RESEARCH FOR THE SMALLER NEWSPAPERS Thesis for the Degree of M. A.. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ROGER W. WILLIAMS 1968 THEMQ swims av “3" HOAG & SflNS' lsnox BINDERY mc. MSU RETURNING MATERIALS; PTace in book drop to usaAmas remove this checkout from .—:——- your record. FINES wi'H be charged if book is returned after the date stamped beTow. I'HES ABSTRACT RESEARCH FOR THE SMALLER NEWSPAPERS BY Roger W. Williams The small newspaper faces difficult times. It is confronted with competition from broadcast media, sh0p- ping guides, and often from nearby metropolitan dailies. National advertising revenue has all but disap— peared for the weekly and small daily, and concentrated sales efforts by competing media have now placed local advertising in jeopardy. Small newspapers have found it difficult to keep pace with changes in marketing, advertising and retail- ing. Usually understaffed and underfinanced, the small publisher finds little time to incorporate advanced tech- niques which could improve his competitive position. Increasingly, the smaller newspaper must prove its worth as an advertising vehicle if it is to attract and hold advertisers. This means it must engage in re- search. A 1968 survey to determine the amount of research by Michigan newspapers showed that fewer than 12 Roger W. Williams newspapers in the state have undertaken any type of re— search within the past five years. The survey also indi- cated that most publishers realize the benefits of re- search and would be willing to support a "research service" through the Michigan Press Association. The example of a newspaper study illustrates how small newspapers can collect meaningful data with a mini- mum of time, effort and expense. By using a "group ap— proach" to newspaper research, such individual studies could be conducted at significant savings to the pub- lishers. Combined efforts and cost-sharing, under a central research center, would develop other benefits to news- papers: research procedures could be suggested and methodology explained; copies of individual newspaper studies could be centrally filed for future reference by newspapers which plan similar investigations; sources of professional counseling and EDP could be established; secondary research material could be recommended; data collected from individual newspaper studies could be in— corporated into general presentations to effectively promote the medium to national advertisers and adver- tising agencies. The Michigan Press Association already has most of the facilities needed to establish a central research bureau. It has communications, contacts, physical plant, Roger W. Williams and other requisites. Research personnel could either be hired on a full time basis or obtained on a fee basis from Michigan State University. Services provided by MPA would be limited only by what members were willing to finance. Under such a plan, newspapers would take the first step in strengthening their competitive position among mass media. 7‘1 2 (.7‘ RESEARCH FOR THE SMALLER NEWSPAPERS BY Roger W. Williams A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Department of Advertising 1968 Accepted by the faculty of the Department of Advertising, College of Communication Arts, Michigan State University, in partial fulfillment of the require- ments for the Master of Arts degree. Kym“ (MA. ( (11:23,“ fiirector of Thesis ,‘-g-¢€) ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am sincerely grateful to many people without whose assistance this work would never have been com- pleted. Mr. Elmer White, Executive Secretary of the Michigan Press Association, contributed valuable informa- tion and the service of printing and mailing my question- naire. Dr. Kenward L. Atkin spent untold hours reviewing each stage of this work and providing considerable guid- ance towards its development. My wife, Janet, showed undying patience through the most difficult hours, and my children, Mike and Melady, inspired and encouraged my performance with the repeated admonition, "Quiet! Dad's working on his thesis!" iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii LIST OF TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V Chapter I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 II. HOW MICHIGAN PUBLISHERS VIEW RESEARCH . . 18 III. THE RESEARCH PROCESS . . . . . . . . . . . 26 IV. MICHIGAN PRESS ASSOCIATION: A PROPOSED RESEARCH CENTER . . . . . . . 47 V. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS . . . . . . . . . 57 APPENDIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 iv Table 1. National advertising expenditures, 1965-1967 Newspaper respondents by circulation Why newspapers have not conducted research studies-~factors ranked ' LIST OF TABLES by respondents Amount newspapers would spend for research Areas felt to benefit most from newspaper research Importance of newspaper research-- by topic Page 20 22 23 25 25 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Newspapers, which once enjoyed a virtual monopoly in mass communication, face an intensified battle with the newer mass media for the advertiser's dollar. National advertisers in particular have adOpted more sophisticated methods for making media decisions, and newspapers must adjust to these new criteria if they are to remain compet— itive. Some of the larger, more efficient newspapers have met the challenge by improving their publications and professionalizing their operations. Personnel have been upgraded, better rate structures have been established, and--most importantly--market and readership data have been collected and made available to advertisers and ad- 'vertising agencies. Some of the larger metrOpolitan dailies have even established separate research depart- ments within their corporate structures. But publishers of many smaller daily and weekly newspapers are disheartened and confused over the loss of national advertising to competing media. They do not comprehend the magnitude of the problem, its causes and possible cures. While they admit the need for research and the benefits of such study, they recognize the com- plexity of market-media research and believe such studies are beyond their capabilities. The answer may be found in a "group approach" to research by these smaller newspapers. As prOposed in this paper, a standardized group approach is both feasi- ble and desirable. The problem involves more than the loss of nation- al advertising; the very existence of the small newspaper may well depend upon data uncovered through research. Not only can the small newspaper prove its effectiveness as an advertising vehicle, readership studies can uncover valuable information to indicate overall strengths and weaknesses of the publication. Nor is it too late to recoup much of the loss in national advertising. Professor Ken Byerly, University of North Carolina's School of Journalism, berates news- papers for not meeting the challenge of other media. After discussing the problem with advertising agency executives, Byerly suggests five weaknesses of small newspapers which must be corrected if they are to be com— petitive: image, business methods, rates and costs, sales techniques, and research. When discussing the need for more and better re- search Byerly said: Some agencies suspect that weeklies are read more thoroughly and kept around longer, so have higher readership per page and more effective exposure per advertisement. But they have no proof. So weeklies must work together to demonstrate and document greater readership. They will have a power- ful weapon that will get them more national adver- tising if they prove through authentic research that cost per sale is cheaper in weeklies than for other media. Almost nothing has been done to prove this. Individual weeklies must also provide correct demo- graphic figures and maps on circulation, income, edu- cation, age and other buying power statistics for their areas. Such research would put small newspapers on the offensive, rather than relying on current defensive\tac- tics such as cutting staff, "tightening up" pages, and using other cost-reducing methods in hopes of improving profit pictures. These defensive techniques only com- pound the problem and prolong the grief. From all present indications, the condition of the small newspaper will continue to deteriorate unless it takes meaningful steps to improve its position among media. 1Ken Byerly, "Byerly Tells Weeklies How to Get Ad Linage," Editor & Publisher, V.CI, No. 18, (May 4, 1968), p. 18. National Advertising Declines Figures published by Media/scope, which compare national ad expenditures in major media, show newspapers have not effectively kept pace with their closest competitor, television. In 1965, newspaper revenue from national adver- tisers amounted to $770,891,000. This figure increased to $872,813,000 in 1966, up some 13.2 percent.2 Many newspaper-oriented professionals were quick to point out that this percentage increase was second only to "nation- ally distributed Sunday supplements," which enjoyed a 14.9 percent increase. What they neglected to mention were the dollar amounts represented by the percentage figures. It is evident from Table l on the following page that newspapers did not get the dollar increase which national advertisers allocated to other mass media in 1965, 1966, and 1967. The 13.2 percent increase added $91,922,000 to newspaper revenue derived from national advertisers over 1965. Spot television, by comparison, showed a percent- age increase of only 10.6 percent; yet dollar volume 2J. K. Lasser & Co., "National Advertising Ex- penditures," Media/scope, V.XI, No. 5, (1967), p. 100. .Hx .> .omoom\mapmz =.mmusuwpcmmxm .m .Ammmav mcwmfluum>p4 HMGOHDMZ: sm ooz \HHx o> «OOH om sAhmmHV sm ooz "Eoum pmumasoamom manoaflm>< uoz u .¢.z wa.m mm.m Hmo.oa www.ma mma.ma .>o« uflmcmue wm.oa wa.aa mam.mm mme.me mme.me mpsmammnm seesaw omusneuumeo .uz mm.m we.o ev¢.~m mee.om mmm.om .moeansm some me.a wa.m oom.me oom.ae oom.em oases xuosuoz .<.z wm.~ .4.z ooo.o- ooo.m- .>o¢ nooeuso wm.o mm.HH oom.em~ oo~.mm~ ooe.mm~ onomm poem .mz Amw.av wo.m mam.mae mam.mme oom.~em mmoum mmwcemsm Awa.mv m~.ma www.mam mam.mem Hmm.oee mnommmmzoz Awm.ov wm.m mmm.mma.a msa.mma.a oee.meo.a mmaeummmz .coo we.o mm.oa amm.mma.a mem.mma.a oom.meo.a >9 comm mm.m wo.ma emm.mme.aw mam.aaa.am omm.om~.aw >9 xnosumz amma Emma Emma mesa mmmH How» msofi>onm Hm>o Aooo pony mEdHo> Hmaaoa MHpmz AwmmmuomcvlommouocH onmmalmmma .monsuwcsomxo mcflmflpum>pm Hmcowumznl.a canoe increased $113,846,000. Network television, with a 12 percent increase, showed new revenue of $150,973,000. The 1966-67 comparison shows an even greater differential. While newspapers suffered a six percent loss of revenue over 1966 income, network television gained more than six percent. In fact, all electronic media showed an increase. What the table fails to show is a breakdown of losses suffered by large metropolitan dailies as compared to small daily and weekly newspapers. It is the latter group which has been most seriously affected. Because of their limited circulations, small newspapers are considered too costly by many national ad- vertisers and their agencies. These smaller newspapers argue that their publications enjoy higher readership, and attempt to justify the expense by claiming better market penetration, more thorough readership, multiple exposure to message, and other attributes which derive from their "grass roots" existence. But the lack of evidence in the form of meaning- ful research has left the small newspaper without proof of these claims. Arthur A. Porter, Senior Vice President—Director of Media, Campbell-Ewald Company, remarks, ". . . we can run a newspaper ad in several thousand markets--markets big, medium, and small--from one end of America to the other--without ever knowing how many people we reached, what kinds of people they were or how much it cost us to get our message across."3 He notes that demographics and other data are necessary if agencies are to make effective media decisions. "If newspapers had such data," he says, "the a- gency could answer such questions as where do I stand the best chance of getting maximum attention for my message; what differences exist in levels of reader traffic by days of the week, time of the year, thick vs. thin issues; what are the relative values of black and white vs. two- color vs. four-color; how big an ad do I need in a small paper to deliver the same level of readership as does a larger ad in a big paper?"4 Retail Media Mix Changing It is not only the national advertiser who ques- tions the lack of newspaper market-media data. Local ad- vertisers are reacting, and retail advertising is presently 3Arthur A. Porter, "The Newspapers' Interesting Condition," Paper read before the meeting of the Michigan Press Association, Kellogg Center, Michigan State Univer- sity, East Lansing, Michigan, January 26, 1968. 4Ibid. the "strong suit" of newspapers. It has absorbed much of the loss in national linage. Local advertising contributed nearly $4 billion to newspaper revenue in 1967; national advertising ac- counted for only $940 million.5 Donald M. O'Brien, vice president, Mabley & Carew Department Store, warns newspapers that many large retail- ers are now mixing their advertising budgets to include other media.6 Sears Roebuck & Company, with its 840 retail stores and an annual newspaper advertising budget of more than $100 million,7 Spent $3.6 million on tv alone in the first nine months of 1967, O'Brien points out. This amounted to a $1 million increase over the entire year of 1966 . . . and the company recently hired its first radio- tv broadcast director. O'Brien quotes Thomas Jeglosky, vice president of advertising and publicity of Daytons Department Store in Minneapolis as recently stating, "Of the three million 5A1 Kroeger, "What Kind of Tomorrow for Today's Newspaper," Media/scope, V.XII, No. 4, (1968), pp. 45-46. 