Pressing Issue January 2008
2006 January
Winter Convention 2006
Winter
Convention 2006 is upon us. This year is gearing up to the best yet.
As with every year, we are trying to make the registration
process as smooth as possible. This years Registration
Form is a pdf with embedded forms in it. All you have
to do is open the file (requires Adobe
Reader 7.0), fill in the form and click on the "Submit
by e-mail" button. For multiple attendees, just change the Name
and Registration Options and click "Submit by e-mail"
again. No need to fill out the address, etc multiple times.
To
download pdf go to http://www.utahpress.com/registration.pdf
GRAMA Is Top Focus for Legislative Session
With most legislative bills still in drafting stage, a least half
dozen bills ready to be heard by lawmakers portend a busy legislative
session for the Utah Press Association. The session officially begins
on Jan. 16.
As expected, two of three potentially harmful GRAMA
bills have been filed in the House bills and a third is a Senate
bill. Here are the bill numbers for future reference
SB15, GRAMA Appeals Process and Document Request Amendments – Sponsored by Sen. Dave Thomas.
http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2006/bills/sbillint/sb0015.htmHB12, Amendments to GRAMA— Sponsored by Rep. Doug Aagard
http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2006/bills/hbillint/hb0012.htmHB28, Access and Fee Amendments to GRAMA – Sponosred by Rep. Doug Aagard
http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2006/bills/hbillint/hb0028.htm
A coalition of news media leaders has been lobbying key
governmental contacts about these bills. Just before the end of the
year, the coalition sent a one-page statement to legislators
explaining why the GRAMA bills are problematic. UPA publishers were
sent a longer version of the talking points with a letter asking them
to meet with their legislators and begin discussing the problems with
the bill.
A longer version of the talking points penned by
Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Page Editor Vern Anderson and Deseret
News Managing Editor Rick Hall follows (amended with bill
numbers):
“No one pretends that democracy is perfect or
all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form
of Government -- except all those other forms that have been tried
from time to time.”
--Winston Churchill
Democracy is,
indeed, messy – largely because it must be done in the bright
spotlight of the public purview. But the human race has, as yet,
found no better way to govern than by this messy
process.
Preface
The sweeping changes to the
Government Records Access and Management Act proposed by the
legislative GRAMA Task Force run directly counter to the stated
purpose of the act when it was passed by the Utah legislature 13
years ago. It is no exaggeration to state that passage of these
retrograde revisions would effectively gut the act by placing large
portions of the written record of city, county and state governments
off limits to the public and hence to the news media. It is
impossible to view these proposals in any other light but as an
embrace of secrecy over the original intent of the act to ensure open
government, conducted with the greatest transparency possible, on
behalf of the citizens who elect public officials and pay their
salaries and those of their agencies and staffs. Directly at issue is
the people's right to know what their government is up to at all
stages of its formulation of public policy, thereby allowing the
people to better understand both the processes of government and how
its decisions might affect them personally and collectively -- well
before such policies become law.
In short, the GRAMA Task
Force is attempting to fix what is not broken in any substantive way,
and in doing so it has raised serious and justifiable concerns among
the news media, which are united against passage of all three of the
bills being presented to the Legislature. These concerns have been
conveyed to the task force and articulated in newspaper and
television editorials that have raised the ire of the co-chairmen of
the task force, Sen. David L. Thomas and Rep. Douglas C. Aagard. In
an op-ed column, Sen. Thomas and Rep. Aagard wrote:
"To
the extent that the media's arguments have not been persuasive, their
suggestions have not been incorporated into the Task Force's
findings. However, to insinuate, as many editorial pages have, that
the Task Force wants to put a cloak of secrecy on government, is
yellow journalism in its worst form. While we appreciate the news
media's opinion, let's be honest -- the purpose of GRAMA is not to
provide source material on public officials for the media in order to
sell newspapers."
These statements are profoundly
disturbing for their airy dismissiveness of legitimate concerns
expressed in good faith by founding stakeholders of GRAMA, for their
hostility toward journalists' use of GRAMA to report on actions taken
-- or not taken -- by public officials, and for their reductive and
utterly false assertion that newspapers only care about GRAMA for the
sensational stories it generates so that newspapers -- and presumably
the rest of the media -- can make more money.
