This survey of more than 4,100 recent newspaper was large enough to break down some differences within the population:
- Medium of preference: How digital subscribers differ from print subscribers
- Age: How younger subscribers compare to older subscribers
- Market size: How new subscribers in small towns and big cities are different
- Political views: What drives Republicans or Democrats to subscribe to local news
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- Paths to Subscription: Why recent subscribers chose to pay for news
- What makes people ready to subscribe to local news, and what converts them
- After conversion: How to engage and retain new subscribers
- How different types of recent subscribers vary
- Digital subscribers: What motivates them to pay and how they are different from print readers
- Younger subscribers: What the future of paying for local news looks like
- How subscriber motivations vary in big and small markets
- What drives Republicans or Democrats to subscribe to local news
- Paths to subscription: Nine common journeys from reader to subscriber
- Digital Paywall Converters subscribe because they want unlimited articles
- Topic Hunters subscribe for news about a particular topic or issue
- The Locally Engaged subscribe because they care about the community
- Social Media-Mobile Discoverers subscribe after high-quality engagement on digital platforms
- Journalism Advocates subscribe to support a free press
- Life Changers subscribe because they just moved or changed jobs
- Coupon Clippers subscribe to get print coupons and save money
- Print Fans subscribe because they love relaxing with a paper
- ‘Friends and Family’ subscribers need news to support relationships with people
- Methodology
- Appendix 1: Respondents’ demographics and news behaviors
- Appendix 2: Analytical Definitions of Paths
- Paths to subscription: Nine common journeys from reader to subscriber
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Interacting with your community and providing quality programming while providing the news may seem daunting, but it’s worth it.
Our belief in the brand and the business hasn’t wavered. When you’re a business with a mission, it becomes the only thing that matters.
Our mingles normally draw anywhere from 20 to 40 people. At a recent one, we had the mayor, a bank vice president, several retirees, a young entrepreneur and the owners of the bowling alley hanging out in our office, all chatting with each other and our newspaper staff.
