Audience Rese

arch

‘Questi

onnaires’

This is how we decided to set our questionnaire out. We have asked six questions to help narrow down exactly who our target audience will be. We have asked for personal information first e.g. ‘age’ and then moved on to questions that will enhance our knowledge on our particular target audience and their views on

local newspapers.

Example

These are the answers to all me questionnaires; as shown in the answers there are many different opinions but with some questions with more dominant

answers.

Results

How often do you read local newspapers?

Very often

Often

Occasionally

Not at all

4

1

2

3

This is perhaps the most vital question of them all as I need to know that the public are interested in what I will be making. As it shows there are mixed answers with the most dominant one being ‘often’ followed closely by not at all and occasionally which is usually once a week; very often came last with just the 1 person admitting to reading a local newspaper quite a few times a week.

What type of stories do you read in a local newspaper?

Crime and Violence

Politics and the economy

Advertisements

Other

5 4

1

‘Advertisements’ and ‘crime and violence’ were not surprisingly the two most selected as I agree with their opinions as I would prefer to read these kind of things in a local newspaper. Advertisements was in the end the most popular with 5 taking up half of the questionnaire answers possible.

Does using images and catchy headlines draw your attention and make want to read a news article?

Yes

Sometimes

No

63

1

‘Yes’ was by far the most preferred answer which once again has come as no surprise. Images and catchy headlines are often fundamentals in a successful newspaper as its what catches the readers eye in the first place. So yes was always going to be the main answer and no the least popular answer.

What is most important to include in a local newspaper? (multiple choise)

Images

Catchy headlines

Good use of languagein an article

Other

6

4

41

‘Images’ and ‘catchy headlines’ are up there again as well as ‘good use of language in an article’. These are the main things people find most important in local newspapers which is an obvious factor as people want to read a good article as well as visualising it with images and getting the interest automatically with witty catchy headline.

Overall I am not surprised by the results of our questionnaires as our target audience were always going to have similar opinions due to their social status. The results help illustrate once again Blumar and Katz theory of uses of gratifications as the target audience enjoy reading about crime and violence mainly which full's under the gratification of ‘entertain’ as well as ‘inform’ which is what newspapers are specifically always about which is also the case with local newspapers. Another thing which determines our target audience is the fact that most of the public like to see images in their local newspapers which shows that their mentally ‘visual’ in what they do and how they gain information/learn. Catchy headlines are also key in our target audience’s opinions as this is what catches their eyes in the first place to get them interested and wanting to read on. A surprising fact for me was the interest shown in the importance of the use of language as I assumed that only images and catchy headlines were needed to create a successful newspaper but our target audience appear to also take interest in the good language shown which is understandable as people first and for most want to know exactly what is happening around their area whether its good or bad. Also if the language is good from the beginning it gets the reader hooked and therefore ants to read on and find out more. Furthermore advertisements are what our specific target audience are interested in as they might be attracted to the thought of buying things or seeing what is out there e.g. jobs.

Having used theories from theorists blumar and Katz as well as Graham Burton’s social grouping I have now got an even better understanding of our particular target audience; I now know that negative news (crime and violence) is key as well as images, catchy headlines and good use of language all of which is needed to make a successful local newspaper as its what our target audience are obviously interested in as this is what informs and entertains them as well as other gratification ‘socially interacting’ as it gives the public something to talk about which in the whole brings the community together which is what the point of a local newspaper as well as giving locals knowledge of what is happening.

Overall