If, indeed, the
co-chairs of the GRAMA Task Force believe that "the purpose of
GRAMA is not to provide source material on public officials,"
then there should be little wonder that the GRAMA Task Force would
come forth with the proposals that it has, proposals that would, in
effect, dim the light on the public's right to see and to know.
In
brief, here are our specific concerns with the proposed
legislation:
HB12
--GRAMA was written to presume
that government’s records are open (and can be closed only for
specific purposes). Bill One fundamentally changes that presumption.
This not only runs contrary to GRAMA’s intent, it is in direct
conflict with the American concept of government.
--To wit:
Under the proposed changes, a record would be presumed private unless
the requestor could establish that the record is needed “in
connection with the conduct of the public’s business.”
This is, at best, a nebulous standard that would allow government
officials enormous unchecked discretion in determining the status of
a record.
--Certainly, some government documents should not be
available for public scrutiny. GRAMA, as currently written, provides
for that.
--To use “privacy concerns” as a reason
to make communications between an elected official and citizens
private is a straw man. Privacy concerns are adequately addressed in
the existing GRAMA and other statues. Making these communications
private withholds from the public vast amounts of information central
to how their government works.
--That “deliberative”
communications among public officials remain public is also a
fundamental requirement of open government. In fact, 13 years ago,
when GRAMA was first enacted, the Legislature dealt with a suggestion
to make such communications private. That idea was nixed, primarily
because it is incompatible with GRAMA and would have made secret vast
amounts of information essential for the public to watch government
in action.
SB15
--The proposed language allowing
government to deny GRAMA requests lacks any standard for denial. It
is overly broad, ambiguous and susceptible to abuse. (If, for
example, the government simply dislikes the requester, it could deny
the request.)
--GRAMA, as currently in enacted, and subsequent
legislation (SB44, passed just last year) already provide government
with ample opportunity to recoup the legitimate costs of providing
records.
--Government should not be allowed to deny an
otherwise proper GRAMA request simply because it is more convenient
for the government if the requestor had to get the information
elsewhere.
--The provision requiring that all appeals go first
through the State Records Committee before appealing to court makes
no sense. GRAMA is intended to provide a low-cost, speedy and
efficient appeal process. This simply complicates the issue, and
potentially slows down the resolution and increases
costs.
HB28
--Governmental records are increasingly
kept in electronic form. Bill Three has the effect of making those
records less available by applying additional costs for a variety of
reason. This, of course, makes no sense. If anything, electronic
access to records should make both requesting and fulfilling those
requests easier and less costly.
--Allowing government to
apply costs based on the requestor’s intended use for the
records smacks of Big Brother and assumes that a governmental entity
could/should be a qualified judge of that. The provision creates
unlimited potential for abuse by bureaucrats and elected
officials.
A bill proposing a reporters shield law and may
be stalled after the statewide prosecutors association said they
opposed the bill and proposed a watered-down version instead.
Attorneys Jeff Hunt and Michael O’Brien have suggested that a
judicial panel studying the issue may be a better bet for a favorable
rule to protect confidential sources rather than a fight at the
Legislature.
Other bills to watch this session include a set
of bills dealing with the Utah Open Meetings Act:
HB14,
Open Meetings Law Amendments – Rep. Wayne
Harper
http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2006/bills/hbillint/hb0014.htm
HB16,
Revisions to Open and Public Meetings Law -- Donnelson,
G.
http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2006/bills/hbillint/hb0016.htm
SB9
Open and Public Meetings Act Revisions -- Hellewell,
P.
http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2006/bills/sbillint/sb0009.htm
SB12,
Electronic Meeting Amendment -- Hillyard,
L.
http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2006/bills/sbillint/sb0012.htm
Others
deal with public notice and state publications
HB36
Notice Requirements for Budget Transfers from Utility Funds --
Tilton,
A
http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2006/bills/hbillint/hb0036.htm
HB41
Preservation of and Access to State Publications -- Noel,
M.
http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2006/bills/hbillint/hb0041.htm
SB36
School Districts - Limited Amendments to Truth in Taxation --
Dmitrich,
M.
http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2006/bills/sbillint/sb0036.htm
Can your ads pass inspection?
