive advertising through the newspaper (51%) instead of on the Internet (11%). And only about a quarter of respondents said they had found local news through a mobile device in the past 30 days. Slightly more (38%) said they had received local shopping information by mobile device.Let me suggest a slightly different interpretation. If a quarter of your market said it was using a device to access your product -- in this case mobile -- would that be an "only" to you or a cause for management to start thinking strategically in that area?
They also have a strong preference for government accountability through newspaper public notice, with 80 percent saying the government should be required to publish notices in the newspaper.
If more than a third said they received local shopping information on a platform -- mobile -- and the suggestion was that perhaps not all of them are going to your site, would that be a cause for concern? Or are you willing to write off more than a third of your audience - a segment likely to grow? (Unfortunately, the release talks about a "trend," but provides no trend data or a link to the time series raw data files. You should also read the footnote to the study carefully because the methodology has changed a bit.)
Yes, it's clear community papers continue to have an important place in the media mix of consumers, but I don't think it's all unicorns and rainbows as the release might suggest with this quote:
"The survey shows a majority of respondents believe that the newspaper does a better job of providing background and depth on stories essential to citizens,” Anfinson said. “Further, the newspaper is more useful to them personally than any other news source. It not only highlights the strong bond between local communities and their newspapers, but demonstrates that people do value good journalism."
If I'm running a business, I'm not willing to give up a quarter or a third of my market, yet I've sat in many a meeting in recent years where community publishers defiantly act as though digital is the enemy or, if they have digital assets, seem largely clueless about them. Bad move.
(Also published on Common Sense Journalism.)
August 20, 2011
All paid up?
As community papers struggle to stay afloat, one media organization has an idea for its holdings. Thoughts?
http://paidcontent.org/article/419-medianews-group-adds-paywalls-to-23-more-newspapers/
http://paidcontent.org/article/419-medianews-group-adds-paywalls-to-23-more-newspapers/
November 27, 2010
Smaller-market publishers show less confidence
A little late discovering this, but a survey released at the end of October by Cribb Greene & Associates found dropping numbers among mid- and small-market newspaper execs when it comes to their papers' expected financial performance.
The survey still found that of the 239 executives surveyed, 51 percent think advertising revenue will be up in the coming year. But that's down from 71 percent in the spring survey.
And then there was this:
The site has a link to a more complete PDF of the survey. A pullout box on the right side of the post with participants' comments is also worth reading.
The survey still found that of the 239 executives surveyed, 51 percent think advertising revenue will be up in the coming year. But that's down from 71 percent in the spring survey.
And then there was this:
Respondents were less optimistic in answering the question "Would you recommend the newspaper business as a career for your children?" This litmus test question last spring produced 39% "yes" responses, which has decreased to 31% in the current Survey.
The site has a link to a more complete PDF of the survey. A pullout box on the right side of the post with participants' comments is also worth reading.
August 10, 2009
AP: Community papers doing pretty well
AP is the latest to weigh in on the meme that community papers, with less competition in their markets, are still doing pretty well.
"CNN is not coming to my town to cover the news and there aren't a whole lot of bloggers here either," said Robert M. Williams Jr., editor and publisher of The Blackshear Times in Georgia, about 75 miles from Jacksonville, Fla. "Community newspapers are still a great investment because we provide something you can't get anywhere else."
The AP also says that while larger newsrooms were cutting, an Inland Press study found smaller newsrooms spending more in 2008 than 2004.
But the recession has still hurt, with the small papers' revenue down 20%.
Jeff Ackerman, publisher of The Union in Grass Valley, Calif., says it well:
"Too many newspapers have been operating in an ivory tower for too long," said Ackerman, whose newspaper is based in a county with a population of about 100,000. "I answer my own phone. Some newspapers are just now trying to develop relationships with the local communities they cover. Ours has been going on for 144 years."
"CNN is not coming to my town to cover the news and there aren't a whole lot of bloggers here either," said Robert M. Williams Jr., editor and publisher of The Blackshear Times in Georgia, about 75 miles from Jacksonville, Fla. "Community newspapers are still a great investment because we provide something you can't get anywhere else."
The AP also says that while larger newsrooms were cutting, an Inland Press study found smaller newsrooms spending more in 2008 than 2004.
But the recession has still hurt, with the small papers' revenue down 20%.
Jeff Ackerman, publisher of The Union in Grass Valley, Calif., says it well:
"Too many newspapers have been operating in an ivory tower for too long," said Ackerman, whose newspaper is based in a county with a population of about 100,000. "I answer my own phone. Some newspapers are just now trying to develop relationships with the local communities they cover. Ours has been going on for 144 years."
