THE LOCAL NEWS PROJECT INATIONAL RESEARCH REPORT
Presented by
Peter Dominowski
Market Trends Research Inc.
NEWS SOURCES OF PUBLIC RADIO LISTENERS
"What public radio does well is to add depth to stories. I'm more interested in the national stories than the local ones but the depth would make any story interesting." In The Local News Project research, listeners were asked to specify the sources they used and preferred for national and local news and information.
Public Radio
While public radio is a primary source for international, national, state, and local information for many listeners, most also use other sources for news.
For many listeners, public radio serves an additional function beyond the information it provides. They often seem to have an intellectual and emotional bond with the programming.
Listeners feel assaulted by many aspects of commercial media. They consider much of the programming and advertising an insult to their intelligence. Their love for public radio news is in part a reaction to the media world they see around them. Beyond even the programming, the relative lack of commercialism, and the appeal to thought and intellect causes them think of public radio as a haven and an oasis. Many news listeners feel that public radio is valuable and distinctive because it:
· Provides rational and factual information in a universe of media hyperbole
· Provides journalistic balance where many listeners perceive predominantly biased reporting in other media
· Provides depth when many other sources offer little more than the sound bite
· Provides information that is significant where others concentrate primarily on murder and mayhem
· Makes sense when many other media provide mostly sensationalism
· Provides a perceived connection with the best of contemporary thought and culture, and combats a feeling of intellectual or social isolation expressed by many listeners
· Offers few pundits in a media world saturated with overbearing buffoonery and conjecture
· Explores the human side of the news without an over-emphasis on melodrama, or media stars and personalities
· Creates an emotional bond or connection with many listeners which is not often expressed about most other forms of mediaOthers have taken aspects of listener attitudes and portrayed public radio as a virtual community unfettered by geography. While this is not the exact description used by listeners in this study, their sentiments and feelings about public radio readily match this overall concept of a virtual community.
Listeners rely on public radio stations for national, international, and local news. They value the in-depth reporting and what they call "human interest" stories. By human interest, they mean hearing interesting people interviewed, or the humanization of a major news story or event through talking to one person, or several people, to discover how the event effects them or influences their life. This establishes a personal connection to the news for the listener that no amount of speeches by Prime Ministers or statements by official spokespersons could ever accomplish.
The responses from listeners generally highlighted the depth and breadth of public radio news, in contrast with most commercial news sources that they find limited. The survey results reinforce the strong dependence that listeners have on public radio for national and international news.
For national and international news, public radio is favored as a first choice by a wide margin [more than two-to-one] over all other media. How do they feel about state and local news?
Most listeners preferred public radio as their primary source of state and local news, IF it offered the kind of coverage they wanted. Newspapers were the only other medium seen as a viable option for local coverage.
A sizable 88% of listeners already feel that public radio is a useful source for state and local information. Nearly two in three give the state and local news on public radio the highest rating of "extremely useful."
Many listeners were effusive in their praise for national and local news programming on public radio.
· "Quality of local public radio news compared to what? It's still miles beyond commercial broadcasting on TV and radio."
· "I get very drawn into any story I hear. That's a measure for me, how much I get into the stories, how interesting they make it."
Local newspapers, along with public radio, are the overwhelming choice among listeners as a source for state and local information.
Frequently, listeners reported reading national newspapers such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and even USA Today. Some listeners read these publications online as well. Their primary purpose is for national and international news. In most cases, they play a supplementary or secondary role in a listener's information universe.
Local newspapers received the highest ratings for state and local news coverage, other than public radio, from surveyed listeners.
Over three of four listeners found newspapers to be useful sources of local news, and well over a third half felt that they are extremely useful.
Some listeners read the prominent national weekly news magazines, Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News and World Report. Magazine readers like the fact that they provide in-depth stories with a different perspective. They provide a different, in-depth perspective on an issue or event, and the convenience of being able to skip through the various articles and choose to read only those of interest.
