Holiday readership
Too common assumptions/myths journalists hold about newspaper readers:
1. That holiday papers -- Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day in particular -- aren't read because people are looking at the ads and living their lives on special days.
2. That ads are a secondary reason -- after the news -- that people buy the paper.
Both are untrue if you believe the answers given by our reader advisory group, and I do. I asked them: "On a holiday like Thanksgiving, do you spend much time reading the news stories in the paper or are you busy with the advertisements and spending time doing holiday things?"
Some of their answers follow. Even though I'm not sure what it means, my favorite is the last one.
I am usually busy doing other things or looking at the ads. I usually look at the news briefly and go back to the paper later in the day.
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LOVE the Thanksgiving paper -- stories AND ads. Please try to find inspirational stories.
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On holidays I still spend time reading the news, I don't get to read it all at once, I read it for an hour or so, cook and come back to it. I read the news before the adv. flyers that come with it.
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I read Thanksgiving paper today -- Friday. Just too busy on Thanksgiving.
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We do not purchase the paper for the ads. We do use the Wednesday's ads. We do look for specific ads if we are interested in specific merchandise-cell phone, clothes, etc.
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I like to read how others spend their Thanksgiving -- which you do. I did spend most of my time looking for Black Friday sales and the day after I sought after the news about the sale results of the day to see how well businesses fared.
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I always read the top stories and then I spend time looking at all the advertisements to see what kinds of deals I can get the next day.
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There should be more news, everyday. The attention to the holiday is fine, but don't forget it's a newspaper.
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There is so much news that is depressing that I find myself avoiding it as much as possible just to save my sanity.
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Hard news does suffer by comparison with turkey and dressing and Black Friday forays. Really, there's not much that you can do short of doing full frontals of Victoria Secret models with thought balloons over their heads.
Comments (3)
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I think the final sentence of the last reponse is answering this question, listed in the original survey right after the questions you quote above:
"And is there anything we should be doing for you to spend more time with the news?"
Posted on December 1, 2008 12:42 PM
I am here visiting my daughter from out
of state. I am so sorry to see a big picture
of the KKK on the front of the News and
Observer. That is not right. We can't
give any hate group that type of publicity.
It is confirming that your paper is supporting
their philosopy of hate. I am not angry,
but so disappointed and hurt by the hate
that the "better of society" is condoning.
We can do better. The world does not have
to function from the "they" and "us" mentality.
Each of us can be a light in this world that's
darken by hate. God made us all. God loves
us all. Our light can help bring love to those
who function out of this dark thinking. The
hate displayed in your paper isn't any different
from the hate that was displayed in Mumbai
this weekend. Thanks for letting me vent, and
I will continue asking God for the faith and
mercy to love others who are different from me.
Much blessing to you and the fine people of
Greensboro.
Posted on December 1, 2008 1:12 PM
Thanks, Sandra. I was writing the above post when you left your comment. I hope you understand that by publishing, we're not approving of the groups, but rather that we think the groups' activities are worth knowing about.
Posted on December 1, 2008 1:37 PM