6Donald M. O'Brien, "Newspapers Must Think Young," a paper delivered before the spring meeting of the Ad A Executives Association of Ohio Daily Newspapers, Youngston Ohio, March 10, 1968. (In the files of the Michigan Press Association) 7Kroeger, p. 45. dollars Spent for advertising last year, only four percent went for radio and tv. This year, it will be 15.5 percent . . . by 1969 it will be 20 percent . . . and by 1970 it could be half of our budget." Reporting on his tv com— mercials, Jeglosky notes, "We've had some that were great, others fair and some bad. But we've had tremendous re- Sponse to all and you can't say that for newspaper adver- tising." The F. & R. Lazarus Company in Columbus, Ohio, is another retailer which plans to use broadcast media to a greater degree, and O'Brien contends that large retail Operations will continue to allocate more of their budgets to broadcast media unless newspapers offer "something more than circulation figures." Newspapers must provide data which show how thoroughly they are read, and how readers compare the newspaper to competing media. A newspaper needs to indi— cate the particular market it serves and the demographics of its readers: age, sex, income, education, mobility, number in household, etc. Such information may soon prove necessary if news- papers are to attract and hold smaller retail accounts. Competition from large chain operations is forcing smaller merchants to adopt a more modern approach to advertising expenditures. 10 Coops, small chains and affiliated operations now offer the medium-size and small merchant opportunities of volume buying and professional marketing assistance. A part of this assistance is selection of advertising media. Newspapers, which have enjoyed the fruits of per- sonal relationships with local retailers, find advertising decisions being made in New York and Chicago. Voluntary c00peratives employ professional advertising staffs to design promotions and suggest the most effective use of a 8 Advertising decisions are increasingly being media mix. made by other than local store managers. Even those managers who retain an appreciable a- mount of influence in media selection are becoming more sophisticated in placing their advertising. They are better informed, better trained, better educated than their predecessors. Wider Selection of Media Not only are retailers more precise in their media choices, there is an increasing number of media from which to choose. Today's retail merchant is likely to be called upon by a local radio salesman. Radio spots are within 8National Publisher, April 13, 1968, p. 6. 11 the economic means of local retailers, and the station usually arms its sales representatives with audience studies and market statistics which show the effectiveness of both the medium as well as the particular station. Attractive "package rates" for multiple Spots, sponsor- ship of shows and newscasts, and remote broadcasts from the merchant's store are offered as additional promotions. "Throwaway" shOpping guides grow in number, add- ing bits of local news to enhance value to the receiver. They have organized a national trade association. Na- tional and manufacturer's c00perative advertising is al- ready carried in some of these free—distribution publica- tions. A research program, being launched to determine acceptance and readership, may produce more.9 Broadsides have been used by retailers for years. The previous expense of mailing has been diminished by population shifts to cities and towns, thus making low- cost carrier delivery a feasible method of distribution. Large retailers, such as Federal Department Stores, Sears Roebuck & Company, and Montgomery Ward still publish individual broadsides. But c00ps, affiliated chains and even member stores in a shopping center pool efforts to produce attractive publications. Printing runs may exceed hundreds of thousands, and presses are 91bid. 12 stopped only to change the "signature" on broadsides produced for voluntary chains such as I.G.A. Television has already made overtures to local retailers, and this threat to newspaper advertising will certainly increase. While television rates are expensive, competition from new stations will bring reductions in local spot rates. The advent of UHF will compound the newspapers' problems. Non-network, short-range and locally-oriented, UHF will likely turn to local advertising for financial subsistance. Move to EDP Systems Faced with a myriad of media rate structures, dis- counts, mechanicalrequirements, market facts, audience demographics, regulations and budget restrictions, many advertisers and agencies are turning to electronic data processing assistance to develop an effective media mix. Computers already accomplish such tasks as bill- ing, preparing insertion orders, checking available media in markets, recording rate changes, etc. In major agen- cies and large corporations, advanced models have been_ programmed to handle more difficult assignments. In one company, real-life marketing and advertising situations are simulated through computer "role playing" to check 13 the soundness of various advertising proposals. In summary, the newspaper industry finds itself in an environment of intense competition for both national and local advertising. It sees national advertising dollars being funneled into competing media, and watches with apprehension as local advertisers "experiment" in television, radio, shopping guides and even magazines. Many smaller newspaper publishers seem hOpelessly bogged down in "putting out a paper" while their competi- tion speaks of Nielsen ratings, Politz reports, Gallup- Robinson c0py tests, Starch studies, and other proofs of performance. Why are they notably silent when advertisers and agencies ask for market penetration, readership studies, audience demographics, market facts, and other evidence on which sound media decisions can be based? Such data could be readily collected if small neWSpapers would pool their resources under a c00perative research program. Research Benefits There are, of course, any number of topics which can be researched by newspapers. Meaningful market sta- tistics prove valuable when convincing both local and national advertisers that the newspaper reaches an 14 important buying segment of their markets. Income, age, sex, marital status, number in household, number of chil- dren, occupation, home ownership, number of cars and other important demographics not only serve as solid sales tools, but also provide the advertiser an oppor- tunity to design his message--and his budget--to make the best use of his newspaper advertising. Research can establish the current "image" of the newspaper. An alert publisher should be interested in what the community thinks of his publication, knowing that he deals primarily in a service. He can use reader attitudes and opinions to determine what his community likes--and dislikes--about his newspaper, and take appro- priate action. Research is useful in planning the editorial for- mat. Should one columnist be dropped in favor of another? Do more readers pay attention to school news than to city council? Do legal notices get readership? Does the edi- torial page command more readership than the back page? Do more women read the society page than the front page? These questions and others can be answered by appropriate- ly designed studies. Physical makeup can be studied for effectiveness, acceptability and function. Is readership higher for ads on right-hand pages? Do small stories on the bottom of 15 pages get reader attention? Are all lower-case headlines easier to read? The International Circulation Managers Associa- tion listed ten broad areas of research which members felt would be most beneficial in increasing subscrip- tions and solving circulation problems. Proposed studies included subscriber mobility, carrier retention, vacation stOp analysis, service to low income areas, reader reac- tions to subscription samples.10 The problems of growth are as acute for news- papers as they are for any other business. Reliable studies can guide newspapers to proper decisions when confronted with the need for growth strategies. Will the area accept a bi-weekly as well as it has a weekly news— paper? Is the community expanding faster than those a- round it? Should the newspaper's circulation be extended to the neighboring town? Will that community accept it? What effect will such a move have on present subscribers? While the ultimate decision rests with those in authority, research can narrow the chances of making a wrong move. Market-media studies can benefit newspapers by uncovering what is wrong as well as what is right. They can point to areas of concern and suggest corrective 10Warren Engstrom, "10 Areas for Circulation Re- search Suggested," ICMA Official Bulletin, May, 1968, p. 22. 16 measures. After such action has been taken, follow-up studies can determine effect. Research may indicate only the probability of trouble and suggest the need for future study or in-depth investigation. Basic research methodology is adaptable to many types of studies. Once management becomes familiar with the principles of research, it can tailor individual studies to fit specific needs. Research is information. It may be sophisticated, large scale, expensive, in depth. Or it may be simple, small, inexpensive and designed only to give surface in- dications. Small or large, costly or inexpensive, the research must be done well if it is to be of value. Newspapers which undertake studies will find that professional assistance will likely be needed in some areas. But much of the "legwork" can be accomplished by staff or inexpensive, temporary workers. Publishers can undertake many projects with a minimum of assistance. The research process outlined in Chapter III is presented to familiarize the reader with various research "steps," and to develop a respect for the researcher and his profession. It should not be con- sidered an absolute guide to all research projects. Methodology may vary from project to project. Different problems may dictate the use of different approaches. 17 It should give newspaper executives a basic under- standing of sound research principles and a knowledge of the scientific methods of gathering and analyzing data. CHAPTER II HOW MICHIGAN PUBLISHERS VIEW RESEARCH On April 18, 1968, a questionnaire was mailed through the facilities of the Michigan Press Association to virtually every weekly and daily newspaper in the state. The questionnaire and cover letter (Appendix A) was directed to the publisher and had the official en- dorsement of MPA's Board of Directors. The purpose of the inquiry was to establish the number of research projects which Michigan newspapers had conducted within the past five years, to uncover publish- er attitudes and opinions regarding such studies, and to determine whether newspapers would support and participate in a group approach to individual research problems. Three general conclusions can be drawn from the survey results: 1. Most newspapers in Michigan, both weekly and daily, have not conducted any type of research for at least five years. 2. Many Michigan newspaper publishers are un- familiar with research benefits, have a limited knowledge 18 19 of research procedures, and are unrealistic in estimates of project costs. 3. The majority of those responding indicate a desire and willingness to undertake research studies through a central organization, possibly through the Michigan Press Association. Slightly over 25 percent of all Michigan newspaper publishers responded to the survey. A larger number of returns were anticipated, but the response does give a general indication of publisher attitudes. Questionnaires were sent to the 56 daily and 285 weekly newspaper members of MPA. A total of 81 questionnaires were returned: 63 from weekly newspapers and 19 from dailies. Table 2 shows respondents according to circulation groups (see page 20). Number of Studies in Past Five Years Eight newspapers, less than ten percent of the sample, reported that they had conducted research projects within the past five years. However, four of them had conducted very limited "research" and, in one case, the project amounted only to determining the number of homes within the circulation area and increasing free distribu- tion to equal that number! 20 Table 2.--Newspaper respondents by circulation Circulation Number of Number of Percent of N Grouping Weeklies Dailies Sample 0 - 1,500 8 - 9.87% 8 1,501 - 2,500 16 - 19.74 16 2,501 - 3,500 15 l 20.99 17 3,501 - 5,000 9 2 13.59 11 5,001 - 7,500 4 1 6.18 5 7,501 - 10,000 3 3 7.40 6 10,001 - 15,000 2 3 6.18 5 15,001 - 25,000 2 2 4.94 4 over 25,000a _g _6_ 11.11 _9_ Total 63 19 100.00% 81 aWeeklies in this grouping had circulations of 98,000; 65,000; and 47,700: dailies had circulations of 78,000; 60,000; 51,000; 44,000; 44,000; and 38,150. Of the four neWSpapers which reported projects of wider scope, one had been completely handled by a small journalism class and showed questionable methodology and poor presentation. Only in one case was the research con- ducted by an outside research agency; one stated that re- sults were "classified"; and one had no explanation of' scope, methodology or findings. With only three newspapers reporting any research projects within the past five years, or four percent of 21 the sample, it is estimated that just 12 of the state's newspapers have engaged in research since 1963. Why Research Has Been Neglected By far, the majority of newspapers cited a lack of time for their lack of research activity. Over three- fourths of the respondents indicated they were too busy to engage in research studies. Over half felt personnel were not qualified to undertake such projects, and over a third felt research was "too complicated" or "too expensive." Only 13 percent felt research was "not necessary." This indicates that many smaller newspapers would likely undertake research studies if programs could be estab- lished which were within the limits of their resources. Apparent interest in research, however, should be viewed with a certain amount of reservation. It is com- monly known that publishers and staffs of small newspapers usually have little time for anything besides the daily toil of producing the publication. Whether any research project, no matter how little time was required in execu- tion, would be actually undertaken is open to speculation. Although 42 percent replied that cost was £22 an important factor in their neglect of research, a later question revealed that some 70 percent would spend only $15 to $200 for such studies. 22 It is suspected that some newspapers give only "mouth service" to research benefits. They agree that re- search is good and necessary, but are reluctant to make the sacrifices necessary to accomplish meaningful studies. See Table 3 for calculated results. Table 3.