By John Foust, Raleigh, NC
I selected a tie in a department
store and took it to the cash register. The sales person held it up
and frowned. “See that thread hanging out about an eighth of an
inch? That’s a defect in a prime target area.”
I
took a closer look. “I’d better find another tie.”
As we walked to the tie display, he explained. “I used
to work in the garment manufacturing industry. For the inspection
process, each piece of clothing has designated target areas. In a
shirt, for example, the number one area is the v-shape that extends
from each side of the collar to the point where a jacket is buttoned.
If I’m remembering correctly, the rest of the front is area
number two, the sleeves are number three, the sides are number four,
and the back is number five. The higher the ranking, the higher the
inspection standards.
“For a tie,” he continued,
“the number one area is in the front, below the knot. You
probably wouldn’t mind a picked thread in the back, but it’s
bad when it’s right up front.”
Hmm. If we were to
apply this concept of target areas to advertising, let’s see
how the rankings would look.
1. The headline. This is the
most important part of an ad. It’s a well known fact that for
every ten people who read an ad’s headline, only two will read
the rest of the copy. That means the headline outranks everything
else by 80 to 20 percent.
Consider news articles. You can
read just the headlines – and nothing else – and get an
idea of what’s going on in those stories. If you can’t
say the same for an ad’s headline, it’s time for a
rewrite.
As you’re writing, remember that people buy
benefits – not unsubstantiated claims and exaggerations.
2.
The illustration. Obviously, some ads don’t have illustrations
(just like some shirts don’t have collars). But for the ones
that do, this is a key element.
An illustration is defined as
“a picture or diagram that helps make something clear or
attractive.” This could lead us to say that an illustration in
an ad – whether it’s a photograph or a drawing –
has two purposes: 1) to attract attention, and 2) to clarify the
headline.
3. The body copy. Whether it’s long or short,
the copy should continue the theme that is introduced in the
headline. And it should be set in a readable font, against a clean
background. Reverses (light text on a dark background) should never
pass inspection.
4. The logo. Here, the most common flaw
occurs when an advertiser uses a logo for a headline. Certainly, the
name of a business can be included in a headline. But the logo –
by itself – is not a headline.
In most cases, the logo
should appear below the copy. This creates a logical sequence: 1)
here’s what our widget can do for you, and 2) here’s
where you can buy one.
Pass inspection in all four areas –
and your ads will be dressed for success.
(c) Copyright 2005
by John Foust. All rights reserved.
John Foust conducts
on-site and video training for newspaper advertising departments. His
three new video programs are designed to help ad managers conduct
in-house training for their sales teams. For information, contact:
John Foust, PO Box 97606, Raleigh, NC 27624 USA, E-mail:
jfoust@mindspring.com,
Phone 919-848-2401.
81% of Adults (18-years-old or older) Read America’s Community Newspapers Weekly
COLUMBIA, MO— Thumb through the stack of stories about newspapers on your desk, or type “newspaper” in the Lexis-Nexis or Google search boxes, and the resulting headlines might make you think the sky is falling on the newspaper industry.
The Audit Bureau of Circulation’s FAS-FAX reports the largest circulation decline in years for papers in the top 150 markets; the number of daily newspapers and their circulation have declined since 1970.
Read those stories carefully, however, and you’ll find that most newspaper companies are churning out profit margins in excess of 20 percent. Many newspaper companies are achieving 30 percent margins, and some individual newspapers more than 40 percent. “If the sky is falling, I’d like some of that 20, 30 and 40 percent to fall in my lap,” says Brian Steffens, executive director of the National Newspaper Association.
“Grocery stores and supermarkets have been operating on 1- or 2-percent margins for years. Traditional retailers are typically thrilled if they achieve 6- to 8-percent margin,” Steffens says. “Both of those industries have their fair share of challenges, but the constant drumbeat of doom and gloom seems peculiarly reserved for newspapers.”
