| Click here to read the complete research report from the Local News Project I | Click here to download the complete research report from the Local News Project I |
THE LOCAL NEWS PROJECT I
THE LOCAL NEWS PROJECT I - RESEARCH SUMMARY
The Local News Project I was the first national research study to concentrate on locally produced information programming, its interaction with network news programming, and its value to listeners. It is, to date, the largest station funded research study in public radio history.
The Local News Project I research consisted of thirty-five focus groups in eighteen markets, and telephone surveys conducted in nineteen different markets. The project was developed by Peter Dominowski of Market Trends Research with the cooperation of the Public Radio News Directors, Inc. [PRNDI] and the assistance of the participating stations.Stations participating in The Local News Project:
- KJZZ, Phoenix
- KPBS, San Diego
- KPLU, Seattle/Tacoma
- KQED, San Francisco
- KUER, Salt Lake City
- WCPN, Cleveland
- WEMU, Ypsilanti
- WKNO, Memphis
- WKSU, Akron/Cleveland
- WNYC, New York
- WUAL, Tuscaloosa
- WUSF, Tampa/St. Petersburg
- Wyoming Public Radio
- KCUR, Kansas City
- WVPE, Elkhart
- Minnesota Public Radio
- KWMU, St. Louis
- WBHM, Birmingham
- WDET, Detroit
- WUOT, Knoxville
- Maine Public Radio
- Wisconsin Public Radio
The Research Summary
The fundamental research question was to determine whether stations should continue devoting their resources to producing local information programming. The answer is a definitive "yes."
Not surprisingly, public radio news listeners favor it as a first choice for national and international news by a wide margin [more than two-to-one] over all other media. But most listeners also preferred public radio as their primary source of state and local news, if it offered the kind of coverage they wanted. A sizable 88% of listeners already feel that public radio is a useful source for state and local information.
95% of listeners agree that in-depth reporting about national and international news is important to them. Conversely, 86% of listeners agree that in-depth state and local reporting it is important. Most listeners also agreed that that they would miss state and local reporting if it were not heard on public radio.
These data demonstrate that public radio stations have a real opportunity to provide a valuable service to listeners through in-depth state, regional, and local news reporting.Prior to this study, it was assumed that listeners would rate the quality of national and international reporting to be superior to that of state and local news on public radio. This research finally quantified the difference. In every measurement, network news programming was rated "excellent," while individual station news coverage was rated either "good" or "very good."
Overall, listeners like state and local news, but love the national and international news on public radio.
While 55% of news listeners would keep the amount of local news coverage on their station about the same as it is now, 39% would choose to increase local coverage to some degree, while only 4% would decrease it.
According to the research, listeners are willing to financially support local news programming. When asked how they would divide a hypothetical $100 pledge to their public radio station to support different types of programming, local news received more than a quarter [$25.68] of the support on average.
Problems and Challenges for Locally-Produced NewsAwareness
Listeners consistently underestimated the amount of in-depth news local coverage provided by stations. There is a gap between the amount of in-depth local reporting most stations produce, and listener awareness of it. This is especially true for in-depth local reports heard within network programs. At many stations, these stories are not heard at specific times each day. Newscasts are easier for listeners to remember, since they are generally heard at the same time every day. Listeners declared that consistent broadcast times will raise their awareness of in-depth local reporting.
The study also demonstrates that many listeners are not aware of a station's in-depth reporting heard within network programming. If a locally produced in-depth news report is worth airing, it is also worth promoting. Generally, more listeners will hear the promotions for the in-depth report than will ever hear the report itself.
Why listeners appreciate news reporting on public radio
Public radio news is appreciated both for the content it offers, and for what it does not contain. Many listeners feel that public radio is valuable and distinctive because it:
- Provides rational and factual information in a universe of media hyperbole
- 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 instead of concentrating on 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 and opinionated buffoons
- Explores the human side of the news without an over-emphasis on melodrama or movie stars
- Creates an emotional bond or connection with many listeners which is not often experienced with other forms of media
Listeners value the in-depth reporting and what they call "human interest" stories - that humanize news and events through talking to one person, or several people, to discover how the event effects their life. This establishes a personal connection to the news that no amount of speeches by Prime Ministers or statements by official spokespersons could ever accomplish.
The Source of the News
Listeners concluded that it makes little difference if a report is produced in their city or state or halfway around the world. Each report must be produced in a style that maintains their interest, and the subject must be interesting to them, or made interesting by the content and presentation of the piece. If a report meets these criteria, they will continue listening.
Duke Ellington once said that there are only two kinds of music - good and bad. Our listeners say that there are only two kinds of news reports - the kind that are well produced, with a subject that interests them or is made interesting by the production and presentation of the report, and the kind that do not meet their standards of quality and interest.
Because most listeners do not judge news programming by its source, national and local news and information programming is inexorably intertwined. A strong local news presence also strengthens national news, and vice versa.Increasing the importance of local news
The subjects and approach used in most network reports potentially appeals to the broad target audience of listeners to national news programs. Regardless of where a story originates, the subject is chosen and the story produced in a way that could potentially be of interest to all listeners.
This level of inclusiveness is not achieved as often in local reporting. Some stations spend considerable effort reporting on stories that are interesting to only a small portion of their audience. If local reports fail to make their subject interesting to most listeners, they will inevitably been viewed as less interesting than national and international reporting.
What Stations Are Doing
Stations that participated in the research have had the results for about six months. How are they applying this new knowledge? A few examples:
First and foremost, many stations are reconsidering and redefining the concept of local news. They are looking at their city, region, and state with a broader perspective. They are exercising greater care in writing and selecting their sources, to make stories more regional rather than narrowly localized.
Since the research indicated that over half of news listeners sometimes tune out when they hear a report a second time, stations are re-examining repetition and placement of both local and national program segments. This includes everything from altering rollovers of national programs, to changing the location and content of local newscasts. Stations are using the Arbitron information they already have to more closely track patterns of listener duplication, especially in morning and afternoon drive times.
Many stations are also advancing local stories they have aired by producing a weekly half-hour weekend local news program. Hosted by a local reporter, selected stories are aired, often followed by an interview with reporter who produced the story to bring it up to date.
The Local News Project answered important, fundamental questions about how listeners perceive information programming produced by stations. There is much still left to learn, and a second study may be conducted later this year. But these results clearly demonstrate that stations can serve audiences with thoughtful, well-produced pieces that embody the unique characteristics that listeners have come to expect from public radio journalism.
Market Trends Research Incorporated
727-784-0967
info@MarketTrendsResearch.com