--Why newspapers have not conducted research studies--factors ranked by respondents Factor Not Important Very E Important Important Too busy 9.6% 13.7% 76.7% 72 Personnel not qualified 26.3 20.5 53.2 68 Too expensive 42 20.2 37.8 69 Too complicated 43.7 21 35.3 71 Research not necessary 70 17 13 68 Other factors mentioned were: "insufficient per- sonnel, need organizational help, no reason in particular, not beneficial." Amount Newspapers Would PayAfor Research Cost may prove to be a major stumbling block in developing meaningful research studies for smaller news- papers. Only 42 percent of those responding answered 23 this question. Many made such comments as "would depend on the project . . . don't know . . . not very much . . . something reasonable." Costs are sure to vary from newspaper to newspaper depending on such factors as sc0pe of the study, validity sought, research design, staff involvement, etc. However, in order to follow scientific methods of procedure, there are basic costs which newspapers must be prepared to meet. Expenditures of $15, $50 or $100 are totally un- realistic unless the publisher plans to conduct the entire project without any outside assistance and overlooks the internal costs of staff time, automobile expenses, print- ing, etc. Table 4 indicates response when newspapers were asked what maximum amounts they would spend on a research project. Table 4.--Amount newspapers would spend for research Amount would Percent of Amount would Percent of spend respondents spend respondents $15 2.9% $200 14.7% $50 8.8% $300 8.8% $100 35.2% $500 8.8% $150 2.9% $3000 .8%' N=34 24 Express Viewsgn Research ImportanceLABenefits When newspapers were asked in which areas they felt research data would be most beneficial, the majority listed "selling local advertising" as most important. Their concern with advertising was also apparent when they ranked possible areas for research study. "Reader- ship of advertising" drew the highest ranking of all sug- gested topics for study. It is interesting to note that a comparatively low ranking was given to "selling national advertising." This indicates that many newspaper publishers have given up on trying to attract national advertisers, apparently convinced that research will have no affect on national linage. This, plus low scores assigned to areas of edito- rial and circulation, suggests that many publishers are not familiar with opportunities which exist in planning overall strategy and growth. Newspapers may be overly concerned with advertising, thus negating the importance of other departments. Tables 5 and 6 show how newspapers rate various research topics, and in which areas they feel studies would be most beneficial. 25 Table 5.--Areas felt to benefit most from newspaper re- searcha Area Not Important Very N Important Important Selling local advertising 8% 11% 81% 78 Promoting circulation 12.6 12.4 75 80 Selling national advertising 28.4 17.4 54.2 78 Planning editorial format 29.6 33.4 37 70 aMiscellaneous areas listed: "close contact with readers, establish acceptance of newspaper in area, pro- duction, plan expansion, uncover community, sell classiw fied advertising." Table 6.--Importance of newspaper research--by topic Topic Not Important Very Important Important Readership of advertising 11.6% 6.5% 81.9% Readership of news copy 13.4 10.6 76 Readers' opinions of newspaper 9 21 70 Readership patterns 19.6 25.4 55 General market demographics 27.8 21.5 50.7 Suggestions to improve news- paper 20.3 32.2 47.5 Characteristics of readers 17.4 36 46.6 Comparison with competing media 38 16 46 Household data 36 24 40 CHAPTER III THE RESEARCH PROCESS The word "research" is an inclusive term which covers a variety of information-gathering activities. Different names may be assigned by advertising profes- sionals to the various classifications of advertising re- search, but in general such research can be grouped ac- cording to: the market, the consumer, the product, the copy, and the audience. One advertising professional likens advertising research to the who, what, when, where, why, and how of a newspaper lead. He also suggests one other question be answered: what is the competition? what are we selling against? The research process may involve a number of "steps" depending upon the sc0pe of the study, its design, data sought, and many other factors. The following proce- dure indicates some of these steps although it is recog- nized that a further breakdown would be necessary for more sophisticated studies. Some of the steps may be conducted 26 27 simultaneously but are listed according to their usual order of occurence: l. A statement of the problem. 2. Development of the research design. 3. Investigation of secondary data. 4. Collection of primary data. a. questionnaire design b. sampling procedures c. field investigation 5. Editing and tabulation. 6. Presentation and use of the data. Newspaper studies should begin with the decision of exactly whét_is to be researched. The researcher needs a clear-cut definition of what he hopes to accomplish through the study--a "problem definition." It is impor- tant to design the study within a specific framework, and consider for investigation only those questions which will add value to the project. The problem definition and objectives of the study should be written as clearly and concisely as possible. The Research Design This is the "master plan" which will be followed when developing a meaningful study. Market-media studies 28 by newspapers usually employ the survey method to gather "primary data," i.e., information collected by the re— searcher. The use of "secondary data," i.e., information already recorded in scholarly texts, trade journals, ref- erence books, etc., can also provide meaningful data. The research design takes into consideration probable sources of primary and secondary data, deter- mines methodology of gathering primary data, and outlines procedures for editing, analyzing, and presenting the findings. Use of Secondary Data A good library is the logical starting point for secondary data collection. Both literature and statis- tical information can be found there, and both may prove useful in the study. Secondary data may be found at institutions other than libraries. Statistical information may be obtained from state and local governments. Planning commissions or industrial development corporations are excellent sources. Nearby colleges and universities may have ace cumulated valuable data through their facilities. 29 Primary Data Collection Types Primary data may be classified into three groups: facts, Opinions and motives. Most newspapers will be in- terested in facts and Opinions but will not seek motives. Interpretative questions are difficult to answer, and they require depth interviewing, a technique accomplished only by an experienced interviewer. Facts are the most definite, measurable sort of data. People are more likely to remember them than the reasons for their past behavior or their Opinions, and they can describe them more accurately. Although many facts are "overt," i.e., can be Observed, most facts must be acquired by asking someone for the information. Use Of the word "Opinion" shall include beliefs, attitudes, evaluations, estimates, and preferences--what one believes or thinks about something. Not only is it important to determine how one feels about something, how strongly he feels may also be significant. Methods of communication Newspaper studies may use telephone, mail or per- sonal interview to conduct their surveys. Although per- sonal interview is most desirable, an investigation of 30 the advantages and disadvantages of mail and telephone surveys will develop understanding Of all three methods. The telephone is the quickest method known for reaching peOple to secure information. Luck, Wales and Taylor list several pro's and con's of telephone sur- veys.ll They note that local calls cost very little to make, no "field work" is necessary, a number of persons may be contacted in a short time and at hours when a personal call would not be proper. However, the disadvantages include: the person is unseen so little can be learned about his environment; data must be brief and limited; rapport is Often difficult to establish; in limited exchanges, toll calls are costly. There may be occasion to conduct a survey by tele- phone if the researcher seeks information on a limited basis or if he wants to "spot-check" the reliability of data Obtained by other methods (see Appendix B). Letters are a convenient means Of reaching a select group. The small price of postage and the elimina- tion of a field staff makes mail studies very attractive. There are other advantages.12 Distance between respondents does not affect the cost, letters will reach 11David J. Luck, Hugh G. Wales, and Donald A. Taylor, Marketing Research (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1961), pp. 123-124. 121bid., pp. 124-125. 31 the respondent when he picks up his mail so there is no problem Of call-backs, there is no danger of interviewer influence, the respondent is usually anonymous and will give frank and confidential information, and may give a more complete response. But there are serious disadvantages when using a mail survey. Relatively few questionnaires are returned, because Of the small number of replies cost-per-return may be extremely high, those who do reply are seldom representative of the total sample--thus findings may be distorted, there is no way to Observe the respondent or his surroundings, respondents may not answer all of the questions or give clear answers, replies may straggle back over several weeks. Some Michigan newspapers have used mail question- naires to determine reader attitudes of selected columns and features. The Michigan Press Association designed two such questionnaires for member use, one in 1959 and one in 1961 (see Appendix C and D). The mail survey may be useful to newspapers which seek data for evaluating their effectiveness, but limita- tions of the method make it impractical for inclusive market-media studies. Although more expensive and come plicated, the personal interview is suggested for news- paper research. 32 Personal interviewing is the most desirable method Of collecting primary data for newspaper studies. The most serious difficulties which newspapers must overcome when using the personal interview technique are expendi- tures Of time and dollars. Both are necessary to accom- plish a meaningful study. the personal interview: Luck, Wales and Taylor list many advantages Of 13 the interviewer asks questions in the desired order and may explain questions which are not understood. few refusals are encountered as compared to non- response with mail surveys. the interviewer may stimulate memory and thought of respondents. "Open-end" questions may be asked to Obtain general attitudes and Opinions beyond the printed question. the interviewer can supplement questions with Ob- servations. the interviewer can record information in a stand- ardized manner that is easily understood and allows for ready tabulation. There are also disadvantages Of which the re— searcher should be aware: o the interviewer is a fallible human being, and any failure on his part will be reflected in the data collected. The respondent may give those answers which he thinks will please the interviewer or im- press him. respondents not at home cannot be interviewed. This may distort the findings. 13Ibid., pp. 127-128. 33 . in sparsely settled areas, costs Of personal inter- views may be-prohibitive. - questions of highly-personal nature may meet refusals by respondents. o respondents may refuse to answer questions when they are rushed, distracted or tired. Information given under such conditions may be worth little. Questionnaire Design There are definite principles which should be considered if problems Of questionnaire design are to be overcome. Wording must be clear and concise. Ambiguous words, such as "kind," should be avoided. Only one question per item should be asked, and reference to a previous question should not be used unless such refer- ence is absolutely clear. Aids to recall may be necessary. When the sought fact is likely to be unimportant to the respondent, the researcher may begin with a major fact and proceed to the minor event of interest. The first few questions should be of personal interest to the respondent, easy to answer, and not touch on intimate matters. Age, income and education are three questions which may be met with refusal or exaggeration. Often, the bias may be overcome by handing the person a card which lists response by code, according to groups. 34 Income group "K" may represent income Of $5,000 to $7,999, while group "G" may indicate income from $3,000 to $4,999. One researcher suggests that an effort be made to counteract bias in the following manner: . . . write out three questions at a time on the sub- ject, to be compared side by side. The first should contain words and phrases likely to bias or prejudice the respondent negatively or against it; the second to bias him positively; finally the analyst should attempt to write a question that will, as nearly as possible, balance the two extremes. Types of questions The types of questions to be used depends upon information sought, the depth Of questioning, the extent to which one must avoid influencing the respondent, tabu- lation requirements and other factors. Some of the most common types Of questions are: free response, direct response, multiple choice, check lists, ranking questions, dichotomous questions, and Open-end. Physical design Of the questionnaire Three parts are essential: sought data, classi- fication data and identification data. Two other parts, 14Alfred W. Hubbard, "Phrasing Questions," The Journal Of Marketing, V.XV, NO. 1, (July, 1950), p. 56. 35 a request for cooperation and instructions, are Optional, depending upon the research design. Sought data are facts whose collection is the chief Objective for the study. Classification data des- cribe the person, family, etc. by various economic, social or other characteristics which relate to the subject of the research. Identification data may include the re- spondent's name, the interviewer, and any other data necessary to identify important factors of the interview. The interviewer must also be considered when designing questionnaires. Involved phraseology and tongue-twisting sentences should be avoided; print should be easy to read with instructions to the interviewer printed in contrasting type--usually all caps--tO stand out from the questions. If some information is to be Observed rather than asked, allocated space should be clearly distinguished from the questions. Data on questionnaires must be tabulated after forms are returned, and design Of the form must anticipate this tabulation. Sampling Sampling is a powerful and efficient tOOl for re- search. It is efficient in the use Of manpower, funds and effort; it reduces research time and may be more ac- curate than taking a full census. 