Yesterday we reviewed the results of Richland Source’s reader survey, conducted in October and November of 2014. A total of 686 individuals took part in the survey, providing us with a wonderful resource to guide the direction of our organization as we grow. With that in mind, here’s just a few of the exciting things readers will see from Richland Source in 2015.
A far richer mobile experience
In the first quarter of 2015, Richland Source will release an app designed specifically for smartphones and tablets. In the past 30 days, a staggering 69 percent of all visits to Richland Source occurred on a mobile device of some kind. That kind of data makes thinking “mobile-first” easy.
The app is miles faster than our current mobile site, and much easier to read and navigate. The Android version is in beta testing now and will release first. An Apple version will follow soon after. If you are interested in being part of the testing group, shoot us an e-mail at contact@richlandsource.com.
Shorter articles… and longer ones
You told us that you like your news delivered in brief, with the crucial facts you need up front. Given the move to mobile consumption, that makes perfect sense. You’ll see more quick, mobile-friendly briefs from us in 2015 that cover a variety of subjects.
You also told us that you want to see us improve our in-depth coverage of issues. We were happy to see this, because it gives us the go ahead to really dig into local issues and look deeper, seeking answers to the questions our community faces every day. You will see more investigative feature writing in 2015 on the subjects where our team excels.
State and national news made available to readers
The response surprised us, but you made it clear that a selection of state and national news on Richland Source would make it more valuable to you. One commenter noted that it would make us a complete solution for him. Our team is working on this request.
Making the information available is easy; how we deliver it in the context of being authentically local is a bit more challenging. The information we provide will need to be consistent with our constructive mission and not erode any resources for covering the local news, issues, and events you have come to expect from us. We’ll keep you posted.
Local Events calendar emphasized and featured
There were dozens of comments that requesting that we publish a list of local events before they happen so people can plan on attending. Check this one off the list, as our Local Events Calendar is already the go-to place to find and post upcoming events. Registered users can post for free anytime, and there is no cost to access and use the calendar.
For our part, we will feature the Local Events Calendar more prominently as a resource for readers. If you have questions about how to go about posting events, contact us anytime at 419-610-2100.
Ratchet up our community involvement
Readers were pretty clear on this issue. Nearly 60 percent believe Richland Source should play an active role in our community. We agree. 2015 will see moderated discussions and roundtables on the issues that most concern Mansfielders, and even more “boots on the ground” involvement with the communities we serve. We’ll maintain our journalistic impartiality, but hold fast to our pro-Richland / Crawford bias.
Refinements in breaking news and crime coverage
In our business, crime = page views. It is really that simple. With that fact in mind, Richland Source readers deserve to know what to expect from us when it comes to crime coverage.
Let’s start with what you will not see. We have no plans to report minor crimes, incidents that affect only a few citizens, lists of police calls, and so on. Though they can be huge draws and many readers like them, they just don’t fit with what we do here. Providing this coverage would take valuable resources away from the unique, constructive, hyper-local reporting you overwhelmingly told us you like.
Conversely, you can rely on Richland Source for accurate, sensitive, and constructive coverage of major events that affect the lives of lots of people. We’ll investigate, follow up, and report the heck out of subjects that affect us all.
As I write this, I am taken with how fortunate we are to work in the community we do. Mansfield and the surrounding areas are a long way from paradise, but so what? Paradise has costs like stratospheric housing prices, mind-numbing commutes, earthquakes, hurricanes, and the list goes on. Our part of Ohio has a long way to go, but it is on its way back. Richland Source is committed to helping it get there. Thanks for being part of our effort.
The most recent FBI Universal Crime Report (2012) shows that the city of Mansfield had a total of 3,383 crimes reported to law enforcement. That’s a lot, right? Sure it is, and the citizenry deserves to have it reported on. But the next number might surprise you.
If one assumes that each one of those crimes was committed by a separate individual and that every one of those individuals was a Mansfielder, we are left with 7.13 percent of our population engaging in criminal activity. Galion would be 6.07 percent. Shelby comes in at 4.56 percent.
That means that in the worst of cases, well over 90 percent of the population is not engaged in criminal activity.