Dallasites, it’s survey time. A couple of us here at my employer were talking yesterday about how few young people actually read the newspaper. It’s a longstanding demographic trend — actually, it’s less of a problem at the DMN than at most other papers across the country, but it’s still a concern to those of us in the business. I also have to give a little talk to a bunch of reporters and editors here next month on appealing to younger readers (say, adults under 35).
So here’s my question: If you read the paper regularly, what do you like about it? If you don’t, why not? And what could be changed to make you want to read it?
(I know many people have traded in subscriptions for regular trips to the paper’s web site, which is understandable. But I’m primarily looking for things that would make you want to actually plop down your 50 cents or pay for a subscription.)
12 thoughts on “dmn young readers survey”
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I don’t read the paper. I subscribed to it when I first moved to the area, but it ended up just stacking up and was just more trash to take out.
When I do want to read news, I go to the DMN site, but that isn’t often. I mostly use the online classifieds (I found my current apartment that way).
I don’t know that anything could change to make me read a physical newspaper. I really would never get around to sitting down and reading it.
I LOVE newspapers. (and yes, I get the DMN)
This could be, however, because I am a nerd. I read as much of it as I can most days. I was brought up reading it at the breakfast table – but neither Erica nor Kristen have any interest in the paper. (and we were all three at that same breakfast table) I just love to read – and I love information. News, news, news! I’m not sure that’s very helpful for your survey tho. Perhaps I should do a LucciHouse survey on why they don’t read it and get back to you.
I don’t read a paper often either. I hate the way so many stories are repetative. They simply say the same thing over and over. And I don’t like how they’re “dummed down” often.
But mostly I don’t care for bad news. I want to put as many good things into my mind as possible which is why I usually skip reading the news.
it would help if they fixed that odor and newsprint on the fingers problem. and the bulkiness.
I too am a DMN subscriber, and I read the paper religously. However, I’m not sure the biased view of a native Dallasite and schooled journalist would help you 😉
even working at the paper, I did not regularly read the actual paper except for the Texas Living, Sunday Reader and Editorials sections. In fact, I donated my “mandated by unspoken law” subscription to my mom, so she could beam with pride at my every byline. I did, however, religiously (compulsively) read the online version, and to some extent I still do, even from across the continent.
How could we make it more relevant? By making it a monthly magazine focusing on sex and fast cars, a la Maxim or, for women, Cosmo.
Oh… and stay a daily newspaper? Then I have no idea, other than making some items unavailable online, such as classifieds, certain listings, etc. I mean – this generation is web-savvy, and why should they pay for something they have to work to get when they can get it for free just by typing in a URL?
But then we lose the under-35s in both print and online, which means we lose even more ad dollars. Seems almost no-win to me, to be honest.
Hmmmmmm…… maybe I should rethink my career aspirations after all…….
i don’t read the paper either, instead…i turn on cnn for a quick update on what’s going on. on the off chance that i do read it though, i always feel like i am getting “old news”..as it is not as current as what i can get on cnn or headline news.
I think newspapers should have more exotic stories; such as, maybe, a feature on Pitcairn Island. Heh, heh, heh…
come on, people! don’t make me depressed about my career choice! isn’t there some simple, magic key to be turned to get you all to be regular readers? like, say, running family circus on the front page?
If each copy came with a free *edited for graphic sexual nature of content* I’d read it everyday.
yeah, but then we’d have to stop hiring paperboys and papergirls and start hiring papermen and paperwomen.
I love newspaper reporting, and the depth that can be had (though often isn’t). But I hate having something sitting on my coffee table screaming at me that I should spend an hour reading it.
I don’t need the guilt of it.
So instead, the paper comes, and then piles up in the corner… until I take it out (feeling even more guilty because I don’t live near any recycling collection points). A few of those trips, and it’s good-bye paper.
Give me a four page paper, a great (even subscriber-based) website with _years_ of archived material, and a thick Sunday magazine.