Newspapers and Technology March 2000
Impact study examines
newspaper readership
A major study that will explore and measure the link between newspaper content, service and readership success will include more than 100 daily newspapers across the United States.
The study, called Impact, is a facet of the five-year, industry-wide readership initiative established in 1999 by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, the Newspaper Association of America and the Media Management Center at Northwestern University, which houses the Readership Institute.
In addition to addressing content and service, Impact will examine company organization and the attitudes and behaviors of readers and non-readers in each market.
"In the past 30 years there hasn't been as comprehensive an attack on reversing the slide of readership as this initiative," said John Lavine, director of the Readership Institute. "Impact will also show newspaper leaders what concrete moves they can make to drive readership in their markets."
In an effort to accurately represent the newspaper industry, participating newspapers were selected using a stratified sampling method that considered account competition, circulation penetration, composition and market size. Further requirements included an average daily circulation above 10,000 and publication in English at least six days a week. Specialized newspapers and newspapers with appreciable national distribution were excluded.
Participating newspapers include The Seattle Times and Chicago Tribune. For a complete list visit www.naa.org/presstime.
The first results of the study are expected this fall.