April 01, 2009
NRJ to feature special issue on "The Future of Community Journalism"
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: SPECIAL ISSUE OF NEWSPAPER RESEARCH JOURNAL FOCUSED ON "THE FUTURE OF COMMUNITY JOURNALISM"
The rapid changes in the newspaper industry have turned more focus in recent years to what appears to be one of the more stable branches of the newspaper business — small-circulation daily and weekly newspapers generally referred to as "community newspapers." In light of these developments, the Newspaper Research Journal is accepting research articles and conceptual/theoretical essays that will shed light on "The Future of Community Newspapers" for a special issue of NRJ (tentatively scheduled for the winter 2011 issue).
This call is for articles that provide insights into the modern role of community newspapers, as well as suggestions that would help community newspapers to adapt to the changing marketplace. Both social-scientific and cultural/critical approaches will be considered, as will mixed-methods approaches. Preference will be given to articles that draw upon and advance media theory, although insightful non-theoretical, descriptive studies will be considered.
Submissions will undergo NRJ's usual peer-review process, and must be original research that is not under review with any other publication (although modified conference papers will be considered). NRJ's published guidelines regarding length, citation style, and formatting of tabular material will apply. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 1, 2009.
Submissions should be sent as Microsoft Word files to guest editor Bill Reader of Ohio University. E-mail them to reader@ohio.edu.
The rapid changes in the newspaper industry have turned more focus in recent years to what appears to be one of the more stable branches of the newspaper business — small-circulation daily and weekly newspapers generally referred to as "community newspapers." In light of these developments, the Newspaper Research Journal is accepting research articles and conceptual/theoretical essays that will shed light on "The Future of Community Newspapers" for a special issue of NRJ (tentatively scheduled for the winter 2011 issue).
This call is for articles that provide insights into the modern role of community newspapers, as well as suggestions that would help community newspapers to adapt to the changing marketplace. Both social-scientific and cultural/critical approaches will be considered, as will mixed-methods approaches. Preference will be given to articles that draw upon and advance media theory, although insightful non-theoretical, descriptive studies will be considered.
Submissions will undergo NRJ's usual peer-review process, and must be original research that is not under review with any other publication (although modified conference papers will be considered). NRJ's published guidelines regarding length, citation style, and formatting of tabular material will apply. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 1, 2009.
Submissions should be sent as Microsoft Word files to guest editor Bill Reader of Ohio University. E-mail them to reader@ohio.edu.
August 18, 2008
Community Newspaper leaders to gather
Seven leaders of the community newspaper industry in America's heartland will meet at the University of Missouri in Columbia on Sept. 11 for a discussion about the future of such papers. Questions include: What value(s) do community newspapers offer citizens in self-governance of their local democratic institutions? How valuable are community newspapers in serving the local retail economic engines that sustain local communities? What opportunities exist for local community newspapers to continue as the primary source of community information, and how can community newspapers monetize those opportunities?
More from The Rural Blog.
More from The Rural Blog.
July 11, 2008
Another daily goes online only
Another small daily, the 5,500-circulation Daily Telegram in Superior, Wis., is going pretty much online only -- with just two weekly print editions.
While many community newspapers are doing a lot better than their big-city counterparts, this is another reminder that the digital wave does not stop in the large markets, and we need to help small publishers, with their very different situations from large ones, adapt as well.
David Sullivan, an editor in Philadelphia and one of the smartest observers of the industry, suggests the Superior move is not as major as it sounds.
While many community newspapers are doing a lot better than their big-city counterparts, this is another reminder that the digital wave does not stop in the large markets, and we need to help small publishers, with their very different situations from large ones, adapt as well.
David Sullivan, an editor in Philadelphia and one of the smartest observers of the industry, suggests the Superior move is not as major as it sounds.
August 24, 2007
Leveraging the job market
I spend a lot of time checking job sites such as Editor & Publisher online, mediabistro.com and journalismjobs.com, not because I'm looking for work, but because I'm looking for hard evidence as to why my J-school should focus its curriculum more on community journalism. Every time I hear a colleague bemoan the layoffs at large media companies, I can dig up scores of job openings at smaller-market media, especially at community newspapers.
A recent post by Mark Glaser on his Mediashift blog has made note of that very trend, suggesting that even the bigger media that have made recent layoffs are hiring in their online divisions. But not all of the jobs are in "new media" -- in Glaser's post, Dan Rohn of journalismjobs.com said, "“Right now we have 628 newspaper job openings in the U.S., from Alaska to Massachusetts to Florida to Indiana ... It’s in small towns, and I think that’s because they’re owned by families or small chains that are successful and not being hit as hard."
As sometimes the only voice for community journalism on our faculties, COMJIG members should take on the task of regularly keeping their colleagues aware of where the jobs are. Our students are scared enough as it is, and the predominant media message adopted by many of our colleagues is that "old media" are dying. I plan to send my faculty a regular summary of the job market to counter the bad news from the big media, and, over time, maybe I will be able to get more of them to talk favorably about careers in community journalism.
