Media Management Center      MediaInfoCenter      McCormick Fellows      Kellogg School of Management      Medill

Noted
10 ways to get young people engaged with the news media
August 19, 2010
Christopher Sopher, a senior at the University of North Carolina, has posted a list of 10 Ways to Improve News for Young People. His first three suggestions: 1. Use road signs and maps; 2.Offer wisdom journalism; and 3. Personalize. Sopher recently discussed his research on the Nieman Journalism Lab site. His conclusion is that "news organizations need to create a more usable, relevant, and explanatory experience and combine it with serious support for news literacy and news-in-schools programs that communicate to young people why they ought to use and support journalism." Sopher's complete report, Younger Thinking, draws on research from the Readership Institute and the Media Management Center.

Canadians still like newspapers; also find time for more Internet, TV
March 22, 2010
77% of adult Canadians read a print or online newspaper at least once a week in markets where dailies are available, according to the 2009 readership study released by NADbank. Most (73%) are reading the print editions, 22% read the online editions, and only 4% read online exclusively. Readership is flat or even slightly increased from last year, and is fairly consistent across age groups and occupations. Canadians also are for the first time spending more time online - 18 hours per week - than they are watching television, though their TV time has also increased, according to a new Ipsos Reid tracking study. But Canadians aren't neglecting their newspapers, magazines, or radio either; the hours spent with these media have remained stable. So where do they find the time?

»Previously Noted, Comments...


More J-Blogs

Reflections of a Newsosaur

Jay Rosen's Press Think

Jeff Jarvis' Buzz Machine

Lost Remote

Steve Yelvington

The Editors Weblog

Get Smart About Your Readers: Ideas & Insights
Online offers new opportunities, challenges for investigative reporting
April 16, 2009
(David Stoeffler) OK, so stories about the First Family's new dog, Bo, probably drew more Web traffic on Easter weekend than an Associated Press investigation into the detention of U.S. citizens who have been mistaken for being illegal immigrants, or a Los Angeles Times look at how investors are benefiting from a federal program aimed at helping poor families buy homes. Does that mean the future is dim for online readership of investigative journalism or that in-depth or explanatory reporting is not valued by digital users? In a recent Presstime article, Charlotte Hall argues that one of the strengths of the print newspaper is its ability to help readers step back and assess bigger-picture issues. »more

What it takes to tell a great story online
March 23, 2009
(Rich Gordon) Though journalists have been creating content for the World Wide Web for almost 15 years now, there's still much we don't know about what makes for effective storytelling on the Web. To be sure, there's no shortage of Web stories. But it's still rare to see Web storytelling that takes full advantage of the unique capabilities of this medium. Here's one storytelling example that hits the mark: Our First Loves, a new Web site launched by an experimental undergraduate class (Advanced Interactive Design) at the Medill School, where I teach. The site features (as I write this) 89 first-person stories about "first loves," broadly defined - love for another person, for books, a dog, a family member, even Chewbacca from the "Star Wars" movies. »more

No secret to readership: Give them something to talk about
March 3, 2009
(David Stoeffler) What do octuplets' mother Nadya Suleman, the "25 Random Things" lists on Facebook and the weather have in common? They are all something to talk about. In my consulting work and speaking engagements, I'm frequently asked to reveal the secrets to building readership in print and online. If only it was a secret, my consulting business would be much more lucrative. As detailed in the Readership Institute's 2003 Experience Study, "something to talk about" is a powerful motivator that can drive readership. Across all demographics, researchers found similar responses - people want a source of information that gives them something to talk about with other people. »more

Is design a luxury we can no longer afford?
February 18, 2009
(Mary Nesbitt) If you read this you might have to kill yourself, as it's related to the World's Best-Designed Newspapers competition at which I judged this week. It was impressed on us that proceedings are confidential. So I'll try not to break the rules. Not being a designer by profession or study, I'm not clear how I got to judge in the Society for News Design contest, but I hope it's because I try to see things from the perspective of the consumers, rather than the creators, of design. While appreciative - indeed, envious - of technique and artistry, my perspective is more about whether design is working for readers, based on what Readership Institute and other studies tell us about how and why people read newspapers. »more

»All posts | RSS feed

News & Research
Attracting millennials to online election coverage and building news site loyalty
Two new Web readership reports stress the importance of simplicity, vigor, ease of use - and understanding that most people are "cognitive misers" who need help managing overwhelming amounts of information.

From 'Too Much' to 'Just Right:' Engaging Millennials in Election News on the Web finds that young people want information about the candidates and issues, but won't spend much time following day-to-day developments. Their preferred sources are sites whose primary business is news. They're indifferent to commenting about the news online or reading comments. Attempts to infuse coverage with social networking features, amateur content and humor can backfire if they detract from the seriousness and professionalism young people expect from news sites. And Millennials are turned off by a "too much" experience - too many things competing for attention in a disorganized way, wordiness, too much detail, stories and pages that go on too long.

What It Takes To Be A Web Favorite finds that heavy Web users seek to conserve mental energy and have pronounced preferences for a small number of familiar news and information sites that are easy to use. The report emphasizes the importance, when designing Web strategies, of first knowing who the audience is, what they're trying to achieve and what knowledge and experience they bring to the process.


More Research


©2010 Readership Institute • 304 Fisk Hall • Northwestern University • 1845 Sheridan Road • Evanston, IL 60208-2110
phone: 847.491.9900 • fax: 847.491.5619 • email: institute@readership.org