“Since when is a 20 percent margin a failure?, he asks. “Yet that is how the headlines paint our industry. Imagine how high executives at General Motors or Ford would jump for joy for half that margin.”
According to a recent NNA survey, conducted by the Center for Advanced Social Research at the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia:
81 percent of adults over the age of 18 read a newspaper every week
75 percent of those readers share their paper with friends, colleagues or family members (more than doubling the number of people who see the paper)
On average, readers spend 38 minutes reading an issue of their paper
One-quarter of readers keep their paper for more than six days, enabling them to revisit a story or advertisement
“I’m not immune to some very significant challenges facing the newspaper industry, but these numbers don’t quite support “the sky is falling” mantra,” says Steffens. “Part of the problem with reporting on the health and welfare of the newspaper industry is that virtually all of the research has been focused on large daily newspapers serving the top 150 markets.”
So the NNA surveyed adults in markets of less than 100,000 population to examine the relationship between Main Street America and newspapers.
While the number of daily newspapers has shrunk
from 1,700 in 1950 to fewer than 1,500 today, the number of non-daily
newspapers has risen to about 7,000 community newspapers. According
to NNA records, the number of people reading non-daily newspapers has
more than doubled since 1965. Recognizing the health and opportunity
of “weekly” papers, Hollinger Inc. and Thomson
Newspapers, among several others, amassed large numbers of community
newspapers in the 1980s and 1990s. Community newspapers remain the
focus of several companies in the 21st Century: MediaNews Group, Rust
Communications, Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., Landmark Community
Newspapers Inc., Brehm Communications Inc., Liberty and Ogden
Newspapers Inc. among them.
So, what makes community
newspapers tick?
According to the NNA survey, local community newspapers are the primary source of information for both news and advertising in local communities—by a 3-1 margin over the next most popular media.
Primary source of information about local communities:
50 percent: local newspaper
16 percent: television
9 percent: radio
2 percent: Internet
(The rest say they get their local information from friends, relatives, co-workers, “others”, or they “don’t know.”)
The findings also note:
95 percent of readers read local news
92 percent read education (school) news
76 percent read local sports
75 percent read public notices
These are the bread and butter topics of community newspapers. But how well do community newspapers perform these functions?
78 percent of readers believe their local news coverage is good to excellent
67 percent believe the accuracy of their community newspaper is good to excellent
64 percent believe the quality of writing in their community newspaper is good to excellent
58 percent believe the fairness of reporting is good to excellent
“While there is room for improvement, it should be noted that these were rated on a five-point scale, with the middle being fair or acceptable,” Steffens says. “Adding fair or acceptable to these numbers would push them up even more dramatically.”
“Media reports have painted the Internet as perhaps the chief nemesis of newspapers,” says Steffens. “Yet newspapers are responding to the Internet as an opportunity, not just a threat.”
More than 60 percent of Main Street America now has Internet access at home, and 39 percent of those have broadband service, the NNA survey reports.
One-fifth of community newspaper readers report they have visited their local paper’s web site in the last month. Some 87 percent of those say they visited the paper’s web site within the previous week; 13% say they visited the paper’s web site daily.
According to the NNA survey, readers go to the local paper’s web site for news, sports and weather (33 percent); to read older, archived stories (19 percent); obituaries (10 percent); and employment or help-wanted advertisements.
This survey was conducted by the Center for Advanced Social Research (CASR), Missouri School of Journalism, University of Missouri-Columbia for the National Newspaper Association.
Established in 1885, the National Newspaper Association is the voice of America¹s community newspapers and the oldest and largest newspaper association in the country. The nation’s community newspapers inform, educate and entertain more than 60 million readers every week.
Founded in 1908, the Missouri School of Journalism has set the standards for journalism and strategic communication training for almost a century. The proven "Missouri Method" blends theory and practice through coursework and the university's own media, including a community newspaper, a network television station and a national public radio station.
## 30 ##
Community Newspaper Readership Survey Highlights
-----------
81% of adults read a newspaper
at least once a week
18% do not read a newspaper
44% read a newspaper 4, 5, 6 or 7 days a week
(daily)
37% read a newspaper 1-3 days a week
(non-daily)
(21% read a newspaper once per week)
-----------
75% of
readers share their paper with one or more friends, colleagues or
family.