But some feel that they are becoming more like "People" Magazine and others simply cannot find the time to read them. Specialized information magazines, such as Scientific American, Harper's, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic were also mentioned frequently.
For state and local news, magazines had relatively little use for listeners.
Public and Commercial Television
Listeners mentioned national television network news and network news programs much more often than local television news. Television sources cited as important information outlets most frequently were CNN, and the Jim Lehrer Newshour on PBS. But a sector of the public radio news audience is averse to television. It was common for several persons in a focus group to either not own a television set, or to claim to view very little TV. Local commercial television news (especially local news) was generally scorned, as too sensational, one-dimensional, and short on substance.
Listeners saved some of their most vitriolic comments for commercial television news coverage.
· "It's like a circus, it's amazing the things they'll do to try to get people to watch."
· "They spend so much time leading up to a story, that the story is shorter than the lead-in."
· "They waste so much airtime on stuff that has zero impact on anybody's life and that nobody needs to know about."
· "The local news, no matter what channel you watch, is worthless."
· "There's very little news in a half-hour show."
· [Local TV news is described as] "a lot of 'news' that's not news."For local news, the usefulness of commercial television cannot compare with public radio or newspapers. Public television fares somewhat better.
Only 10% of listeners rated local commercial TV as very useful for state and local news!
Public television fared somewhat better with nearly two-thirds of listeners feeling it was useful as a source of state and local news.
Overall, listeners did not rely on commercial radio as a primary source of news reported in the research. In most markets commercial radio news was simply not a major factor. Some use commercial newscasts, but for most the usage was secondary or tertiary.
In the survey, nearly a third one-half found commercial radio somewhat useful source of state and local news, but only 10% felt it was extremely useful.Some public radio listeners use the Internet for news, but this does not appear to have grown to the point that influences occasions or duration of listening. Most listeners appear to be using the Internet more as a substitute for newspapers and magazines, rather than radio or television. Advances in technology and increased access to the Internet may dramatically change patterns of usage in the future. But at least for the moment, the Internet does not appear to be a significant threat to the listening loyalty of public radio's news audience.
The Internet is not the main news source for most listeners, only 3% indicated in the survey that it was their primary source for national and international news.
At this stage, less than half of all listeners felt the Internet to be useful as a source for state and local news.
Perhaps the most significant result of this question is that about one in four listeners could not respond to this question, suggesting that they are not connected to or are unfamiliar with the information content available on the Internet.
For most listeners, the style of reporting and the amount of local and state news currently available from other sources leaves something to be desired. With the exception of newspapers, existing sources do not generally provide the type and depth of reporting most public radio listeners seek. The Internet has potential to be a medium for state and local news, but is currently used more for business, national, and international information. Public radio and local newspapers are clearly the most useful sources of state and local news.
DEFINING LOCAL NEWS
"That's local to me, something that impacts me and something that I can have an impact on." What exactly is local news? Each station operates on its own definition. But how do listeners define local news? Listener definitions of local news are influenced by a combination of geography, experiences, expectations, and the information they feel is most meaningful and relevant to their lives.
The programming they are accustomed to also influences perceptions about local news. Programming that is already featured prominently in a station's schedule is more likely to be accepted by heavy and core news listeners.
Listeners in the survey provided their definitions of local and regional news. The most common definition [41%] for local news was the greater metropolitan area. Another 26% defined local news either as an area within the state or as the entire state, while 24% felt that local news was best defined as their neighborhood, city, or town.
The most common definition of regional news [36%] was an area including more than one entire state. State news was the most common definition of 21%. Only 13% of listeners defined regional news as the greater metropolitan area or smaller.
While public radio listeners are concerned about events in their immediate community, their interests are not bound to their own neighborhood or town. One third consider local news to include at least part of, or their entire state.
THE IMPORTANCE, PERCEPTIONS, AND QUALITY OF NEWS ON PUBLIC RADIO
"I get very drawn into any story I hear. That's a measure for me, how much I get into the stories, how interesting they make it." Every station presents some local information. Do listeners notice the local news being presented? Are they aware of the in-depth reporting most public radio stations offer on local, regional, and state issues? Responses from the focus groups and the survey provide information about listener perceptions of locally originated news reporting, and how listeners feel it integrates with national programming.
