Appendix: Online Survey Questionnaire

Hello. Thank you for clicking on a link to take this short survey. This questionnaire explores what it is like to be a local newspaper journalist in 2016.

We believe local journalism matters, and this research aims to shed light on the experiences and needs of people working at newspapers with a circulation below 50,000 readers.

It’s part of a wider project exploring local newspapers, innovation, and engagement that is being conducted under the auspices of the University of Virginia (project # 2016-0227-00) and the University of Oregon (project # RCS 06062016.010), and supported by the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University.

The survey is entirely optional and will take approximately 10–15 minutes.

The data we are asking for will be anonymous in the final report. While we do ask that you consider providing us with the name of your publication, this information will not be linked to any of your answers. It will, however, help us better understand the breadth and reach of our survey.

There is no risk to participating in this survey and you are free to withdraw at any time by simply exiting your browser. You may also skip questions you do not wish to complete.

By taking this survey, you consent to us using your answers to inform our research. If you would like to see a copy of our report, when published, you can leave your email address at the end of the survey. Your name, email, and newspaper will not be linked to any conclusions from this data that we will publish.

Thank you for taking the time to tell us your experiences. If you have questions about the survey, contact either of the principal investigators:

Christopher Ali, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Media Studies University of Virginia [email protected] 267-582-0022

Damian Radcliffe Carolyn S. Chambers Professor in Journalism School of Journalism and Communication University of Oregon

[email protected] 541-346-7643

Before we start, please tell us a little bit about yourself.

  1. What is your primary job function?

    1. Editor (Section/Managing)

    2. Reporter

    3. Digital/Social Media (editorial side)

    4. Technology/Product

    5. Sales/Business Development (print)

    6. Sales/Business Development (digital)

    7. Other (please state)

  2. How old are you?

    1. 18–30

    2. 31–49

    3. 50+

    4. Prefer not to say

    Topic 1: Experience and Role

  3. How long have you been working in local media?

    1. Less than a year

    2. 1–4 years

    3. 5–9 years

    4. 10–19 years

    5. 20 years+

    6. Decline to say

  4. Do you mostly work:?

    1. On the print product (i.e., physical newspaper)

    2. On the digital product (e.g., social, website, etc.)

    3. I split my time across the two

    4. Decline to say

    5. Other (please specify)

    Topic 2: Changes in Output

  5. Thinking about your work over the past two years, how has the focus of your output changed? Consider the hours, demands, tasks, and expectations for your role.

    1. Increased

    2. Stayed the same

    3. Decreased

    4. Don’t know/decline to say

    5. Not applicable

    6. Thinking back to two years ago, has the number of stories you personally produce:

    7. Increased

    8. Stayed the same

    9. Decreased

    10. Don’t know

    Topic 3: Working Hours

  6. How many hours a week do you work on average? (Open question)

  7. Thinking back to two years ago, have these hours:

    1. Increased

    2. Stayed the same

    3. Decreased

    4. Don’t know

    Topic 4: Job Security

  8. Compared to two years ago, has the number of people at your publication:

    1. Increased

    2. Stayed the same

    3. Decreased

    4. Don’t know

  9. How secure do you feel in your job?

    1. Very secure

    2. Slightly secure

    3. Neither secure or insecure

    4. Slightly insecure

    5. Very insecure

    6. Don’t know/Decline to say

    Topic 5: Industry Changes

  10. Local journalism is going through a period of change and facing a number of challenges. To what extent do you feel you understand your organisation’s business strategy?

    1. Fully understand

    2. Understand a little

    3. Neither understand or don’t understand

    4. Don’t understand

    Topic 6: Social Media

  11. What social media platforms do you use? [Use means actively post to the account not simply have administrative access to] (Please select all that apply)

    1. Personal account– mainly used not for work

    2. Personal account– used mainly for work purposes

    3. Your news organization’s account Facebook

      1. Twitter

      2. Instagram

      3. Snapchat

      4. YouTube

      5. Tumblr

      6. Slack

      7. Other

    Topic 7. Innovation, Skills, and Professional Development

  12. Do you use any of the following at your publication? (Tick all that apply)

    1. Video reporting

    2. Live Video (e.g., Facebook Live, Periscope)

    3. Podcasts

    4. Chat Apps (WhatsApp, Kik etc.)

    5. Augmented Reality

    6. Virtual Reality

  13. How interested are you in using or learning about these emerging formats? 1 = Not interested 5 = Very interested

    1. Video Reporting

    2. Live video, e.g., Facebook Live, Periscope

    3. Podcasts

    4. Chat apps

    5. Augmented reality

    6. Virtual reality

  14. How do you learn about new technology and tools related to your industry? (Tick all that apply)

    1. Articles (e.g., in Nieman, Poynter, MediaShift, etc.)

    2. Training course paid by my employer

    3. Conferences

    4. Self-taught

    5. Other

    6. Not applicable

    Topic 8: Engagement

  15. Engagement is the big buzzword of 2016. What does engagement mean to you? (Open question)

    Topic 9: Metrics and measurement

  16. Do you—or your newspaper—use metrics to measure audience engagement?

    1. Yes

    2. No

  17. If yes, tick all that apply:

    1. Personally use/ measure

    2. Organization uses/ measures

    3. Don’t know

    4. Metrics software,e.g., Chartbeat, Google Analytics, Metrics for News.

    5. Social media likes/shares/follows

    6. Website unique visitors

    7. Engagement time/ time on page

    8. Open rate (for newsletters)

    9. Attendance at events

    10. Print and digital subscribers

    11. Number of members/donors

    12. Other

  18. Do key performance metrics influence the way you produce a story:

    1. All the time

    2. Most of the time

    3. Some of the time

    4. None of the time

    5. Prefer not to answer

    Topic 10. Future of Journalism

  19. How positive do you feel about the future of local newspapers? (Select one)

    1. Very positive

    2. Slightly positive

    3. Neither positive nor negative

    4. Slightly negative

    5. Very negative

    6. Don’t know

  20. We recognize that money and time are scarce resources for newspapers in the digital age. Aside from these two factors, what is the biggest challenge facing small-market newspapers? (In our study we’re defining this as publications with a circulation below 50,000 daily readers) (Open question.)

  21. What is the biggest opportunity for small-market newspapers? (Open question.)

    Thank you for taking the time to respond to this questionnaire.

    Please, can you answer three final questions about your publication? None of your answers from this survey will be attributable to you, or your newspaper.

  22. What is the title of your publication?

    1. ________ (Fill in the blank)

    2. Prefer not to say

  23. Where is your publication located?

    1. Zip Code

  24. How would you characterize the ownership of your paper:

    1. Owned by a national newspaper chain (e.g., Gannett/Hearst)

    2. Owned by a regional newspaper chain (e.g., Shaw)

    3. Owned by a hedge fund/non-journalism company (e.g., Berkshire Hathaway)

    4. Locally/community-owned

    5. Family-owned

    6. Other (please specify)

    7. Don’t know

    If you would like us to send you a copy of our report when it is published, then please enter your email address here:

    Many thanks.

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