38% share with one person
17% pass along the paper to two persons
17% pass along the paper to 3-5 persons
4% pass along the paper to 6 or more persons
-----------
67% of
the papers read were published daily
33% were published once or
twice weekly
(23% were published weekly; almost 9% twice weekly)
-----------
94%
of readers buy their newspaper
5% of readers read a free
newspaper
-----------
46% of readers get their paper delivered
by adult or youth carriers
27% of readers pick up a copy at a
newsstand or store
22% receive their paper via
USPS
-----------
73% of readers say they read most or all of
each newspaper
-----------
On average, readers spend 38 minutes
reading an issue of their local paper.
-----------
25% of
readers read the paper and toss it the same day
29% keep the paper
1-2 days
24% keep the paper 6 days, but fewer than 10
days
--------------
Local newspapers are the primary source
about local communities by more than a 3-1 margin. Primary source of
information about local communities:
50% -- local newspaper
16% -- television
9% -- radio
2% -- Internet
(the rest get local information from friends, relatives, co-workers,
“others” or “don’t know”)
--------------
95% of readers read local news
in their local newspaper
78% of readers read local news
somewhat-to-very often
43% read local news very often
85% of readers read national news
in their local paper
62% of readers read national news
somewhat-to-very often
36% read national news very often
92% of readers read education
news in their local paper
62% of readers read education news
somewhat-to-very often
27% read education news very often
91% of readers read state news
in their local paper
62% of readers read state news
somewhat-to-very often
27% read state news very often
87% of readers read editorial or
letters to the editor in their local paper
60% of readers read
editorials or letters somewhat-to-very often
33% read editorials or letters very often
76% of readers read
local sports in their local paper
48% of readers read local sports
somewhat-to-very often
28% read local sports very often
80% of readers read world news
in their local paper
55% of readers read world news
somewhat-to-very often
25% read world news very often
75% of readers read public
notices in their local paper
39% of readers read public notices
somewhat-to-very often
16% read public notices very often
60% of readers read national
sports in their local paper
34% of readers read national sports
somewhat-to-very often
18% read national sports very often
---------------
78% of
readers believe local news coverage is good to excellent
71% of
readers believe the photography in their local paper is good to
excellent
67% of readers believe the accuracy of their local paper
is good to excellent
69% of readers believe the design and layout
of the local paper is good to excellent
64% of readers believe the
quality of writing in their local paper is good to excellent
63%
of readers believe coverage of state news is good to excellent
58%
of readers believe the fairness of reporting is good to excellent
45%
of readers believe coverage of national news is good to excellent
Community Newspapers Across America Maintain Vibrant Connection Between Readers, Advertisers
Across America Maintain Vibrant Connection Between Readers, Advertisers
COLUMBIA, MO— News makes up but a portion of a newspaper. To many readers, the weekly advertisements are a form of news, in the way of weekly specials or sales. Recent news reports would suggest the newspaper industry is in distress, that new media are splintering advertising budgets, leaving less for newspapers.
Yet, along Main Street across America:
80 percent of community newspaper readers read the grocery or supermarket advertisements.
Half of all readers rely most on their community newspaper for grocery shopping information. That’s 10-times more than the next most relied upon source: direct mail (5 percent).82 percent of community newspaper readers read the hardware and home improvement advertisements.
Nearly one-third of all readers rely most on their community newspaper for home improvement shopping information. That’s four times more than the next most relied upon source: the Internet (7 percent).80 percent of community newspaper readers read the discount store advertisements.
78 percent of community newspaper readers read the classified advertisements.
76 percent of community newspaper readers read the department store advertisements.
66 percent of community newspaper readers read the public notice advertisements.
These are some of the results of a recent survey of adults over the age of 18 who live in markets of less than 100,000 population, conducted for the National Newspaper Association by the Center for Advanced Social Research, the research arm of the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Some 67 percent of all adults surveyed said they rarely or never used direct mail to make purchasing decisions; 57 percent said they rarely or never used the Yellow Pages to make purchasing decisions.