We know that personal importance is a key concept in listener loyalty and individual giving. How important is national and international news to public radio listeners, and how does this compare to their perceptions of the importance of state and local news?
Not surprisingly, in-depth reporting about national and international news is vitally important to most listeners. Overall, 95% agree with this importance, and 66% feel it is very important. This is one of the highest results in the research, and is a formidable standard to match. How does the importance of state and local news reporting measure up?
In-depth reporting about state and local news is nearly as important to news listeners as national and international reporting. Overall, 86% agree with its importance. This differs only slightly from the importance of national news. But the main difference is in the percentage of listeners who feel state and local news is very important [49%] versus the same totals for national news [66%]. This 17% difference encapsulates listener perceptions.It might simply be said that listeners like state and local news, but love the national and international news on public radio.
To more closely examine the perceived quality of public radio news, listeners were asked to evaluate the overall local and national news product, and both the newscasts and in-depth local news reporting on the station.
These questions ask listeners to directly evaluate the quality of national and local news. As expected, national and international news coverage on is highly rated, with 62% of listeners considering it to be "excellent," and 94% rating it either "excellent" or "good." The significant result is the comparison between the ratings for national and local news.
The difference in the overall ratings is significant. Less than half as many listeners [27%] rate state and local news as "excellent," as they do national news. A very respectable 73% rated local reporting as either "excellent" or "good," but this falls short of the 94% who rated national news the same way.
The survey also measured perceptions about locally produced newscasts and in-depth reports on stations.
Both local headlines and in-depth reports received generally good but not excellent ratings. But it may come as a surprise that local newscasts were rated slightly higher than in-depth reporting. This anomaly is explained by listener perceptions and recall.In focus groups, listeners consistently underestimated the amount of in-depth news local coverage provided by stations. There is a gap between the amount of local reporting stations produce, and listener awareness of it. This is especially true for in-depth local reports heard within network programs. Although they are aware of their existence, many listeners could not identify a specific in-depth local report that they have heard in the past month. At many stations, these in-depth stories are not heard at specific times. Newscasts are easier for listeners to remember, since they are generally broadcast at the same time every day.
In a word, national and international reporting is generally considered "excellent," while local reporting is considered "good."Most stations have suspected that there was a gap between listener perceptions of network and local news importance and quality. Now, for the first time, these data indicate the size of that gap.
How Do Listeners Know When the News is LocalDuring a program like Morning Edition or All Things Considered, most listeners become aware of the shift to local origination when stations actually tell them that they are providing a report. Some recognize the voice of a local announcer, host, or newscaster. A few said that they become aware of the transition simply because of the time or a regular change in the format. Others say the transition is so seamless that they do not always know when programming shifts from national to local.
Listeners vary greatly in their awareness and perception of local news inserts. A handful can recite the precise times that local and national segments transition. But although the majority knows that network programs also have local content, they do not always remember exactly when this occurs. They do not consciously carry the Morning Edition clock with them as they listen.
· "If I'm not out of the shower and shaving by the time that Carl Kasell finishes the news I know I'm running late!"
· "I guess I don't pay attention to who is doing it."
· "I have no clue when it comes on, it just happens!"
· "It just runs all together."
· "I think some of the local things fit in so well and organically that you can't tell."Most listeners do not object to local inserts, and many perceive that the network programs were designed to allow a certain amount of local input. From the focus groups is a sampling of listener comments about transitions between national and local news.
· "It fits real well 'cause mostly I wouldn't know [where the programming originated] unless they told me."
· "They take an 'intermission' from Morning Edition."
· "It's interspersed [with the network]."
· "The stories interweave pretty well, there's kind of a cadence to the stories and the way they interweave that you come to expect."
