news you can lose
DESCRIPTION
Rural Resilience in the New Media Age?TRANSCRIPT
NEWS YOU
CAN LOSE
Rural Resilience in the New Media Age?
Evelyn EbertEW Scripps School of JournalismOhio University
Nick GarciaRural Sociology
The Ohio State University
• Readership
• Staffing
• Wire service usage
NEWSPAPER TRENDS
• Revenue Crisis
– Closing doors
– Incorporation of sponsored content
– Staff cuts
– Increased wire services
• Democracy?
IMPLICATIONS
CURRENT RESEARCH:
“STATE OF THE NEWS MEDIA”
• National omnibus reader polls
• Content analysis across 6 sectors
• Sampled newspapers on geographic & circulation basis.
• Online competition• Diminished online
revenues– Banner vs. print ads– “Free” content
• Decreased quality– Lower revenues– Fewer staff
FACTORS INFLUENCING NATIONAL
TRENDS
• Local news may be more removed from national interests
WHY MIGHT RURAL BE DIFFERENT?
• Broadband gap
WHY MIGHT RURAL BE DIFFERENT?
HYPOTHESIS:
RURAL TRENDS WILL BE
DIFFERENT FROM
NATIONAL TRENDS.
1. “Remote” nature of rural areas insulates newspapers from competing sources and the need for 24/7 wire feeds.
2. Limited broadband infrastructure has insulated rural newspapers from online competitors and less profitable online distribution.
• Survey
• Sample
METHOD:
7 questions1-5 Likert Scale
1:Significantly increased5:Significantly decreased
“Since 2000, ___ has:”1. Readership2. Staff3. Use of wire services
• State Newspaper Association Directories
• County of readership has an RUC of 4 or greater
• Editor or Publisher• 450 Surveys sent• 63 Responses• Staffing• Wire service usage
• Readership
• Staffing
• Wire usage
• Online accessibility
RESULTS:
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:
There are significant changes in ownership across rural papers.
THANK YOU!
QUESTIONS?