A recent post by Mark Glaser on his Mediashift blog has made note of that very trend, suggesting that even the bigger media that have made recent layoffs are hiring in their online divisions. But not all of the jobs are in "new media" -- in Glaser's post, Dan Rohn of journalismjobs.com said, "“Right now we have 628 newspaper job openings in the U.S., from Alaska to Massachusetts to Florida to Indiana ... It’s in small towns, and I think that’s because they’re owned by families or small chains that are successful and not being hit as hard."
As sometimes the only voice for community journalism on our faculties, COMJIG members should take on the task of regularly keeping their colleagues aware of where the jobs are. Our students are scared enough as it is, and the predominant media message adopted by many of our colleagues is that "old media" are dying. I plan to send my faculty a regular summary of the job market to counter the bad news from the big media, and, over time, maybe I will be able to get more of them to talk favorably about careers in community journalism.
August 13, 2007
Five more years!
Community Journalism Interest Group successfully "passed" its assessment by the AEJMC folks and you can now consider us part of the "permanent" landscape at AEJ. Here's what they said we should spend some time on:
- Define clearly what "community journalism" is. We may know it, but that doesn't mean everyone else in journalism and mass comm education does. We need a slogan, a label, so we can ....
- Get the word out about community journalism. In other words, market our IG. If community journalism is the hot trend, well, what are we doing to capitalize on that? And how are we letting the world know?
- Spend less time worrying about the number of research papers, and figure out what research we want to focus on. Perhaps it's in teaching, perhaps it's in public service (working with communities and news professionals). Focus our call for papers on a topic or 2.
- Make sure we document our activities beyond the convention .... national meetings we're part of, booklets we put together, etc.
- Understand that a lot of our diverse membership can come from our work with professionals (outside AEJ membership lists).
- Keep building the blog. Folks loved it.
July 26, 2007
What's missing from the Dow Jones drama? The community newspapers
By Bill Reader,
COMJIG vice head
Having worked for Dow Jones for a couple of years, at one of its community newspapers operated under the Ottaway Newspapers company, I have been paying close attention to the soap opera of Rupert Murdoch's takeover bid for the Wall Street Journal. After a month of reading the high drama in the almost daily postings to various industry blogs, I kept waiting to hear something about the fate of Ottaway, which publishes a couple of dozen community newspapers.
Although the paper I worked for is no longer part of Ottaway (CNHI bought it last year), I remember that most of the papers in the chain were pretty decent -- emphasis on local news, lots of community news, localized state and national policy stories, relatively good pay for entry-level reporters and mid-career editors. Ottaway has long provided an important, if small, cog in the community journalism machine, particularly in New England.
Even Murdoch seemed to dismiss the importance of the Ottaway papers in his June 6 interview with the WSJ, in which he referred to how, "Those silly little Ottaway papers make more than the Journal does."
The Boston Globe recently checked into that claim (Ottaway publishes a number of dailies and weeklies in the Boston region) and came up with this: "the Ottaway community publications posted operating profits of $48.2 million last year on $252.2 million in sales, outstripping the $33.9 million in profits on revenue of $1.1 billion for the Dow Jones operating group that includes the Journal and Barron's magazine."
While most seem to be wringing their hands over the fate of the WSJ, it seems the real prize of the Dow Jones company is its small, but profitable, stable of decent little community newspapers. The fact that Murdoch considers them "silly little papers" is a truly terrifying thought, even coming from such a mercenary little magnate.
COMJIG vice head
Having worked for Dow Jones for a couple of years, at one of its community newspapers operated under the Ottaway Newspapers company, I have been paying close attention to the soap opera of Rupert Murdoch's takeover bid for the Wall Street Journal. After a month of reading the high drama in the almost daily postings to various industry blogs, I kept waiting to hear something about the fate of Ottaway, which publishes a couple of dozen community newspapers.
Although the paper I worked for is no longer part of Ottaway (CNHI bought it last year), I remember that most of the papers in the chain were pretty decent -- emphasis on local news, lots of community news, localized state and national policy stories, relatively good pay for entry-level reporters and mid-career editors. Ottaway has long provided an important, if small, cog in the community journalism machine, particularly in New England.
Even Murdoch seemed to dismiss the importance of the Ottaway papers in his June 6 interview with the WSJ, in which he referred to how, "Those silly little Ottaway papers make more than the Journal does."
The Boston Globe recently checked into that claim (Ottaway publishes a number of dailies and weeklies in the Boston region) and came up with this: "the Ottaway community publications posted operating profits of $48.2 million last year on $252.2 million in sales, outstripping the $33.9 million in profits on revenue of $1.1 billion for the Dow Jones operating group that includes the Journal and Barron's magazine."
While most seem to be wringing their hands over the fate of the WSJ, it seems the real prize of the Dow Jones company is its small, but profitable, stable of decent little community newspapers. The fact that Murdoch considers them "silly little papers" is a truly terrifying thought, even coming from such a mercenary little magnate.
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