· "I think it's pretty seamless, 'cause I'm not that aware of when it is and when it isn't…[local]"
· "I'm just interested in getting the news while I get dressed and I'm not interested in how they do it."
· "One of the reasons we all listen to NPR is the random things that come on the air and one of those random things is the local news."
· "NPR leaves spaces for the local station."
· "They fit in well, the fact that we don't really know when they're on means they must be good. They're just as good. You don't realize until later that it's local."
· "They have little pockets [of news] in the morning."
Local and National Reporting in Network News ProgrammingAlthough their perceptions are often different from reality, listeners are generally aware that local stations produce some of the news heard during Morning Edition and All Things Considered. How do they perceive the mix of local and network reporting in these programs? How much locally originated news do listeners really want? What is the right amount? Since this is a crucial question, listeners were asked about it several times in the survey.
Satisfaction with the current amount of local news in Morning Edition and All Things Considered was expected. The interesting data is for those who might desire less or more local news at these times. Very few [less than 5%] feel that the network news programs contain too much state and local news, or would choose to lessen the current amount.
While the 55% who would maintain the current balance of national and local news is not a call for dramatic changes, there is clear support for the local news currently with these programs and some incentive for future expansion of state and local news.Indicative of the balance that must be struck between national and local news is the realization that Morning Edition and All Things Considered cater to the primary interests of most listeners, which is in-depth national and international reporting.
More than two of three listeners agree that they are generally more interested in national and international news.The bottom line is that most news listeners are satisfied with the current balance of national and local news, but would accept moderate additions to the amount of local news reporting during Morning Edition and All Things Considered, IF the reporting was interesting and consistent with public radio quality standards. But where the report originates is not the listener's primary concern.
· "Local is just something that may have an effect in my life."
· "Whatever affects me directly [is local news]."
What do listeners think about local newscasts, especially during Morning Edition or All Things Considered? Although public radio listeners value in-depth reporting, few listeners would replace hourly local newscasts to accommodate an additional produced piece. The local news summary remains a valued service for most listeners.
A newscast, for the purposes of this research, is a four to five minute report of local, state and regional news. A brief fifteen-to-thirty second recap of local and state headlines is not considered to be a newscast in this study.
How often should local newscasts occur during drivetime? 64% of listeners favored local newscasts every hour. Local newscasts every half-hour were favored by only 25% of listeners.
A full local newscast once per hour is the preferred choice of most listeners.
PRODUCING A LOCAL NEWS PROGRAMMany stations have produced a discrete local news program at one time or another in their history, with generally disappointing results. Yet, a large majority [82%] of listeners said they would listen to a half-hour local news program if it were on at a convenient listening time. 44% were very likely to listen to this kind of program, and only 19% indicated that they would not be likely to listen to a discrete local news program.
When would they listen to a local news program? A weekday broadcast time was a nearly unanimous [92%] choice. If it were to be a weekly program, Monday would be the preferred broadcast day.
What were the most popular times for a local news program to air? The top times selected by listeners were:
5:00pm - 10%
8:00am - 10%
6:00am - 9%
6:00pm - 6%
7:30am - 5%
9:00am - 5%
12 Noon - 4%
Despite this result, it is not recommended that any station begin production of a discrete local news program. These data are primarily a strong show of support for local news, as nearly three of four of listeners agreed that they would consider listening to a local news program in their prime listening time [between 6 - 9 am and 4 - 6 pm weekdays]. If they were simply paying lip service to local news reporting, most would not have suggested that it be scheduled during the times they are most likely to be listening to news on public radio.But the data are also an indication that most public radio news listeners would prefer to have it all - uninterrupted network news programming and a complete, in-depth local news report. Due to formatic constraints and limited resources, most public stations cannot adequately provide all the in-depth coverage that avid news listeners want. Many stations have difficulty producing one network-quality report a day, let alone an entire program. For most stations, the best strategy will be to continue providing local information in and around prime-time network programming.
