From the outset of the Impact study, the Readership Institute felt that if the newspaper industry were going to grow readership, it first had to overcome the internal barriers that keep it from taking action. So in addition to the studies on consumers and newspaper content, we studied the internal operating cultures of the newspapers in the study. We found that culture is, in fact, linked to readership.

There are two basic types of organizational culture, constructive and defensive. Impact research shows that newspapers with constructive cultures tend also to have higher readership (RBS). The finding echoes results from hundreds of studies in other businesses that link the culture of the workplace to business outcomes.

Yet, the Impact study found that the overwhelming majority of newspapers have defensive cultures.


Inside Newspaper Culture
Learn more about what culture is and read the results of the Readership Institute's study of newspaper industry culture.

Culture Report: A Profile of the Impact Newspapers and Their Departments - PDF
A complete version of our study of newspaper industry culture.

Five-Minute Guide to Culture - PDF
A quick overview of organizational culture.

A Conversation about Changing Newspaper Culture - PDF
Robert Cooke of Human Synergistics and Mary Nesbitt, Managing Director of the Readership Institute, discuss the results of the culture study and what it means for newspapers.

 

Impact Study: Overview Page

Culture and Management Practices: Overview Page

Recommended Readings
Find additional resources on understanding and changing organizational culture.