“Clearly, it would appear that community newspapers have a very strong bond in connecting local readers with advertisers,” notes Jerry Reppert, NNA president and publisher of the Gazette-Democrat in Anna, IL.
Skeptics will point out that reading an advertisement is not the same as buying a product, and that in today’s superheated retail market, advertisers want buyers, not just readers.
Three-fourths of those surveyed said they planned to purchase health or medical products or services in the next year.
72 percent plan to buy women’s clothing.
66 percent plan to buy men’s clothing.
Nearly half plan to purchase “travel” (air, hotel, cruise, rental car, etc.)
44 percent plan to purchase lawn and garden supplies or services.
35 percent plan to buy financial or insurance products or services.
31 percent plan to buy cell phones or cell phone service.
14 percent say they rely most on their community newspaper for cell phone shopping information; compared to 8 percent who rely most on television and 7 percent who rely most on the Internet.25 percent plan to buy furniture.
31 percent rely most on their community newspaper for furniture shopping information. That’s five times more than the next most relied upon source: television (6 percent).20 percent plan to buy appliances.
One-third rely most on their community newspaper for appliance shopping information. That’s three times more than the next most relied upon source: the Internet (9 percent).15 percent plan to buy a used vehicle.
27 percent rely most on their community newspaper for used vehicle shopping information. That’s nearly three times more than the next most relied upon source: the Internet (10 percent).Nearly 11 percent plan to buy a new vehicle.
20 percent rely most on their community newspaper for new vehicle shopping information, compared to 14 percent who rely most on the Internet.
“That’s a fairly strong shopping list for Main Street America,” Reppert says. “And community newspapers are positioned to help both buyer and seller.”
Established in 1885, the National Newspaper Association is the voice of America¹s community newspapers and the oldest and largest newspaper association in the country. The nation’s community newspapers inform, educate and entertain more than 60 million readers every week.
Founded in 1908, the Missouri School of Journalism has set the standards for journalism and strategic communication training for almost a century. The proven "Missouri Method" blends theory and practice through coursework and the university's own media, including a community newspaper, a network television station and a national public radio station.
Community Newspaper Readership Survey Highlights
80% of readers read grocery-supermarket ads
55%
of readers read grocery-supermarket ads somewhat-to-very
often
38% read grocery-supermarket ads very often
Half (51%) of
readers rely most on newspapers for grocery shopping
information
That’s 10-times more than the next most relied
upon source:
5% rely most on direct mail for grocery shopping
information
2% rely most on shoppers/ad sheets for grocery
shopping information
Just 1% each rely on tv, radio and catalogs for the same
information
82% of readers read hardware-home improvement ads
42%
of readers read hardware-home improvement ads somewhat-to-very
often
15% read hardware-home improvement ads very often
Nearly one-third (31%) of readers rely most on their local
newspaper
for building and home improvement shopping
information
That’s four times more than the next relied upon
source:
7% rely most on the Internet for home improvement purchase
info
5% rely most on television; 4% rely most on direct
mail
2% each rely most on magazines and ad sheets
78% of readers read
classified ads
41% read classified ads somewhat-to-very
often
21% read classified ads very often
80% of readers read discount
store ads in their local paper
40% read discount store ads somewhat-to-very
often
17% read discount store ads very often
76% of readers read
department store ads
34% of readers read department store ads
somewhat-to-very often
16% read department store ads very often
66% of readers read
public notice ads in their local newspaper
31% read public notice ads somewhat-to-very
often
14% read public notice ads very often
--------------
71% of
readers believe government should be required to publish public
notices in newspapers
---------------
Three-fourths (76%) of
readers planned to purchase health or medical products or services in
the next year
Nearly three-fourths (72%) of readers planned to
buy women’s clothing in next year
66% of readers said they
planned to purchase men’s clothing in next 12 months
Nearly
half (48% of readers said they planned to purchase travel in next 12
months
44% of readers planned to purchase lawn and garden supplies
or services in next year
35% of readers said they planned to
purchase electronics in the next 12 months
