MANSFIELD — Remember that reader survey we asked you to take a few weeks ago? We do. And today, we’re sharing the results!
Throughout the month of October, we introduced the 2024 reader survey with one purpose: To hear your voice in telling the whole story of Richland, Ashland and Knox counties.
Our goal was to learn more about the content you value the most, where we can improve, and how to make our publication even more engaging. And man, you delivered — we received over 4,000 responses.
So without further ado, let’s dive into the results. And if you’re a serious data nerd, you can view the entire data set here.
p.s. Scroll to the bottom for an exclusive deal on a Source Membership!
First, the basics
If I were to paint you a picture of the average survey respondent, she’d be a 60-year-old, married White woman who graduated high school and owns her own home.
Most survey respondents came from the Mansfield, Mount Vernon and Black River school districts. Averaged together, the household income of all 4,000 respondents is approximately $77,902.
Our respondents are community-minded people: The majority shop at locally-owned businesses and always vote in local or national elections.
They’re also avid news consumers: The majority of respondents said they consume most of their news on television, followed closely by one of our three sites and then generally online.
Now, let’s get into the good stuff.
1. There is widespread trust in local news
We were thrilled to learn that Richland Source, Ashland Source and Knox Pages readers put a great deal of trust into us — a responsibility we don’t take lightly.
More than half of survey respondents said they trust the information on Richland Source “a great deal” while the majority of respondents for Ashland Source and Knox Pages said they trust the information “a lot.”
This is huge for us in a world where Americans register record-low trust in mass media, with only 31% expressing “a great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence in the media. And for the third consecutive year, more U.S. adults have no trust at all in the media (36%) according to a Gallup report from October.
We also measure high in trust across party lines: 37.1% of conservative respondents say they trust all three of our Source publications “a great deal” while 37.2% of liberal respondents say they trust our publications “a great deal.”
This is exactly why local, independent news organizations are so important. The data here proves that you’re more likely to trust reporters who are part of your community to accurately report the local news.
2. There’s a strong demand for more lifestyle and events coverage
If you didn’t know, we offer a variety of newsletter options for our readers across all three sites, the most popular by far being our Daily Headlines — but survey results tell us our readers are ready for more.
More than 70% of respondents said they would like to see a lifestyle/events newsletter from us. This could include feature stories, a local events calendar, maybe even restaurant reviews — the possibilities are endless.
The majority of respondents in Richland County also wanted to see more business news, and more news about where to eat and stuff to do. Respondents in Ashland wanted more business and history news, and respondents in Knox wanted more investigative journalism along with business news.
We thought this was interesting considering only 36.4% of readers said lifestyle content was what they valued most in a news organization. Out of 4,000 respondents, the clear winner of what you value the most is breaking news (82.5%) and crime (52.6%):
This tells us that whether it’s about the newest boutique shop or the latest crime development, our readers want accurate, up-to-the-minute information about what the heck is going on in their communities.
3. There’s a lot of interest in economic and business news
Did you notice that readers in all three county had one major interest in mind?
A huge majority of respondents wanted to see more news about business in Richland Source, Ashland Source and Knox Pages. That includes news about openings, closings, new hires, promotions or awards.
This makes sense considering the level of engagement our survey respondents have in their local businesses — approximately 60% reported shopping at locally-owned businesses either a moderate amount, or a great deal. That’s a signal to us that there is significant community support for local businesses.
News about local businesses is also the third-most popular, with 52% of respondents choosing that as the reporting they value the most.
Here’s the good news: We are in the middle of developing a brand-new newsletter for anyone interested in our business content! Click here to subscribe and be one of the first to receive this new product, keeping you up-to-date on local news and trends in the business world.
4. Older adults are engaged members of our community
The majority of respondents to our survey (55%) identified themselves as 60 years of age or older — making most of our survey respondents senior citizens.
Compared to the general population of senior citizens in our three counties, that’s pretty significant. According to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 20.47% of the population in Richland, Ashland and Knox County combined is over the age of 65.
What this tells us is our older adults are avid readers of our Source publications, and more than eager to share their thoughts. There is also a high level of trust in our publications among this group, with most respondents stating they trust us “a great deal” or “a lot.”
We also know that older adults are very engaged in their communities. The majority of respondents (over 60%) said they shop or hire local businesses “a great deal,” and indicated a high interest in lifestyle and business newsletters.
When it comes to the type of news this demographic consumes, we learned that local history, business updates and investigative/public service journalism had the highest amount of interest. There was also significant interest in practical news such as police calls or things to do in the community.
North central Ohio sometimes gets a bad rap as a “bedroom community,” but our survey tells us that our older population is still as engaged as ever.
5. There is a strong desire for solutions journalism
For almost a decade now, solutions journalism has been a huge part of what we do here at the Source — and our readers are noticing.
Nearly half of all survey respondents (45%) said they value investigative and public service journalism, with 15% of respondents shouting out solutions journalism specifically.
More than half of all respondents (54%) ranked Richland Source as “pretty good” on being solutions-focused, while 37% of Knox Pages respondents and 37% of Ashland Source respondents reported the same ranking.
Solutions journalism is all about reporting on a response to a problem, not just the problem. It’s not just happy-go-lucky news — it actually analyzes how and why things go right and provides actionable insights.
This kind of reporting in a time where more people than ever are actively avoiding the news. In fact, a survey by the Reuters Institute says that 46% of even the “news avoiders” are interested in solutions journalism.
And a 2019 survey of 700 Americans found that reading more solutions journalism actually makes people feel better and have more positive attitudes. If that’s not reason enough to keep doing what we’re doing, I don’t know what is.
Bonus fact: Memberships help sustain local news
OK this takeaway might be a bit biased, but the data doesn’t lie…
Just over 40% of our survey respondents (1,540 to be exact) reported that they were a Source Member. That’s about 69% of our total member population.
The majority of those members (47%) rated the value of their membership as excellent, and 31% rated the value as above average.
Furthermore, many respondents highlighted a sense of pride in being part of an initiative that sustains high-quality local reporting, and said they received meaningful benefits as part of our membership program.
“It feels good to support local journalism and see how my membership directly benefits the community”
A real testimony from a survey taker
I say all this to say, the data doesn’t lie: A membership at the Source is a valuable, impactful investment in your community.
Now through Nov. 21, you can receive 10% off all annual membership plans by using the code READER10. Click here to get started!
And if affordability is a barrier to you becoming a member, click here to learn more about a StoryBridge membership, which starts at just $1 a month.
If you’ve made it this far, let me just say, thank you. Thank you for reading the Source, for lending us your voice, and for caring enough to be engaged in your community.
Your input matters a great deal to us. Stay tuned to your favorite Source publication to see how we put your feedback into action.