THE QUALITY and PLACEMENT of LOCAL NEWS
"They intersperse local news stories during Morning Edition and All Things Considered." Because of its importance, listeners were asked about the quality of local news several times during the survey. Overall, local news is considered to be very good while national news is rated as excellent. How does local reporting fare when compared directly with NPR news?
Over half of surveyed listeners agree that the quality of local and national reporting is comparable, while 42% disagree. Most responses are near the middle of the scale, with relatively few listeners strongly agreeing or disagreeing with the statement.
How Much Local News, Where & When?The data have shown that most listeners approve of the broad spectrum of national, international, state, and local news they receive on public radio. But how much local news do they want, and when do they want it?
The fact that there is some pent-up desire for local reporting is indicated by the 64% who agree that there are important state and local news stories they do not hear on their local public station.
This is more evidence that news listeners want to hear local news during the times they are most likely to be tuned into public radio. More than three-in-four agree that any additional state and local reporting should be included in Morning Edition and All Things Considered.
There is a slight difference between the amount of local news listeners want in the morning or afternoon, as 71% agree that they would like at least ten minutes of in-depth state and local reporting during each hour of Morning Edition, and 66% desire the same during All Things Considered.
As positively as most listeners feel about state and local news programming, stations must exercise caution when integrating news into network programming.
Over three-quarters of listeners agree that local news should not usurp national news in network programs. There were some listeners who felt that the quality of local news could not consistently measure up to the network product.· "We've been spoiled by such good national reporting, I'd hate to see local news done in a 'second class' way."
· "And if it's a zero sum game, I would not like them to trim what they're doing [nationally] in order to do more local stuff."
· "I'd be willing to put the extra [local news] time into [ME/ATC] if they were well produced stories, but I'm nervous about it."
· "Let NPR have that 5 minutes, instead of turning out something bland and kind of halfway. Just say 'we can't do this, so we're not going to screw around'."
· "There is something to be said for interspersing local news and for having a separate local program. But it can't be fill or fluff, it's got to be good. Don't just fill up ten minutes just because you've got ten minutes to fill."
This information may seem to be at odds with the strong support for hearing local news reports in prime listening times during and adjacent to Morning Edition and All Things Considered. The result is not as contradictory as it may appear on the surface. This is because of the way listeners define Morning Edition and All Things Considered, and due to their perceptions about the construction and content of these programs.Most listeners perceive Morning Edition or All Things Considered as the programs they are now hearing on their station, with a mix of local and national news. Based on their reactions in this study, relatively few consider that there is a version of these programs emanating from NPR with fifty-nine minutes per hour of exclusively national and international news, and no local inserts. Most already accept the local newscasts and in-depth stories that the station provides. They believe that network programs are designed to accommodate local news, and that stations and the network have a structure through which both are presented without conflicting. This perception causes listeners to believe that they are not "missing" any national reporting, and makes a mixture of local and national news acceptable, since they believe that stations only air local reports during the times designated by the Morning Edition or All Things Considered format.
· "I think of both the local and national news as Morning Edition."
· "I don't think that we care, as long as the content is interesting."
· "I think it means that they're doing a good job if we don't notice which ones are local or national."
· "I expect both in-depth local and network reports. I weight them equal. I have no sense of exactly when these things come on, but there is a rhythm to it."
News listeners, who enjoy the consistency of regular, predictable transitions [especially during Morning Edition], have the same feelings about scheduling local news reports.
A virtually unanimous 93% prefer to have state and local news reporting heard at the same time every day. Consistency should raise listener awareness of local news reporting.
The Financial Value of Locally Produced NewsIndividual giving is a complex process. Very few listeners to public radio become givers for any single reason. Survey questions asked if the perceived expansion of local news would provide an incentive or a deterrent to individual giving.
Among current givers, 83% felt that expanded local news would have no direct influence on the amount of their financial support. Only 19% of non-givers felt that more state and local news coverage would increase the likelihood of their financial support for their public station.
No station should increase local news or any other format with the sole intent of acquiring larger contributions or more givers. Giving is based on loyalty and perceptions of programming value and importance, but it cannot be predicted by a single survey question. Rather, this data indicates that local news is not an impediment to individual giving, and it exerts more of a positive than a negative influence on the amount or likelihood of news listeners' contributions.