13% of readers rely most on their local newspaper for computer
shopping info
18% rely most on the Internet; 8% rely most on television;
3%
each rely most on magazines and direct mail
A third (35%) of
readers planned a financial or insurance product purchase in next
year
31% of readers said they planned to purchase cell phones or
cell service in next year
14% of readers rely most upon their local paper for cell phone
shopping info
8% rely most on television for cell phone shopping information
7%
rely most on the Internet for cell phone shopping information
3%
rely most on direct mail for cell phone shopping information
25%
of readers said they planned to purchase furniture in the next 12
months
Almost one-third (31%) rely most on their local newspaper
for
furniture shopping information
That’s five times more than the next most relied upon
source:
6% rely most on television; 4% rely most on the
Internet
Under 3% rely most on direct mail
20% of readers said they planned
to purchase appliances in the next 12 months
One-third (32%) of
readers rely most on their local newspaper
for appliance shopping
information
That’s more than three times the next most
relied upon source:
9% who rely most on the Internet for appliance
shopping information
5% each rely most upon television and
magazines
Less than 3% each rely most upon catalogs and direct
mail
15% of readers said they planned to purchase a used vehicle
in the next 12 months
27% of readers rely most upon their local paper for used car shopping
information
That’s nearly three times the next most relied upon
source:
10% rely most upon the Internet for used car shopping
information
3% rely most on magazines; 2% rely most on television
Nearly 11%
of readers said they planned to purchase a new vehicle in the next 12
months
One-fifth (20%) of readers rely most on the local paper
for new car shopping information
14% rely most on the Internet for new car shopping
information
7% rely most on television for new car shopping
information
4% rely most on magazines; 2% on direct mail
8% said they planned
to purchase a house in the next 12 months
---------------
67% of all surveyed rarely or
never use direct mail to make purchasing decisions
57% of all
surveyed rarely or never use the Yellow Pages to make purchase
decisions
41% of all surveyed say their local newspaper is helpful
or very helpful in making purchasing decisions
---------------
74%
of respondents reported living in a small town of less than 10,000
population, or in rural or farm areas. Only 26% reported living in a
medium size town or suburb.
84% of respondents own a home; 16% rent.
28% have children younger than 18 years old living at home
88% of respondents have at least a high school education
89% of respondents described themselves as
white-Caucasian
5% as African American
2% as American Indian
1% each as Asian American and Latino/Hispanic
57% of respondents described themselves as
married
16% as single
12% as widowed
10% as divorced
2% each as separated or member of an unmarried couple
45% of respondents reported they were employed
full-time
26% said they were retired
11% as self-employed
7% as employed part-time
3% each as unemployed/out of work or homemaker
2% as student
34% of respondents reported an annual household
income of $50,000 or more
27% reported annual household income of
$25,000--$50,000
14% reported annual household income of
$10,000--$25,000
6% reported annual household income below $10,000
Respondents were evenly divided between male and female.
Foundations for Success
2006 Winter Convention offers informative discussions on the very
topics we are all needing updated information.
Circulation,
always a challenging topic will be taught Friday by Bob Bobbit, one
of the leading authorities on building and maintaining
circulation.
John Foust will be speaking to UPA members on
Advertising Sales to help you develop ideas to wow
advertisers.
Editorial writing is a vital aspect that needs to
be studied & reviewed constantly. We have arranged for a Round
Table discussion on Saturday morning for all of the non-golfers in
our group.
Attorney General Shurtleff has agreed to be our
keynote speaker on Friday at lunch. This will give us all the
opportunity to hear his plans for Utah in 2006 and perhaps accept a
few questions from the audience.
Understanding the sales
potential in Internet newspaper subscriptions should be top of mind
with all of us. A seminar on all aspects of selling subscriptions on
line using UPA’s Newsearch will be dissected and discussed on
Saturday morning as well, this is one you can not afford to miss
learning about. It will be brought to you in a Round Table format for
good interaction, open question opportunity. Don’t miss this
one people!
To register for the March 23-25 Winter Convention
go to http://www.utahpress.com/registration.pdf or find the form in
today’s issue of Pressing Issues (see below).