36 The term "population" is used by the researcher to mean the totality Of all possible phenomena that have certain characteristics in common, and may represent any- thing the researcher defines it to be so long as it is all of the members. In newspaper market—media studies, for example, the population may be defined as, "all those subscribing to Hometown Newspaper." Or it might be, "all those living within the circulation area Of Hometown News- paper." A sample is a part of a population. A "sampling error" is defined as the difference between actual char- acteristics of the population and what the sample has represented those characteristics to be. "Non-sampling errors" are all the errors other than those due to the method Of selecting the sample and the probability of error. They may include errors in faulty planning, re- sponse errors, errors in classification, compilation and publication. The most valid sampling methods are those founded on straight-forward principles: the laws Of probability. A probabilityisample is one chosen so that every member of the population has a mathematically-equal chance of being selected for the sample. A simple random probability sample requires using a predetermined method to select the desired number of members to be sampled--and not 37 deviating from that method no matter which members are selected. Reliability depends upon every member designated as a sample being interviewed without substitution. If the member cannot be reached, the interview is simply discarded and the total number of completed surveys re— duced by one. A simple 10-page treatise on sampling, called "Sampling As An Exact Science," is available from the ad- vertising Research Foundation, 3 East 54th St., New York, N.Y. The Field Investigation Field investigation refers to the activities of interviewers and their supervisors in obtaining the data at primary sources being canvassed. Many market-media studies can utilize standardized questions which the in- terviewer reads verbatim to lessen reliance on interview- er ability. Although there are disadvantages to this structured approach, time and cost may force smaller newspapers to use housewives, college students, staff members, and even mature high school students for field investigators. Training sessions should be held at a central meeting place where interviewers can receive instruction 38 in groups. The session should be long enough to cover every aspect Of the work and permit all questions to be asked. Some Of the problems which field investigators will likely encounter are: peOple not at home, misinter- pretation of questions, need to elicit response, biased answers, and wandering by respondent into irrelevant areas rather than giving specific answers. Written instructions should be handed out at the first training session, and reviewed for the benefit of interviewers. Instructions should spell out exact des- criptions in clear and precise terms. Some of the points to be covered are: what the survey is about, when the survey is to start and be finished, when to make calls, where to find respondents (lists and maps), how to intro- duce oneself and initiate the interview, how questions should be asked, any Observations which are tO be made, how questionnaires should be studied and corrected before being turned in, who and where to call if problems are encountered. Editing and Tabulation Certain steps are necessary to put collected data in meaningful form. Editing is the process of inspecting, correcting and modifying the collected information so that 39 it is correct, adequate and common to all similar cate- gories of reply. Tabulation brings together similar re— plies and totals them in an accurate and orderly manner. Editing may be carried out in the field by inter- viewers and later in the Office. The interviewer can minimize editing work by: putting down information cor- rectly and being alert to inconsistencies or vagueness; writing and checking answers legibly; entering, immedi- ately after the interview, Observations or information which is not to be recorded until the interview is com- pleted; scanning every questionnaire for errors immedi- ately after the interview. Coding can be simplified by "precoding" question- naires. Code numbers are assigned to the categories of answers and are printed beside them. When it is impossi- ble to precode questionnaires, special design may still facilitate tabulation. Spaces are simply provided along- side questions, in one Of the margins, for entering code numbers. After codes have been established, the editor refers to his "code book" for prOper coding and enters the number or letter in the space provided. There are different methods of tabulation, but all involve the same basic principal steps. First, one must plan the breakdown Of data in the order of tabula- tion. From this list, tables should be prepared, ready for entry Of figures when counting has been completed. 40 When all tables are ready, a schedule may then show the groups into which questionnaires are to be sorted and the order in which the work is to be done. Questionnaires should be counted and numbered before tabulation takes place. There are various methods Of tabulation. Machine methods are usually superior to manual and should be used whenever equipment is available. Many newspapers can gain access to mechanical tabulation through nearby colleges and universities. If this course is chosen, it is extremely im— portant to make such contact pgiga to designing question- naire and codes. The type Of mechanical process to be used will greatly influence coding procedures. Specific requirements can be explained by university personnel and machine Operators may wish to perform much of the set-up work. Presentation and Use of Data Once tabulation is complete, the data is prepared for presentation. Besides written reports, newspapers may wish to use collected data for promotional purposes. Professionally-designed brochures may be sent to adver- tising agencies and media representatives, or given to advertising salesmen for selling tools. 41 Stories may be published to inform readers of the results Of the newspaper study. A word of caution: stories should not appear prior to the project since an- nouncement of the study could easily bias respondents. Example of a Weekly Newspaper Study A market-media study for the Towne Courier, a weekly neWSpaper with 5,000 circulation in East Lansing and two major villages in Meridian Township, exemplifies research Opportunities for smaller newspapers. The study was conducted in August, 1967, under the supervision Of Dr. Kenward L. Atkin, Department of Adver- tising, Michigan State University. Preparation, field work and analysis was done by an advanced class in adver- tising research under his direction. By using such professional assistance, the project was virtually completed in two weeks (Appendix E) and pro- duced much meaningful data. Cost was minimal and high school students were used for part of the field investi- gation. The project culminated in a lS-page report (Ap- pendix F). The findings have proven of benefit to the newspaper in selling advertising and planning editorial format. 42 Problem statement The objectives of the study were to Obtain market and readership data which would enable local and national advertisers to better evaluate the Towne Courier as an advertising medium. Because of data sought, the personal interview was chosen as the most practical approach. The study was designed to answer the following questions: 1. What are the general market characteristics of East Lansing and Meridian Township? 2. What are the demographic characteristics Of Towne Courier subscribers? 3. What are the readership characteristics of Towne Courier subscribers and their attitudes toward the Towne Courier and competing newspapers circu- lated in the East Lansing-Meridian Township market, specifically including: a. coverage and readership Of the Towne Courier and competing newspapers. b. how copies Of newspapers read by residents are Obtained. c. how long the Towne Courier is "actively" kept in the home. d. attitudes of subscribers of both the Towne Courier and the (Lansing) State JournaI toward the newspapers. e. specific "likes" and "dislikes" of Towne Courier subscribers. f. thoroughness of readership, as rated by a modified form of the "recognition method" of selected ads and editorial material. ‘ 43 Use Of secondagy data Secondary data was found to be Of limited value because Of the confines Of the study. Population, house- hold units, number of households and people per household were determined through investigation of material collect- ed by the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission. Much secondary information was discarded because it did not conform to the research design. The area is experiencing explosive growth due to expansion Of Michi- gan State University and state government. Data which was not timely was of little value to the study, and was also discarded. Selection of sample The population was defined as the 5,030 subscrib- ers included on the Towne Courier circulation lists as of May 31, 1967. Numbers from one to ten were placed in a recepticle. The number "9" was drawn at random and became the standard interval. Every ninth name on the circula- tion list then became a tentative sample. Business es- tablishments and post Office boxholders were eliminated from the sample. This left approximately 300 subscriber households for sampling purposes. The total sample was then broken into units and listed by area for field investigators. Each interviewer 44 was given a packet with his name printed on the cover, addresses of respondents he was to contact, instructions and a detailed map which pin-pointed specific locations Of interviews. Interviews were completed in 179 Of these households. Questionnaire design The questionnaire (Appendix G) was designed to be partially self-administered; that is, personal data would be filled in by the respondent rather than by the inter- viewer so as to minimize exaggeration and bias. It was also designed for easy coding in order tO facilitate ma- chine tabulation. The relatively short length Of the questionnaire minimized the problem of respondent fatigue. In addition to the direct-inquiry and probe-type questions, the survey utilized the technique Of reader- ship measurement. The technique was used to measure read- ership Of both editorial matter and advertisements in the Tuesday, August 22, 1967, issue of the Towne Courier. To qualify as a reader of the newspaper, this issue was shown (banner side up) to the respondent. Those who indi- cated they had seen or read the issue were led through the paper, page by page, to determine their depth Of reader- ship. Specific articles and advertisements in the issue had been predetermined and listed on the questionnaire. 45 As the respondent revealed tO what extent he had read each article or advertisement, his response was recorded within one Of the following readership degrees: noted, seen-associated (read lightly), or read most (read heav- ily). Detailed written instructions were given (Appen— dix H) to field investigators and two training sessions were held. Interviewers consisted of a local senior girl scout troop, with members 16-18 years Of age, and students in the research class. All call-backs and rural household interviews were conducted by class members. During the training sessions, field investigators assumed roles of interviewers and respondents so that techniques could be assessed. The questionnaire was thoroughly explained and correct methods of interviewing were outlined. Coding and tabulation Since tabulation was to be by machine, the ques- tionnaire was pre-coded for all but four questions. These four questions required examination Of responses before any meaningful classifications could be estab- lished. Once classifications were developed, the code book was produced (Appendix I). Codes were then transferred from the edited ques- tionnaires to cards by means of a card-punch machine, and 46 responses were tabulated by a card-sorting machine. The director Of the project, a class member fami— liar with the newspaper profession, determined areas of cross-tabulation while assembling data for analysis. The analysis and final report was written by the director under the supervision Of Dr. Atkin. Results of the study were published in two issues Of the Towne Courier (Appendix J). Data have provided advertising salesmen valuable information. Editorial format can be better planned since characteristics Of subscribers are known and many Of their attitudes and Opinions have been determined. Followup studies, using the same methodology, will not be difficult to execute. The publisher now has an effective design for conducting either large or small scale research projects. CHAPTER IV MICHIGAN PRESS ASSOCIATION: A PROPOSED RESEARCH CENTER A study, similar to that conducted for the Towne Courier, would seem to be within the reach of most of Michigan's smaller newspapers. Although Towne Courier personnel did not actively participate in the project, staff members could have effectively replaced most class members. The overall research design could be adjusted to satisfy the needs of most newspapers, and time and cost requirements are minimal. Similarities in Operations, and common problems shared by newspapers suggest that savings could be real— ized through a "group approach" to market-media studies. Such an approach could conceivably be based on any type of "grouping:" circulation, geographic proximity, spon- taneity of colleagues, etc. The most logical point to base cooperative re- search studies would seem to be the Michigan Press Asso- ciation. Membership is held by virtually every newspaper in the state, and basic facilities needed to handle such a venture are already established. 47 48 A11 56 of Michigan's daily newspapers and virtually all weekly newspapers in the state belong to MPA. There are a few weeklies who cannot meet the membership require- ments and fewer still who do not wish to belong. Weekly members presently total 285.14 Qualifications for membership include:15 1. Publishing at not less than weekly intervals for 12 continuous months with paid circulation, 24 continuous months with controlled (free) circula- tion. 2. Publishing a newspaper of general interest--as Opposed to special interest publications-~in the English language. 