Opportunities for Local News Programming
Optimizing the integration of local and national news product in network programming will require additional research and discussion beyond this study. But there are some areas where Morning Edition and All Things Considered may be bolstered by the inclusion of quality, in-depth local reporting.
In focus groups, repetition and "rollover fatigue" was mentioned in conjunction with Morning Edition and All Things Considered listening. Might this provide an opportunity for integrating local news reports?
While one listener's third repeat is another's first opportunity to hear a story, these questions give some perspective to the impact that repetition has on listener attention spans. 56% of agree [18% strongly agree] that hearing the same story on the news magazines often causes them to tune away. But more than three-fourths agree [34% strongly] that they would prefer hearing an original local news story to a national repeat.
It is important that each station consult their Arbitron listening data to more precisely calculate the number of listeners that are likely to hear a specific segment repeated in any network programming that is rolled-over. All things being equal, keeping local and national reports fresh will add to their value.
Interesting Subjects for Local News ReportingMany comments during the focus groups demonstrate that the interest generated by the story, not the place where it originated, is the most important factor in their listening.
· "If there were issues that were common to all communities and they could talk about how they are being played out on a local basis, local news could be of interest to all without being metropolitan or state news."
· "My listening is content-based, not program-based."
· "Some things are not literally local news but it's news of interest to almost anyone because it might affect you."
· "If I'm interested in it, it's local news to me."
· "What's important is the subject and if it's interesting."A variety of local angles were suggested. Many involve producing stories on the local level that are similar in style to those heard on network programs, or doing local follow-ups on national stories.
· "I'd like local to be the flip side of the national and international coverage. All the issues they talk about on Morning Edition and All Things Considered, at some point we're facing the same challenges locally."
· "Like the in-depth human interest stories you hear nationally and we could do more of that locally."
· "I would appreciate if they had real statewide news, with reporters in key areas around the state, and do with state news what NPR does with national and international news."
· "Add any interesting, compelling local story, not just in the sense of human interest, but, things that are intriguing about how we live today."
· "News that impacts our lives here, that can be affected by what we do here; doesn't have to be government, can be business news or just what people are doing" [defined by impact than by where it takes place]
· "Bringing national stories down to a local impact"
· "An absence of local shootings and junk news, sensational news, stuff that's repulsive."
· "What happens in the Capitol that affects my region is local to me."
· "I'd like to hear more about the impact of national issues on local stories."
· "Sometimes it seems as though they have a teaching function. They'll take something nobody knows about and tell you enough about it that you can understand the conversation or educate yourself further."
· "I am educated about things I never would have even thought about, I'm learning some new thought, concept or idea every day."Public radio listeners do not expect happy talk, but if there is positive news to report, or a constructive situation that influences their lives to be mentioned, most listeners would approve.
· "We don't want it to become happy talk, but there's very little in the news right now that makes you feel good about your community."
· "Highlight people and their achievements in the community maybe people could see that and use it as an example."
· "Hear some inspiring, positive stories. It's nice to hear that not everybody is a stinker."
· "We cover a lot of policies but we don't actually get into the community to see what's going on, you don't see positive or what can be done"
· "Things that I could participate with, if I hear something about Russia, I'm not going to have a great deal of influence over it, but something local that might effect me or I can participate in, how they effect schools, or taxes."Many public radio listeners want to hear "the real story" of what occurs in their communities. Stories about power brokers and the individuals and businesses that have a strong influence on the community would be of interest.
TOP· "In policy and politics, there's a lot going on behind the scenes that we really don't see or understand, how so some of these policies impact us?"
· "I like it when they cover controversial issues that you will not hear any other stations or media cover around here. Things you really want to hear about but no one else will touch with a ten foot pole, they do a great job of that."
Local News Project I
Market Trends Research Incorporated
727-784-0967
info@MarketTrendsResearch.com