3. Carrying not more than 75% advertising per issue, based on an annual average. Dues are based on circulation and frequency of issue but carry both maximum and minimum amounts. Non- payment Of dues and/or disregard Of acceptable ethical behavior may be cause for membership termination. Appli- cations for membership are processed by the Executive Secretary, who refers them to the Membership and Ethics Committee for investigation and recommendation to the Board of Directors. In order to provide additional financing and be Of greater service to members, two profit-making 14Michigan Newspaper Digectory and Ratebook, 1968 ed., published by the Michigan Press Assocaition, East Lansing, Michigan. 15Bylaws: Michigan Press Association, Revised 1967, pp. 2-3. 49 corporations are operated under the auspecies of MPA: Michigan Press Service, Inc., and Michigan Newspapers, Inc. Michigan Press Service Michigan Press Service, Inc., Offers two major services: a clipping bureau and a mailing service. The clipping bureau employs "readers" who scrutinize every issue of every newspaper in the state. Clients notify the bureau Of the stories they wish to receive. The mailing service is offered to those who wish to send "news releases" to Michigan newspapers. Unless a Special mailing is requested, releases are,enclosed with official association material mailed each Thursday. Michigan Newspapers, Inc. MNI is the media representative to state and regional advertisers. Although many of Michigan's daily newspapers and a few weeklies do not use the services Of MNI, the association still processes insertion orders for them whenever an agency or advertiser requests the service. Such a service as that Offered by Michigan News- papers, Inc., is beneficial to both the newspaper and the agency. The agency need not send insertion orders, check tear sheets or mail separate checks when using the MNI "One-order,'one-bi11, one-check" system. The newspaper also benefits from the service. MNI acts as intermediary and can Often get a "make good" for ads which were not published according to schedule. MNI'S full time sales representative may, on occasion, get addi- tional newspapers added to existing schedules. He also makes frequent calls on agencies and advertisers, urging them to use newspapers in their media mix and to expand existing newspaper schedules. MNI has direct affiliation with American Newspaper Representatives, Inc., national media representatives. ANR represents some 8,600 weekly and daily news— papers with the One-Order, one-bill, one—check system pre- viously noted. It performs the same functions of newspaper promotion on a national level as those performed by MNI on a state and regional basis. Michigan Press Association Michigan Press Association, a non-profit organiza- tion, completed 100 years of service to Michigan newspapers in January, 1968. 51 3 For the first 70 years, it operated as a loose-knit fraternal organization. In 1937, MPA employed its first full time Executive Secretary. Over the next 30 years, responsibilities and duties increased to such a level that an assistant to the Executive Secretary was hired in March, 1967. An important function Of MPA's Central Office is to maintain effective communications with member news- papers. This is accomplished primarily through the "week- ly bulletin" sent to publishers and other newspaper execu- tives each Thursday. A one-page bulletin, called "This Week," is sent only to daily members. This communication deals with current happenings among daily newspapers: promotions, staff changes, honors and awards, appointments, circula- tion campaigns, etc. An association magazine, Michigan Publisher, is produced monthly and sent to regular and associate members. MPA holds numerous conventions and workshops for its members. The annual MPA convention is held on the Michigan State University campus the last weekend in Janu- ary. A summer convention, held on the next-to-the-last weekend in June, is located in different places within the state. Other conferences include circulation, classified advertising, display advertising, and a quarterly board of 52 directors meeting. In addition, MPA co-sponsors other newspaper conferences, such as Wayne State University News— paper Workshops and University of Michigan Press Club meet- ings. An expanding area Of concern for Central Office is legislative activities. Both the executive secretary and his assistant are registered legislative agents and closely follow proceedings of the Michigan Legislature. Individual problems Of member newspapers also com- mand a major part of Central Office activities. Since most newspapers use the mail for distribution, postal regulations are of constant concern. Current salary ranges, labor regulations, legal questions, hiring prac- tices, available labor sources, typographical and mechani— cal difficulties are just some Of the problems which mem- bers request Central Office assistance in solving. Because Of its membership composition and multi- farious newspaper activities, MPA is considered the Offi- cial industry representative. Central Office is called upon for speaking engagements, Opinions and general coun- sel by those seeking information or wishing entree to the profession. Prpppsed Center for Newspaper Research The Michigan Press Association has many of the requisites necessary for organizing, promoting and 53 executing a group approach to newspaper research. It is the center Of the newspaper industry. Channels of communication are established and publishers look to MPA for advice and assistance. Central Office is familiar with newspaper problems, the limitations and opportunities of the industry. Financial conditions, strengths and weaknesses Of individual newspapers are Often divulged to or already known by the Executive Secretary. Central Office is Often aware of research projects conducted by newspapers and competing media throughout the United States. Personal contact, review of trade journals, exchange bulletins and newsletters furnish details of cur- rent studies and the value of collected data for planning purposes. Professional and trade organizations, such as the American Newspaper Publishers' Association Research Insti- tute, ANPA'S Bureau Of Advertising, and the research branch of the International Newspaper Promotion Associa- tion, frequently publish reports Of meaningful studies. MPA receives all such reports. A close relationship is held between MPA's Executive Secretary and other state press association managers. Another advantage enjoyed by MPA is its relation- ship with advertising agencies. Many agency executives have been invited to Speak at conventions and workshops. 54 They are on a first-name basis with the MPA Executive Secretary and Often use the facilities of the mailing and clipping bureau. Contact made through MNI and ANR also tends to familiarize agencies with the Michigan Press Association. Research studies coordinated by the association would probably gain more recognition--and be in more acceptable and uniform format--than those bearing no relationship to MPA. Professional assistance would be desirable in some studies and almost mandatory in others. Unless the project were extremely conservative in scope, tabulation Of,survey results may dictate use of a computer or card-counter. The closest and most efficient source of assistance is Michigan colleges and universities. MPA is on excellent terms with institutions Of higher learning and can quickly determine which schools have qualified research personnel willing to work with newspapers. Use of electronic data processing at these universities could be included in the arrangement. There would be many benefits to OOOperative news- paper research. The Michigan Press Association could serve as an initial "clearing house" for proposed projects. Cost estimates and experiences of other newspapers which had conducted similar studies would be readily available. 55 As projects were completed, COpies could be filed for later reference. Complete presentations could be organized by com- bining survey data from newspapers throughout the state. These presentations would be used by MNI and ANR for developing sales proposals to agencies, and by member news— papers for individual use. ASSistance could include helping develop method- ology for the project. A list of sources and location of secondary data would save members countless hours of search. Other services might encompass suggesting sources for professional guidance, locating computers, designing questionnaires, selecting samples, and training field in- vestigators. In fact, assistance Offered through MPA facilities would be limited only to the extent of services the organization decided to provide. Facilities Needed for MPA Research Center To effectively establish this service, at least one parttime research person would be needed. He might be assigned other responsibilities while serving in a research capacity. He might be recruited from the academic ranks, or from a recognized research agency. In any case, he would need files, a desk and other Office furnishings. 56 Over the long range, a complete research department could be set up within the framework of theMichigan Press Association. At that time, a secretary and one or two full time professional research people would be required. There are at least four ways to finance such a service: 1. revenue from the general fund. 2. levy a Special all-member assessment. 3. establish a fee for each newspaper using the service. 4. any combination Of the above. CHAPTER V SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS If newspapers are to remain competitive in the field of mass media, they must provide research data for advertisers and agency use. The loss Of national adver- tising revenue to competing media has already been real- ized, and projection of current trends shows that local, retail advertising may soon follow. Rising costs of time, space and production have forced advertisers to reevaluate budgets. There are more media from which to choose, and media decisions are in- creasingly being made on the basis Of media effectiveness as proved by research data. Some Of the larger newspapers have accepted the challenge and are providing meaningful market demographics. Most smaller dailies and weekly newspapers are not. Attempts have been made by such newspaper organiza- tions as the research branch of the International Newspaper Promotion Association to stimulate studies by newspapers, but little success is evidenced in Michigan. A compilation of primaiy research studies released by the International 57 58 Newspaper Advertising Executives showed that only 78 Of the nation's 1,750 dailies conducted such projects in 1966-67; less than 4.5 percent.16 One can only speculate what the percentage must be for weekly newspapers! This situation need not continue in Michigan. News- papers in the state have the Opportunity to receive pro- fessional assistance in research studies. The research process is not SO complicated that a workable program is outside the realm of possibility for smaller newspapers. The cost in time and money is largely dependent upon the SOOpe of the project and how much of the study will be conducted by newspaper personnel. A market-media study, such as that conducted for the Towne Courier, could probably be duplicated by many newspapers for approximately $500, excluding time Of staff. If the newspaper did its own field investigation and tabulation, the cost would be much less. Newspapers are a powerful medium and are recognized as such by retailers. O'Brien suggests that newspapers are the only medium which gives the retailer: selective market penetration, advertising impact, low cost produc- tion, retention Of the advertising message, effective mul- tiple-item presentation, and complete buying information.17 lGNational publisher, April 27, 1968, p. 6. 17O'Brien, p. 4. 59 Most Michigan newspaper publishers apparently feel that they should engage in meaningful research. The major obstacles of time, money and organization are not insur~~ mountable. A group approach to research for most Michigan newspapers seems to be the most effective way to proceed. Although newspaper research "groups" could be organized on almost any basis, the most efficient and practical organization would appear to be on the state level through the facilities Of the Michigan Press Asso- ciation. MPA already has many Of the qualifications and re- quisites necessary to undertake such an endeavor: know- ledge Of the profession; an understanding of individual member problems; contact with advertising agencies, adver- tisers, colleges and universities, national and state news- paper associations and organizations; communications links to Michigan newspapers; other basic facilities such as files, duplicating equipment, etc. Deficiencies which do exist could be overcome with minimal investment. It appears that MPA can play one Of two roles in assisting members in meaningful research: Central Office could fulfill an advisory role only, promoting the need for research and counseling members on where professional research assistance could be Obtained; or MPA could take a more active part by actually becoming involved in members' research projects. 60 The degree of involvement would be influenced by financial limitations and available Office facilities, at least for the present. Perhaps the most logical approach would be to limit activity until newspapers indicate what they want-- and will support. The facility would thus begin as a counseling service, but would expand into a more active service as the need develops. The present lack Of Office Space at MPA makes any expansion of services impractical at this time. However, MPA will likely have additional quarters in the near future when the MSU personnel department is relocated from the second floor of the building to new quarters. It is not too early to begin planning for an MPA research center. The Board of Directors Should direct the Executive Secretary to prepare recommendations for establishing such a center within the organization. Such recommendations should include major and al- ternate prOposalS, based on various types of proposed service. Costs, methods of financing, personnel require- ments and Office facilities should be estimated, as well as a time-table for implementing each plan. Once recommendations are made, the board can ap- prove that program most workable under prevailing condi— tions. Ultimate goals could also be set, based upon 61 future acceptance of such research service by member news- papers. While ultimate responsibility for meaningful re- search lies with each newspaper, the Michigan Press Asso- ciation has an Obligation to provide each member those services which can help assure his success. Not only success, but survival for many Of Michi- gan's smaller newspapers may rest upon a program Of mean- ingful research. APPENDIX Appendix A MPA RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE Has your newspaper undertaken any research projects within the past five years? YES __ N0 __ IF ANSWER TO QUESTION 1 IS ”YES," PLEASE ENCLOSE COPIES, IF AVAILABLE, OF THE RE- SEARCH FINDINGS WHEN YOU RETURN THIS QUESTIONNAIRE. INCLUDE PROMOTION PIECES, SAMPLING PROCEDURES, QUESTIONNAIRES, ETC. Below, briefly outline the information sought by the research (market statistics, readership patterns, etc.) and the dates research projects were conducted. A If you have N91 conducted research within the past five years, please rank the fol- lowing reasons according to importance; number 8 being the most important reason why research has not been conducted, number 1 the least important. Please circle your answer to every item. LEAST IMPORTANT MOST IMPORTANT too complicated too expensive research not necessary did not have time personnel not qualified other: hih‘hlh‘h‘hfih‘ hahah’hahahaha uwuiuauau:u:u: a~a~a-a-a~a~a~ Lntntn£nlfltntn o~o~a~o~a~o~o~ NNNNNNN a>a>a>a:c:a:c: If a program of research assistance were made available at a reasonable cost through MPA, how interested would you be in using the services? ‘VERY INTERESTED QUITE INTERESTED SLIGHTLY INTERESTED' NOT INTERESTED If interested, what is the maximum amount you would spend on a research project? 3 In what areas do you feel research data would be most beneficial to your newspaper? ‘Rank your answer according to importance, number 8 being the most important, number 1 the least. Please circle each answer to every item. ~ LEAST IMPORTANT MOST IMPORTANT selling local advertising selling national advertising planning editorial format promoting circulation other: h‘h‘h‘h‘h‘h‘ sanananasaea hikihahihthD a-a-a-a-a-e- tnxnxatatnxn o~a~a~o~a\a~ \J~J~J\J~I\J cncncncncncn -OVER- w.r¢-""W’W‘-W 1" ' Rank the following from 1 - 5 according to their importance in newspaper research. You may use the same number more than once. A rank of "5” means the information would be most important; a rank of ”1” means the information would be of lgggg'value. Write in the appropriate number beside each item. readership of advertising ____ readership of news and editorial copy__‘_ reader's Opinion of newspaper _fl_ characteristic of reader (age, income, etc.) household data (number in household, type of structure, buy or rent, etc.) ___ Suggestions for improving newSpaper____ comparison with competing media ___ general market demographics (population, number of families, homes, etc.) readership patterns (time spent with newspaper, best—liked features, etc.) other: Is your newspaper a Daily, a Suburban Weekly, a Weekly? What is your current circulation? Please use the remaining Space below for any comments you may wish to make regarding newspaper research, this project, questionnaire.itha possible role of MPA in news- paper research, or other suggestions relating to this tapic. April 18, 1968 64' Michigan Press Association 257 Michigan Avenue East Lansing, Michigan 48823 Phone (517) 32-4010 April 18, 1968 .flgmo to the Publisher: An effort to devise a research program for newspapers is currently underway, and your c00peration is needed. By filling out the enclosed questionnaire and returning it to Central Office as soon as possible you will help assure the success of this project. The completed prOgram should serve newspapers by offering suggested guidelines and a step—by-Step example of how meaningful research can be conducted by any newspaper, regardless of size. It will show how valid research need not be expensive and will suggest benefits from group effort, possibly through MPA. The entire study will fulfill requirements of a Master's Thesis at Michigan State University. Findings will be available to those who return a completed questionnaire. You need not sign tne questionnaire, and all reaponses will be kept in confidence. An addressed envelOpe is enclosed for your convenience. Thanks for your help. Best wishes, /77 n /"/\C'7‘7,M‘/ l. ', Roger W. Williams Assistant Executive Secretary RWW:lgh Enclosures - 2 we “no“. Orv. - Appendix B H. . ; - - a‘e$\!i‘£—Utb . {Li's ll..._'._‘\:iC—Llc.1 DO IT YOURSELF NEWSPAPER SURVEY '.-l._..._ - 7.... u ddtc pHEfllUNNAIRE TVA n 3054IBL£ ITIEPHOAE SURVEY OF WEEKLY NEWSPAPER . i‘thfr RS . uses of Respondent 7 Thcne No._‘ Lidfcio _— inttrxie: Comp1e is d: Incompleted: _git H“:1 luvs No Ans. Rtfifi ed _~;i£. Discor~gg£§3 intraisction: This is (name of interviewer) of the Weekly Tews. “e are making a survey and woold like to ask you a few questions 1. Have you happened to read the current copy of the Weekly News vetT Yes_ la. ’hat day did L hu14___ Can't Recallfi__fio.__ yo u rca d it? iri ____ Didn’t get paper lb. Bic vcu nnp- Fat ___ it. Do you expect to pen to read Sun ____ read 1:? Yes___ {0‘__ it any other Don't day(s)' chall___ 1d. 'hat day do you Sun_“_ Don't expect to read Mon___ Know~ it? Tue___ Ted*__ Don't Know ___ . (Ash of A111 Where is your copy of the Weekly News Now? Living room___ Other available Don‘t know a__ Dining room~__ room ___ Throw out ___ Kitchen ___ Unavailable room (attic, basement, etc.) ____ < Ask only of reader) Did you happen to read any advertisements? Yes Can' t Recall“ No '3a. Do you recall any particular ad 3b. Did you mhappe n to Shop at tiic in this issue? (Any others?) advertiser' 5 place this week? lst Mention Yes No Plot Relevant 2nd Mention Yes No Not Relevant 3rd Mention Yes No Not Relevant th Mention Yes No Not Relevant 5th Mention Yes No Not Relevant (asezteens ___ 50's ___i 6. flhat is the occupation of the 20's ___ 60's ___ head of household? 30's ___ 70's 40': ,fl-at was ch—last )c ear in school you completed: (Kind of Job) CQrAde or less ___ Siore high school___ (Kind Of Firm) Eilgh SchC 'Ol ___ ;:ome College ___ 7. DEX Male __ Fema1e~ (“Ol‘eee Grad (q N O ‘5’. ‘fi‘ If.“ Hr; W Th "1"1 ‘.' ‘v‘r/NTY£‘~.Y‘ tr- ‘ ‘ .A_‘ .. y-n.~ r‘I‘ '» v , a}. AL.‘.'.LI ”91 17"", 9.“! 1' 'e ‘ . f \. ‘ I D1: tc“ “a .1 cnt . 'Hkfll' i _ _‘_ ‘ ‘ at van S’n; swrvie’iv informacior 1n weeklv rewrpn;nrs, wri lk‘ hn'r ".‘7'3 C . MIL Ila,” liens~ (kia food y cheek five. 0?. I a .Tee, which w m M ,V..._. 11.1 ’1‘: '.'f"l.~ '4. 7'7“ I‘I'. tinis cf infwrmitii 1 ~ ‘ Y’ ,—. .c 3‘4 1 1 :1 A . .-._. v‘ .. 1 'V‘ s, (c y «A - d'ir V ‘ V‘(\ 1" ' ‘1 § ' r) L ) Ln 'r H '5 . ‘ , 1 f. ’N ~ \ '7 4 1 1" nibn ll’L'vro’ $04 reid to jureizse at chr ”on 3? m "I ”1 ‘ 0 " ;:tai inmizv 'I v" ‘ .I A ~ - - v . ‘, g- ‘ ‘_" - ‘Y _‘ ’u. r .. 2 ‘ I Kali? ndl'a.‘ 1‘ ~.1Dr‘? .t'c. ‘ 131.) I ~ ‘ yw I " a "‘ tru' «1s for price ten at ". ‘3‘ 7‘ I '5 i of ""~ : -Inus ‘f infuzmaii.n .ruh moi”- '9, la {71' lnternwtionai News Eneaevmmn.annoumyflnwfis N.oiina Ceremony Descripti rs Sacivty Neva Local community news (P.T.A., Rotary etc.) Aiv'ce to Levelcrn Information of Informitflnitf Clvlhine rforflfifitn oanwjly Wyflih Inform +irn on Rearing Chi Informwticn Thfornmbion on Hardening Comic Firirs ani puzzles Ford T1 Wrnilai " , t I Y‘f‘. ;_{'€>.Y‘? T‘fcnu Planninw Tips Mant'y-Savim' T How to Cook Ve How How to e How to .eyare De Party Ideas Gourmet Foods Herb Cookery- Foods for Chiliren Feed Buying Tips Famil Nutrition an" l—LpS if -__.____t-_ 9.11: NEED YOUR HELPi-n- : THIS; 13.311? INSIDE OF THE wetness Ljyphdikf r’ugust 24, 1361 ._ __ . ._ . . _ _._.-_... -— 111 GIVING you 1'. 1313111311 Hons- f TOWN NEI'YSPAPERL i Y iTo guide us in our continuous efforts to ‘ JUST CIRCLE THE NUMBER which indicates [give you a first class hometown news- your answer. For instance, if you cir+ Tpaper, we would like to have you tell us cle a ”l", Opposite ”editorials," it ‘ 'what things you like and read in the means you never read them. A circled 1 'paper, and what parts of the paper are of “7“ means you read them all the time. g less interest to you. “" “’7‘ Never Read ITEM IN THE PAPER Read Always City council ------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 County office news ------- l 2 3 4 5 6 7 . School board news--- ----- l 2 3 4 5 6 7 Other school news -------- l 2 3 4 5 6 7 . Hospital news ------------ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 'Traffic court ------------ l 2 3 4 5 6 7 , Business news ------------ l 2 3 4 5 6 7 .Society news---- --------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Organization news-- ------ l 2 3 4 S 6 7 Church news ------- -------l 2 3 4 5 6 7 fiports news --------- -—---l 2 3 4 5 6 7 Columns ----------- - ------ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ---------------------- 1 2 3 4 S 6 7 --------------- -------1 2 3 4 5 6 7 - ------------ - -------- l 2 3 4 5 6 7 ---------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 — --------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 fPictures ----------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ~' Correspondents ----------- l 2 3 4 5 6 7 ---------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ---------------------- 1 2 3 4 S 6 7 - --------------------- 1 2 3 4 3 6 7 Ekaature stories ---------- l 2 3 4 3 6 7 Other -------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 - ----------------- ----l 2 3 4 S 6 7 , - --------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 :;:ditorials --------------- l 2 3 4 5 6 7 PLEASE 00 nor SIGN YOUR NiMEl ’ 1 Ptichigan Press Association 23/24/61 Q. t 24, 1961 r r1 9"!“ AU? s ”__QB§§IIONNAEE§ T A .v _ -'_m JR THIS IS_IHE cursing or r __—.__ 4- capo: Hmuom om um>o ON woos: mamfiwm mamz M 1 o F A.m6ms uaoh swam no: ow ommmamv "unmau aw xc«cu 30% was: no wmmmm ma xCasu 30% yoga ea ooumououca no vu.oz mm: nuwa zany“ mm muw mo uuou %co no .mHOLB a no nocuwo...auoawam3oc wo ofimcv usonm oxme Ou oucoaaoo wow o>on 30% on "mags . ”4.99.23 , _.—.——._._ __.._— - —_ - -.———-——.—— .— §§IRST CLASS 7* Postal Permit ‘ I a 6 l I -._._. - ._..c_-._—_‘_ R E P L Y M A l L mp necessary-if mailed in U.S .- ,---—~*-.‘q—.’~-—.o— .h——- B U S I N E S S No postaye sta r 1 i k number I I. —.~.- POSTAGE VILL BE PAID BY-- WEEKLY HFNSPKPER Tug STREET ST 11 FIR HOMETOMN, U.S.A. -over- ‘.'l'—'-.'T‘\\ I_ if ‘ ‘ ‘ ~ +- luv-.1 -Jh i - J. oi u 'rt‘T yT'W 1 ' F ‘- . 'LJJJ‘JVLJLJL -.{ " 111-7. -ayust ‘ '7 ‘7' ‘."'v .' V ' . ‘ _ ‘4‘ WEJnusiai - fws. IluZY 11”“ 1 A \. I (FiTV' ) ‘~\ _I i,- | , L.) . ._ J". l ' l ~4‘s (flng - Aufust - zilAAY - Sept. 1 All 7' . 1t? 18 2 s...‘ . x k- \ s A FpG‘ZLC l X 71:. .J .n |\‘J -Jl '. preliminary questionnaire. TreLest before Jednesdag, guxuwt 16. to 1 final questionnaire. send L"ourier for printini. one ions to field investif tors. instruct sample drawn, secondary data completed. maps and lists rewdy for field in- vestieation. project complete except for report. Appendix F TOWNE COURIER I-IARKE'J.‘ — MEDIA STUDY Dr. Kenward L. Atkin Department of Advertising MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY August, 1967 70. 71. sacrum The Towne Courier is a 'weekly newspaper published in East Lansing. 1t was established in December of 1962 and since its first year of publication has almost doubled its circulation, now totaling over 5,000 subscribers. Circulation of the Tome Courier is concentrated in the City of East Lansing and two major villages of Meridian Township, Okemos and Haslett (see Appendix), with special inserts of local news and advertising included for the latter two. In August, 1967, Dr. Kenward L. Atkin, Department of Adver- tising, Michigan State University, conducted a market-undia study of Towns Courier subscribers. The field work and analysis was done By an advanced class in advertising research under his super- 71810110 Statement of Problems and Objectives The objective of the study was to obtain market and reader- ship data that would enable prospective advertisers to better evaluate the merits of. the Towne Courier as an advertising medium. The study was designed to answer the following questions: A. What are the aeneralmarket characteristics of East Lansing end Meridian Township? B. What are the demographic characteristics of Town_____e_ Courier subscribers? C. What are the readership characteristics of Towne Courier subscribers and their attitudes toward the ITowne Courier and competing newspapers circulated in Mam-Meridian Township market, specifically including: 1. coverage and readership of the Towne Courier and competing newspapers. 2. how copies of newspapers read by residents are obtained. 3. how long the Towne Courier is "actively" kept in the home. It. attitudes of subscribers of both the Towne Courier and the (Lansing) State Journal toward the two subscribers. . - e.- a -' . . l e e I ' e . ' 0.0- .4. . . . . I ' . --. . . _ . . k 1’ .~ . .—v ' . . ' ‘ ’ - IO . C I ‘ h . . , . . . , , - I. . o ,_ -.. ro. . ‘ e r r — _' t. ‘s"—' f-‘f‘ . . ‘ l ‘t p . 1 ,’_ I . .f '1‘ . ' , -,I o‘, " . “. . -_ ‘a ' ‘. 3. ..' e t - I .. ‘ . ~ ' . . _ ' A ’ -‘ ‘ o-ucv '0 . . on «u «lone ' . . I . . v r V', -~- , ‘f‘ v; .- a. u s -‘ h ,.-. .r. s r. .- . y . ' '- I “t -' 0 3 " "‘ s ‘ " " . 1‘ . JJ & '- ' "' ' . ‘i. . . . . ‘ Q o . ’0 ‘ n " «'1 .u .. 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' v 21 \' ..l 1 ‘ o . 72. 5. specific "likes" and "dislikes" of the Towns Courier subscribers. 6. thoroughness of readership, as rated by’a modified form of the "recognition method" of selected ads and editorial material. Sample Selection The population was defined as the 5,030 subscribers included on the Towne Courier circulation list as of May 31, 1967. A sample of 500 subscriber households was selected from.this list by means of a randomly chosen standard interval from which 179 completed interviews were obtained. Assuming the subscribers interviewed were representative of the subscriber population, a sample of 179 should reflect the actual population characteristics with 95 percent certainty and no more than plus or’minus eight percentage points of error. Questionnaire Design and InterviewingATechniques The questionnaire (see Appendix) was designed to be partially self-administered; that is, completed by respondents rather than the interviewers so as to minimize interviewer bias. It was also pre-coded to facilitate machine tabulation. The relatively short length of the questionnaire minimized the problem of respondent fatigue that might occur with interviews. In addition to the direct-inquiry and probe type questions, the survey utilized the technique of readership measurement. The technique was used to measure readership of both editorial matter and advertisements in the Tuesday, August 22, 1967, issue of the Towns Courier. To qualify the respondent as a reader of the news- paper, this issue was shown (banner side up) to the respondent. Those who indicated they had seen or read this issue were led through the paper, page by page, to determine their depth of readership. Specific articles and advertisements in the issue were pre- selected and listed on the questionnaire. is the respondent re- vealed.to what extent he had read each page, article, or advertise- ment his response was recorded within one of the followinz readership degrees: (I) noted, (2) seen-associated (read lightly), or (3) read most (read heavily). The student interviewers were instructed relative to cerrect interviewing techniques. Specific instruction was given on administering the readership and attitudinal questions. 73. TABLE I-CHAPACTERISTICS OF TONE COURIER SUBSCRIBERS Years Resided in Area MorethanlOyears.. . . . . Threetleyears. so 0 e as One to three years c e e e e e Lesstha‘noneyear.... . . Marital Status Married................ Single, widowed, divorced . . . . . . . Typeowaelliggg Single......o. Apartment, duplex. e e e e o 0 Income 0781' ’":25,CDO per year 0 e o 0 $15,000 to fizh,999 . . . . . . $10,000 tor:11.,999 . . . . . . “457500150 $9999. .- . . . . .< . $5000to‘537fs99. e o e e e to 593000130324-14990 e e e e e o 0 Less than 533,000 per year. .. . Occupation! Head of Household Professional Executive 0 Skilled . . Unskilled. . Other 0 e 0 Education, Male 8: Female Combined College Graduate/Post Graduate SomeCollege......... High SChOOl Graduate 0 e e e 0 Some High School or less . . . .0-0‘ .0... ,‘ ~ I 0.... a. O O O C O O I O O o O O O O 0 e o O O C O O o o O O O C e o 0.5% 18% 5% 95% 5% 95% 5% uuz 23% 23% 56.2% 23.h% 16.2% 3.5% D L l t 0 o 0 J v , l . I cl ‘ e '\ '3 .t 0 e 0 '.’ 6 n ‘ l ' 0' 4 , ’I J I i ' a r' 9‘ . , e0 ,.' ¢. . u C t D‘s Or - . ‘ i 1 I . ' O o .. . . _ ' t r ' O ‘ d o 0 O V U I - .0 5 ,_ i ' t. . ' . - | ‘ I ‘ _‘ .0 . . .’ a ‘ e- ' ._ L . r ' . . e , .Q t u < . ., . < t t ‘ - o e. . . ' . ’ Q: |- i . A 7‘ 3; 2‘ V 1 I ll . ‘ _. ' . Q o e '0 7 h. FINDI‘GS: CHARACTERISTICS OF TONE CONDIER SUBSCRIBEPS Residence More than 75% of Towns Courier subscribers have lived in the area for three years or more, 50% for over 10 years. Only 5% of the sample have resided in the area for less than a year. Ninety-five percent of Towns Courier subscribers are married and live in single-type dwellings, thus characterizing subscribers as permanently-settled residents of the area. Number in Household Households averaged about four mariners each (two adults and two children). The average household for the East Lansing popu- lation of all households consists of three members according to a recent census. The 179 households sampled had a total of 719 members repre- sented, and as Table 2 shows, almost half of these members were aged 19 and under. TABLE 2~AGE champs IN HOUSEHOIDS mm 12-19 20-35 36-h9 Soaovaa 27% 20% 19% 22% 12% (193) an) (136) (155) (91.) Total households in sample - 179; Total members - 719 “_— Income Income was defined as total income from all family members contributing to the maintainance of a household. Over four-fifths of Tome Courier subscribers earn more than $10,000 per year; 9% earn Between a$7500 and $39,999; and 9% earn less than $7,169. The median income of Towne Courier subscribers falls within the range of 115,000 to mum per year. Occtmatiqn Questions were asked concerning the occupation of both husband and wife. In the Lansing area there are three major em- ployers: General Motors' Oldsmobile Division, Michigan State l. Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, Housing Units, Households and People Per Household, 1965 . .n. “a... cam—~- ..» 4"\ I‘ A - i , 0 “<0. —- . V " ., — -r-‘o C ’ J "I . \ a“: . k .A..- ~1 Q. a, . .r- ’ P M . u C . 1" . . 'v . .--_ ~ I ." o '- . -. . r 5.. . . . .v. , n I. ‘ n . I > ‘ ' ‘ I . A ‘, l .‘ . . .. . v . ... .-. ......... an . - Q - -"F -_ I I I A..- .1 ( . n n «.v -‘- ‘ A- - . I '9' g. a I I a a - ‘~ « . , . ., . . I ‘l ‘ .: .. «In: .. ... u. ,- « v' '0 - , If , I . I . . -. g .. . ‘ . \ c v. ,p I - .l o . o ’. t F. .. o e V e I“.— ”1- -'~ 1 i”. .- 4. . . " r \ . i . . .. . . , 9‘ H ' . . n a. r . an. me -~ I - ‘ _ _ _ . \ . . ‘ . . _ ' .o ' . , a w p x , . . e . 4‘ . - ‘ . . ‘ ‘ 'J . ' ‘ ‘ , r . \ . . ten u. r. p ‘ ~‘I . - ...- . ‘ e D A ‘0‘ .. - A... -. '9: n v Ill . A 4 . ' , . ' V l ' 1 . . - ‘ ’ _.x — ‘ ' ‘I r ’ . , ‘, ' Y . ’ .. ' , V‘ ' . . 0 O I e w - ’ o . . . e-n— ... . n .' \ . .. 1 I . . .Q , e ‘ , n . c - ‘mbl‘hhm ‘ ‘ .—~ , - p l . . . 4| . I ' Q . . t . . ‘) — A 4. r ‘ 1 u 0 - i . .~A~ I' a. 0" - - -.o . - - i, | . .. *.. ' 4 ‘ e u . u i'- 'f ,. I J . 04:0. . V ,. \_ . 75. University, and the State of Michigan. In order to determine the proportion of subscribers employed by these avencies respondents were asked where they were employed. As Table 3 shows, approximately one-half of the households in- terviewed had someone employed by GM, MSU, or the State of Michigan. TABLE 3 - OCCUPATION, EMPLOYER A A 4__L A mom) BY: NIH-133R 2 OF TOTAL Michigan State University 52 33% State of Michigan 15 9% General Motors 6 h% 0mm 8? 51% N - 160 “Other" classification showed no consistency for where employed except employment was oenerally in Lansing - East Lansing area. Tables 11 and 5 show the occupational breakdowns according to sex. For women, the housewife category is the most prevalent, consistent with high average family income. TARIE h - OCCUPATION, FE‘IALE OCCUPATION NUMBER % OF TOTAL Housewife only 126 75% Office/Clerical 13 8% Teaching/School Affiliated 10 6% Other 6 3% Parttime Employed . (all classifications) 13 8% N - 169 Hale subscribers hold high~status (and high income) positions; less than 3% fell into the unskilled category. Nearly half were in the professional cateaory and skilled, executive and professional categories accounted for 90% of all Towne Courier subscribers. 7'6. TABLE 5 — OCCTTATIO‘T, VALE OCCUPATION NUMBER % OF TOTAL Professional 72 hh% Executive 38 23% Skilled 37 23% Unskilled 5 3% Other 10 7% N - 163 Educational Levels Tables 6, 7 and 8 show that nearly half of the female readers and two-thirds-(67%) of the males are college graduates. Those 'with advanced degrees are included in the "college graduate" classi- fication. It is interesting to note that 80% of all readers, male and female, have had some college or are college graduates and that less than.h% did not complete high school. Compared to national averages, Towne Courier subscribers are much better educated than the general public. TABLE 6 - EDUCATION, FEMALES GRADE COMPIETED ~ NUMBER 5% OF TOTAL 8th.Grade or less 1 .8% Some High School 3 1.7% High School riridium 3h 19.6% Some College 53 30.5% College Grad./?bstrGrad. 82 ' h7.3% N- 173 TABLE 7 - EDUCATION, MALE GRADE COMPLETED NUMBER % OF TOTAL 8th Grade or less 1 .9% Some High School 6 3.6% High School Graduate 21 12.8% Some College 26 15.9% College Grad./?ost Grad. 109 . 66.8% N - 163 u.‘ s g»..- ~- -, 0 . v o- .. ..-_i a u a m. a n - , . . ...- ._fi _g.. ‘. ml. o T.. a . -~ . A I o. . . . .- q; | 9 . ,e A a '. . n . .0 r I' , n ..~-.-... .- v _- v-o ‘ . O ~o I u, C "" -o—v~c- -<‘ ~.. . v. C V b 'l V l w I a 7 7. TABLE 8 .. EDUCATION, NATE/FEMALE COWINED CRADE COMPLETED NUMBER E OF TOTAL 8th Grade or less 2 (7% Some High School 9 2.8% High School Graduate 55 16.2% Some College 79 23.11% College Grad./Post Grad. 191 55.9% N - 336 Newspaper Coverage Five newspapers circulate in the East Lansing - Meridian Township area: The Detroit 1‘Iews, Detroit Free Press, Towne Courier, (Lansng State Journal, and the Michigan State Univer- sity State News. Respondents were asked "how often" they read these news- papers, "never, sometimes or usually." The Towne Courier scored highest in the "usually" category, followed 5 the State Journal and the Detroit Free Press. TABLE 9 - READERSHIP OF NEWSPAPERS "NEVER" "SOMETIMES" "USUALLY" NEWSPAPER " READ READ PM... Towne Courier 1% 5% 91.0% State Journal 3% 9% 88% Detroit Free Press 27% 28% 55% M.S.U. STATE NEWS 16% 26% 29% Detroit News 79% 17% W When asked how they obtained copies of the newspapers they read "sometimes" or "usually". The subscription category scored highest in all cases excepting the State Newg, with the Towns Courier scoring highest of all in this category. io- w. , ~.. . v .- ! n'v‘uw v- --.., 3) an . — ._C _-o ' I v . . a... . .. . ‘o . . . , . .. . ‘n. “u ' w v ’. .. —“.’- - a v 0‘ ~ v , .. .. l ' Inc a . in o , . ,- . f. .I . 4.~—u-son «--‘ - "l‘l . _, .- .v-.. I . . .. .. . . .\ ' — - . . -.o I-Do. so- ” ....- -». C l . . ro— . ~ 0 '( s .» a ‘. s . z u . w» an. . ._ . a v I ,. I ‘ . .A .4 .-- . 7- l u u . C l u v - ”.0“ < I. out. '78. TABLE 10 NEWSPAIER SUBSCRIBE NEWSSTAWD m Towne Courier 97% O 3% State Journal 9h% 5.8% .2% Detroit Free Press 69% 29% 8% MoScUo State News 6% 12% 82% Detroit News 39% 58% 3% It should be noted that the State News is circulated by leaving bundles of the newspaper in strategic locations through~ out campus. Those wishing copies merely pick them up without Charge. Media Attitudes Attitudes of subscribers regarding the Towne Courier and its closest competitor, the State Journal, were ascertained by asking respondents to rate both newspapers. TABLE 11 - Attitudinal Hating NEWSPAPER HCELLENT GOOD FAIR POOR DON 'T mm Towne Courier h1% 51$ 6% ii l$ State Journal 6% 257% 3% 12% n Specific "Likes" and."Dislikes" Two open-end questions dealt with what subscribers "liked" and "disliked" about the Towne Courier. These were intended to discover the strengths and weaknesses of the newspaper. Overall, the respondents gave highly favorable responses, as shown in Tables 12 and 13. TABLE 12 - What Subscribers Like RANK AREA LIKED PERCENTAGE 1 local news 87% 2 editorials 23% 3 children's news 19% h features 18% 5 advertisements 15 6 theatre a arts 1 2‘3 a ESEEedEa 1% s c ua es 9 gictures q 6% ‘ r v. . A A. . ' .-v A '... no- -~cc—-—--- .-- x ' ‘A'O- - I-~‘— ¢~- v ‘ n—wu--~aa~.4— .0. on.- .h '—--.o-¢c' . Ma u... H-.. -- owi‘ufl-Onfi Hr 0--" ‘ . _... i .v _ v. . . .- f. ,‘ 0 v a . u ‘ . l I ‘ I . . . ‘ . - _- " ~- ~- - .. ~~ A .e. _ru »~. ‘ygt . a e. -.~-v‘-« .. cu- v a... u a u . -‘ ;—‘ l 4 . C ' , ' - -‘ 'r l‘ , . .L J D . I h ‘ V r! ‘1 ' t r , -\ ‘ . I -o t a . . e . o ‘7 ‘ 9‘ . -‘ I ., vl- .~ A , C v V U . F ‘ ' . . Y J ‘. . r, ‘ ' I _ .. 0 ' . 4 . . . , i ' ‘7. . . I, . . . - . . ‘ o . ' ' t \ ' . a “~— --.~., f...— ---.-. .o—.--.-... A ..kr-~-- -- L . .. . ,7 ll,“ V “_“v . '..— _- 'v.-.. . ,-. .— - u. T r - a . , . A I , r . . - u.,.‘ .. .3 y . r - I c + n. . p I ' .-, I: ', . . - I» ' A , - . . . I O s . . ' ‘ ' r ' - h ’ ‘\ -. - o v , , . .- - b '. _ . ,. . , "g '. . I , e . . ‘, , J _ n .1‘ -. . I . - I . . I - I ' — - ..,~. 4 .» ., H, - r. .. ' ' . ‘ c . A. ,, . - I ~ . - . ‘ -. , . p , ~ ' b . h I s _ n ~ . , '- - . ,. . . -.. g a . . _ _ . . . ,A . - . ' p . - ‘ 4 Or , p 1 . - - R I ‘ ' a _ 1| . ' A ,‘V , ‘ ~ . x . . I . £ ' ' $ _ ‘ I . v . .\ , '. ' . ~-<- . —-v - r n. I h ‘ I 1 . l n f .‘ o . '5 » l d I, . ‘ .. - r' ‘ ‘ - 4. . _ ' ' . , . . - u . . o. ..- w c 0-. , A O . a . , . ~1- I - I ~ ‘0 l . v \ .. I . . 4 l . -- - - e ' . ' .- b I 7‘ , o . ‘ . I. e A _. ‘ A u- A k «.177 --__ 'v41-. A.- -l"re . . --. o-‘--—- -- fig » Irv-In -‘ a-Q.‘ -' --~—-.-—. C... h -oo¢—~-v- v-" -"hr- —.‘ c ‘ .-..o»- - - .-. .. L .V- -,‘ . . . . ‘o— Iv . . _ - . . - , . ‘ e ’v o — .. a ‘ ~ ', .- - 4 . _ a , fl." .-- ._- u.- o_ ., .. - , “VL V- . -0 v ---— p.» a - 0.4- ». p n ‘ r." v ' -« —. ‘ , . - ~ ‘ I -I .(, a; - o n ‘ OI ' n ,u . A \ \ ' ~ . . H ' ’- ' v o I _ . _ . .- . .. A ‘ V'f—, I L _ I. . __ ,~ , . . . .rao-<_ cape..- no ar- n. -A -- ---~ ‘ , - - UH' ‘ v ..r v:- 7-—‘—u h s 0-1 r ow. yaw—an- - .~ -—_‘A-n. u-e « < I - I I wt. , , s 7’ . . . .v. . p- ; l , . - ‘ . r ' " \ . 7 '\ ‘ . - , . .- a- ....~- - --->... - . . - r... .a . —- < - --. -. _ , , . ,. . . I 1 . - , 'V . ,7- .. .. I. .. x - . .: .. .., - 1.-.- f ,. . ,_ I . ‘ . -. .. . v v - ‘J . . . \ » . ‘ . r. v . I ,I u > I o C - ~ '- .. '_~ - - . - - -» or '0 ‘1‘ . - ‘ f. t 1 . . . 4 \ D V \ _ . Q 7. . n , , v r. a .. .. . . .... _e - .- .~ - . . .o . .~ ~ . 1, ‘ \ ‘ 8 V. \ - O r I' ' . ‘ l .- v ‘0 ‘ r .. , c - I \ 4 . -l b I I ’ Q ' r ’ . r‘ ‘ ~ ‘ ' ,‘." . V ‘ ~ “ " ' ‘ s '. - ' 1 - 't . h A. .' . d .4 A - _. . l . . a ‘. A f I . - v . I ' ' c ‘r‘ {I x- ' __.,__c...-.... -. - M H — .r- . q- - -- —. -— . ,.. - -—v~ , —’— ..--. “0'”. ~ - v ‘M' 0- :--- , - v- ' - w-w- .. g -. ~ .- ‘ v s . \ '- - ' , r - \p ., , '- . .. . ~’ .-¢ a r -. . —u-..l-.... ._..~.—. _ -.---..-..-_ u .r <~- A -- ._...,—. <-- ~~0o-- -v "w-O w- ....-..,.. .. . .v-«u -40~.- _m.-._ u— I " " , n ' l - I o. . . y , _, _ --_-:.«u~ .~ a-.. . -..—~ ca. ._‘4 ,_ . I (- " i.'~' , , >v- ,. C I \ — . . 'fr‘.. .- . - \. l . . , ' l . - . ~ '\ k i > ‘ - ' n . I '. J v . . . ‘ . , q- - ._ ' r . . . , I 1’ . ’ ‘ . . " \- ‘ n 0—. v . A ~ - \ I . .\ ' , . u. .r‘ . - - . .4 . I - a, , I , -J - N 7 9. TABLE 13 - What Subscribers Dislike A. 1 l L RANK AREA DISLIKED PERCENTAGE: 1 "nothing" 62% 2 advertisements 16% 3 handling of news 16% h physical qualities 7% 5 sports coverage h% 6 society page h% 7 *other 11% *"Other" includes responses which were not consistent, isolated and/or sometimes personal. Each by itself was too small to com- pute individually and none would fit any of the above classifica- tionS. "Stayigg Power" of Issues When asked how long they usually kept a current issue of the Towne Courier: 60% kept the newspaper - 1; days or longer 18% kept the newspaper - 3 days 17% kept the newspaper - 2 days 5% kept the newspaper - 1 day Readership of towns Courier Respondents were asked whether they had read the current issue of the Towne Courier (interviewers displayed the front page of the issue when asking the question). Approximately one- half of all interviews were conducted on Thursday, which is the day following delivery of the Towns Courier by mail. The re— maining interviews were conducted onTriday and Saturday. It was found that 82% of subscribers had read the current week's issue by Saturday. Percentage of readership by day was: Thursday - 68% had read the current issue Friday - 77% had read the current issue Saturdaw «- 82% had read the current issue After respondents had been established as readers of the current issue, a modified "recognition method" was employed. Readership of designated articles and advertisements was tested for the August 23, 1967 issue of the Towns Courier. 80. This method of testing readership involves asking respon- dents to go through the issue, page by page, with‘the interviewer. Respondents are asked if they recognize pro-selected articles and advertisements. The interviewer then records which articles and advertisements were ”noted", which.were "read lightly," and which were "read heavily)" A.scere of ”noted" means recognized.but not read; "read lightly" means the respondent read oneufourth to one~ half of the article or noticed the signature ,headline and art in an advertisement; and "read heavily" means the respondent read one~half or more of an article or most of the copy in an adver- tisement. Eight stories and seven.advertisements were selected in the Towne Courier for the "recognition method". Interviewers were instructed to score the amount of readership for each of the designated articles and advertisements. ‘Figures 1 and 2 show readership results for both relative ranking and percentage of readership in each scoring classification. It is interesting to note that the two stories receiving the highest readership were located on the front and back pages respectively. The lead story on page l.was noted by all but 13% of Towns Courier subscribers‘while the story of a local Lions' Clubfibarbecue on page 32 was noted by all but 21% of the readers. Readership of advertisements showed a significant "read heavily“ score on over half of the seven advertisements tested. The Iat'wah Restaurant ad, only 2 columns by 3 inches, scored a 23% "read heavily" by subscribers. ,This may be due, in part, to the unusual visual employed; the headline was Chinese writing. \l) \- n . a . u l , . o. e 4‘ .Q ~ a J v I . , ‘ll 0 a! . A x I . . r . ,. I 1 . 8.1. FmURE 1 Editorial Content Recognition Scores August 23, 1967, TOWNE COUPIER (n‘179) lead story I! , _____ M __,_ 87% page 1 {3.3% ,,/ 32% W1 Kim-“J Lion's annual I _. ., g .. 36E_m___,_,_ _,____,,3__,.._---,79% page 32 }19%‘r, 171%,, 10% ”I I .. .~ '-'«."""" - . .1 w' ,“LZ . .. __._ "wmmwu—o. ' . .. -.-... -. “finite.-.“ . 1h}. . _://_2§%~f 72 3 I. 71% ., w W. 5% .- 93'4.:.25%3"_¥Ci {6% 1 Nursery school LN _F }0% page 30 -.- ....... 5: 93/45 723.41% 32% ......... “Ll-$11 Lively arts Page 214 Towne Tattler page 8 Family towns page 18 Twp. Assn. page 2 Trojan sports page 15 '.r~~mmmm*-e ~~ -- _' '-""' 4‘. "'._"". 0 10 20 30 ho 50 60 7a 80 90100 Cumulative Par Cents % noted 5 read % read lightly heavily [/4154 I l ——-’-’-/ a2. FIGURE 2 Advertisement Recognition Scores August 23, 1967, TONE COURIER (rt-179) 110an 1117, Pa 21 E. Lo 3831‘ FePe, Po 29 Knapp's 6:12, p. 3 .~,' .~'. "’ ‘,-': Q'XI'Q‘é-fi a, nrA _ ’1‘ Bios. “b.1816. 218%: Po 19 Yet Wah H.680 233, P0 113 P. J. Aldrich w, p. 10 Sunshine Cntr. 317%: Po 6 4. 4 ' : 4 4 1 : 0 10 2‘0 30 ho 5'0 60 7o 80 90 100 Camulative Per Cents % noted 5 read. 3 read lightly heavily . v . . V . 9 n e i 0 e u . .c . . p . . i . . u . v . ‘ . . . . . , O. .. I R . w. vJ.. . . y y . . t O . .. s. I. D. . ‘ um i b \ . . . f . . . ‘r . . O . : s . .- n - . I w a i U . v I H l . 1 . . V . 0‘ I II \ II In IL. I I. v I . I o n Q. a .1; J p . u . u. . a v r ) 1 0| ‘\ r .- ~ lb . A . . . e . . . . c a . o . . a _ . . I . . u o .. . 6. l n I I . r . . .2 i u b v c l . a .t . x. a? , . p. 0- u. . . y e . . . . x . - .. l . I . c I. u ., x 1 . . a . '4 l .4 . .\ . . . . e , .. __. . u A n i I . y \IIJ I 83. SUM/[ARI The Towne Courier is currently reaching forty percent of the total households in the East Lansing - Meridian Township area. The "average subscriber" has the following characteristics: Annual income of $515,000 or more per year Married with two children less than 19 years of age College graduate Has lived in the area 10 years or more Is employed in either a professional or executive capacity Lives in a single-family dwelling This affluent, well-educated market thinks highly of the Towne Courier 92% of the subscribers rated the newspaper either "exce en “ or "good" and 62% said there was "nothing disliked". Acceptance of the Towns Courier is further substantiated with 91% of the respondents stating they usually read the newspaper and 97% of the households subscribing to the newspaper on an annual basis. Seventy-eight percent of subscribers keep their issues three days or longer. Towne Courier readership, determined by the "recognition method," showed effective exposure for both news stories and ad- vertisements. Only two of eight stories scored less than 50% "noted" and only one of seven advertisements scored less than 11.0% "noted." Tw0 "dislike" categories accumulated scores of over 10%; 16% of subscribers said they disliked the "handling of news,“ and 16% said they disliked the advertisements. It should be noted, however, that 15% of the subscribers said they liked the adver- tisemmts and 87% said they liked the local news. O‘CO."OC 81h BIBLIGERAPHY Reports Tri-County Regional Flaming Commission, East Lansingand Meridian Townshi Population, 1960 and 1965. A report prepared for the Counties of Ingham, Clinton, and Eaton, Mr. William Roman, Director of Staff. Housing Units. Households and People Per Household, 1965. HASLETT Onemos \ East Lansing Meridian Township Geographic location The City of East Lansing buttresses the northern edge of Michigan State University and the eastern edge of the City of Lansing. Meridian Towndlip, which includes the Villages of Okemos and Haslett, is located directly east and southeast of East Lansing. Much of Meridian Township is rural. Concentrations of popu~ lation are found in Okemos and Haslett, these villages have more than 70% of the township's total 20,675 residents. The population, excluding studmts, of East Lansing and Meridian Township is 58,175. There are 12,800 households, excluding student apartment buildings. l. Tri-County Planning Commission, East Lansingand Meridian Township ngllation - 1960 and 1965. 2. Tri-Comty Planning Comission, Housing Units, Households and People Per Household 1965. w . l . . - , . . s u - ~ . I t . . u‘ . I ' ‘ n _ a _ ‘ A m f ‘ I ' -- , \ - a <7 - s- - I . O . s x , . . e , < v . IV, - ' ‘ n ‘5. r a I — - . , _. . . - - - x v - . A 9" I I. u " . . . . .i a; . v = . - r W‘ 1“ ' ' I. U ‘I. v - ‘ Q . , C ' - .' , n v - . a . - . - ,‘ . q . ‘ -< ‘ . I . ‘ a . . . - y f . . - r v e . . — . ‘ r‘. | - .v .» r . . ‘ .. Q . ' _, . . J ,' ‘ . ‘ ‘I . ' ‘ ' 4 Q V‘ , .. r . . » I . . . . .b O > r ‘v \ .‘ ‘ r. ' ' A-» e . I . .- . K s , . . ‘ N A . ‘ , .. . > . u , . . v . . . . . . . | l u a r . . v . . _ ‘ i I ‘ ‘ ‘ u 'I ' a - .— , . . ‘ I ‘ . a _ o J n . ‘ u ‘ ‘ I I ) w ' u‘ ‘ v i j , _ ., *a-‘-. .--.n-... '9'... 7. ..,..;.._, no.- ...-u-.« ,7 bi, .g- .‘ -., -.— o . .-- ._. -. w. . p e . u I , - I . I , .' - a. , ' . . .~ . . Q .0. ‘ “ - . a ‘ . '- . . . . . t. . . .- ‘ . I _ V . . u a .- . .1 . .n .4» o — . a » ~ '7 -v~» - o . . ' , , ,v . , ‘I ‘ ' ' . ‘ v (‘ v |- .-~ Appendix G “Wm. .... .. ..... ............. ..-....... - .....-. ”.7“... ------- l i This Information will be CONFIDENTIAL! . 5 NOIWUESIECGUEDH § 2 ‘ I 3 m 4 LOCATION OF INTERVIEW E. Lansing Okemos Haslett-Lake Lansing Other (specify) 5 Day: 1. Th. 2. F. 3. S. 4. Sn. Do 24.9: write in this col. 1. How often do you read any of the following newspapers? Please answer as "NEVER" - "SOMETIMES" — "USUALLY". (CIRCLE ANSWER) 6 Detroit Free Press - NEVER SOMETIMES USUALLY 7 Detroit News - NEVER SOMETIMES USUALLY ' 8 Towne Courier - NEVER SOMETIMES USUALLY 9 7 State Journal - NEVER SOMETIMES USUALLY 10 MSU State News - NEVER SOMETIMES USUALLY 2. How do you obtain the (NAME OF NEWSPAPERS) which you read "SOMETIMES" or "USUALLY"? (CIRCLE ANSWER) (Specify) 11 Detroit Free Press - SUBSCRIBE NEWSSTAND OTHER: 12 Detroit News - SUBSCRIBE NEWSSTAND OTHER 13 Towne Courier - SUBSCRIBE NEWSSTAND OTHER__ 14 State Jouml - SUBSCRIBE NEWSSTAND OTHER w 13 g, MSU State News - SUBSCRIBE NEWSSTAND OTHER w . ,—_—;:—_—==-- 16 _.___~_ 3. Did you read THIS week's edition of the Towne Courier? (SHCM COPY) *~*-Don’t Know No Yes 17 4. How many days do you usually keep your Towne Courier? . (CIRCIE ANSWER) Don't Know 1-day 2-days 3-days 4-days or longer 5. How do you rate the Towne Courier and the State Journal? (CIRCLE ANSWER) 13 _______ Towne Courier - DON'T Know EXCELLENT GOOD FAIR POOR- 19 -——..__... State Journal - Daw'r KNOW EXCELLENT GOOD FAIR POOR 20 ___~___ 6. What do you like about the Towne Courier? (PROBE) 21 ' 22 7. What do you dislike about the Towne Courier? (RROBE) 23 24 86 Do NOT write in this col. 87 8. SKIP THIS SECTION IF RESPONDENT HAS NOT READ The Towne Courier fi+fi+i+t***O+*§**i+*+*+*+*+*+fi+*+*+i+**fi+*+i+¢+*+*+*+i+*+***+*+*+*+fi+t + Be prepared to show respondent the marked pages of the Towne *Courier. Make the statement below. + As you go through the designated pages, mark an "X" under the *appropriate criteria below. Record the page number in the left- +hand margin and rate specified story or advertisement (which has *been marked) on Unnoted, Noted, Read-Lightly, and Read Heavily +basis. . * UNNOTED t Not seen NOTED t Recognized but not read + READ LIGITLY a Read 1/4 to 1/2 READ HEAVILY = l/Z or more *.§** *+.**+*§*+ *+ *‘. *+ 1‘... fi+ *+*+*+ *+ *+ *4, *+***+*+t+*+*+*+ *+ *+ *4. *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ a + e + e + e + n + "AS I SHW YGJ THE FOLLG‘VING FACES FRO! THE TWNE COURIER, PLEASE INDICATE THESE SELECTED ARTICLES DR ADVERTISEMENTS WHICH You mm. d. READ." _ f . ___ . I. (1/4 to 1/2 read) (l/2 or more read) i Page Unnoted Noted Read Lightly Read Heavily ; ,L \ . ...... \ w; 71 *5: ‘ ,1" i w 42’ //’/ “x. 1’ \“ ‘ \\ , h ”‘x‘ www You MIND ANSWERING A FEW QUESTImS ABOUT YOURSELF? 41 ’ 9. How many years have you lived in this area? 3 years 10. Enter below the number of members of your household in each age group 42 m ___ under 12 __ 12-19 ___. 20-35 “___36-49 V 43 ~—————- 50 & Over 44 __~___. 45 ____.__ 46 __‘_.__ 47._~____ 11. Marital Status: ___Married ___Single (specify) Other 48 _______ 12. What is your occupation? 49 _L_____ If Married, Is your husband employed? ___Yes ___No SO.______ Where: ____"_General Motors M.S.U. . State of Michigan ______ Other (specify) '% 51_~_____ Occupation?_m_r_«m~_wr”_wfi‘-v,g_Wmflun_ m ”,_.,,w. ”am“ 52..a..._ 13. Please check the last grade of school completed: ___ 8th. or less ___Some High School High School Graduate _flfiSome College __“_ College Graduate 53‘,___.“_ Please check the last grade of school spouse completed; ____8th. or less __“_Some High School ____High School Graduate ____Some College _.“~ College Graduate 54 _______ 14. Please check the category below fer the total income of this household: ___.Under $3,000 “$3,000-$4,999 Wss,ooo-$7,499 _fl__$7,500~$9,999 _fl_§l0,000-$l4,999 ___-$15,000-SZ4,999 ___}25,000 and over 55 ______ 16. Type of dwelling: __ Single ___ Apt. __ Duplex __ Other (specify) 56,______ 17. Sex of respondent: _*__ Male ____ Female 57 _______ 58___¥_.. --- -_.——-—————— -— .— p—rfi ABOU ‘lhé salvag- r. ;..'l c THE bays r- a SURGE . ,, v f (3 Cf. cert? caata l claraLLs‘iscics Oi Eh? retlers cf tne ;9Li. Conl3 _, t weekly news» nge:. A s.mpie of absu 1J0 realdennea in the rasL Laneiur m» Okemoe "- his Lt area L78 been s“ eeced f): («te.views. Yea r 1 D .9 to do Chfi int vinxu. All J" Eh? '95? 1'3’0' 1? - .'Ju Seine: 2i]? be r 15" . gl.nu- “rinitd LL_: 3‘1: for" W i: «r r'-‘ :9 tumLere in a :2 P the.ek 1-:rrlng to ESOOJHIHES‘ aHn-e tail .. laid in eumgl;a- e0- i114: . The an'r; ~utef sting in 3;.eduieu S3 3 -‘o “rinsiN' An ‘fi, Area .iut ?$:lixl I? S: Ulfdth; Cf‘Efli'lf‘ .Aw.glst 23$. Try :n'r\h_) 'Hsu : :u 'g‘hly' be: (tailpiétti'? z ‘l-I'T, SWOT- "c We We 6» -l‘asizee‘ 7.11%.; no: end: ',.~—_: rlpijlf' O‘Neill. :« ta ii “e )0 ‘ ilfui lav 0 st eta a. the: Eu w- -.L “as iiFo t ’; u. 4k):7 2 Li .-u:.: :;s.: t l'yl:‘ ‘1; L»: 1 1" A :(TT.%&;8 -LU'; ft 1' 53': "i at: 3‘? L abu.t 1f min lea. :uu will be g1 {u )nL 3:5 to interview. 811 cc be locate; rjrhil tat .LLL bansral area to avoid .Lng ti-' ESL Catio'. Tau will revaive wear list of addresses ah} a Least ‘L map. people D8! no- 2 “fifie a; 'h: time we: at: :Tpt to ixttrview hem. ease. ycu .49: etu r a another has since it is abnolut e15 uece ., t garb Chop;. ‘gusg 1'~)Cnd to our (v cs “JOIaire. Please noi on your inte t .1 5:9 list when; a: on Cili on an :ddr s and do not SEHUY? an jL ? rvie lino. hone: refuse to ceoya-ate, etc.) M tell why the cortaet use rot mad:3 an RIVB Lnie iriocretior to your uooréinatcr at the end of ale: day so that m1; try again as c.st blish eentazt, either by you or one of tke rEeea:LL Finisho. zurétiunrlres Ebhlld 3e given co your eccrd'rate r at the aarll dzv'. . VOL yi‘U'd LL; .ur Scout ”‘!.Olm when 1r6ér*_ev'15 ' 7e as f"'& Run )0 't: A; lwl=":ie :owards the resreueent. 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[-4 :n r H‘ihi ”11‘ 1*‘~‘~'|l‘ ( i'UTll‘l' with 55 m_‘1‘\‘t"|t V. x.'..'.'-' ‘.:«7 I w.» -"-~-,"u-x l'll,1.'l'f!1l"|b'u \innt hm- hair :f lhv 1!:[m‘1’h‘u5 were "'"“5-ll.‘ ”‘d‘H'W U“ Lengthy I‘H‘ffi f”!- :94; \{,;ff 1.. mum; “any; (L‘- Lil‘ut‘ u.’ '.’:‘r'vfln'lHl nn l‘mz’sdm. Which IN the day 1"“1‘1 l‘.‘ "‘-' W‘T 005‘ I'-~~'L11}jv "taming: the I” r'w. iHW‘” fu‘i m'rm us'Hu'z‘} ..-1 the hmm: (I-mrirr 1“ "WI! Warning Hirer. with ““ :‘1‘1' cont [Y1'l'1'.it\1‘t" m n ,v‘lMlt-CT{rum-(‘11 i' 1 m Ir. :ii. Rum 95’ HT urnt 4.1m the?) ”‘V‘Hllé “31mm"? [hk‘ can-H” "C'Whii’l r- A newspaper that works at maintaining excellence in all fields serves its community and its readers better BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Luck, David J., Wales, Hugh G., and Taylor, Donald A. Marketing Research. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice- Hall, Inc., 1961. Articles and Periodicals Byerly, Ken. "Byerly Tells Weeklies How to Get Ad Linage," Editor & Publisher, CI, No. 18 (May 4, 1968). Hubbard, Alfred W. "Phrasing Questions," Journal of Mar- keting, XV, No. 1 (July, 1950). Kroeger, A1. "What Kind of Tomorrow for Today's News— paper," Media/scope, XII, No. 4 (April, 1968). Lasser, J. K. & Co. "National Advertising Expenditures," Media/scope, XI, No. 5 (May, 1967). National Publisher. April 13, 1968. National Publisher. April 27, 1968. Reports Engstrom, Warren. "10 Areas for Circulation Research Sug- gested," International Circulation Managers' Associa- tion Offic1aI Bulletin, May, 1968. Michi an News aper Directory and Ratebook, published by the Michigan Press Association, East Lansing, Mich., 1968. 96 97 O'Brien, Donald M. "Newspapers Must Think Young," A paper delivered before the spring meeting of the Ad Execu- tives Association of Ohio Daily NeWSpapers, Youngstown, Ohio, March 10, 1968. Porter, Arthur A. "The Newspapers' Interesting Condition." A paper read before the annual meeting of the Michigan Press Association, East Lansing, Michigan, January 26, 1968. Unpublished Material bylaws: Michigan Press Association, as revised, 1967. 9 MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES III IIIIIIIIIIIHI 3 1293 3 78 6738 0