UNDERSTANDING A MEDIA READERSHIP (A FOUR-PART EVALUATION)

• Sponsoring Institution: State Agricultural Experiment Station
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: STATE
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0215101
• Project Start Date: Jun 1, 2008
• Project End Date: Dec 31, 2009
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
(N/A)
FAYETTEVILLE,AR 72703

Performing Department
AGRI & EXTENSION EDUCATION

Non Technical Summary
In the mass communication process, uses and gratifications approach puts the function of linking need gratifications and media choice clearly on the side of audience members. By completing four distinct readership surveys, the media service will be able to more fully meet the needs and desires of these specific groups, as well as identify areas of interests, needs, and outcomes needed across the audience base.

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

100%

Applied

(N/A)

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
903	6010	3030	100%

Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
6010 - Individuals;

Field Of Science
3030 - Information and communication;

Keywords

readership evaluation

electronic surveys

Goals / Objectives
The completion of four readership surveys, including a) Journal, (b) Bulletin, (c) association membership, and (d) electronic information distribution (Web sites, e-List, topic sites and real-time sites).

Project Methods
UA Agricultural Communications and Education faculty (AEED Dept.) and a regional commodity media service will cooperate in an applied readership survey project evaluating and identifying needs and outcomes for four specific audiences. UA faculty will collaborate to identify stratified random samples of each of the four targeted populations to be assessed. UA Faculty will be responsible for creating and piloting questionnaires, whether in print or electronic, and collecting and analyzing all data. UA faculty will help to determine appropriateness and depth of readership questions. The media service will disseminate the survey instruments and UA faculty will provide support with follow-up communication and questionnaires. An electronic questionnaire will be developed and disseminated to the electronic information distribution list. Electronic surveys for the readership and members are possible with the ability to host the electronic questionnaire. The project PIs will complete a written report of the audience-specific readership findings.

Progress 06/01/08 to 12/31/09

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Objective 1: Assess readership, future direction, past purchasing of advertisements, and reader demographics of the Angus Journal (AJ). Objective2: Assess readership, future direction, past purchasing of advertisements, and reader demographics of the Angus Beef Bulletin(ABB). PARTICIPANTS: Norton, M., M.S. graduate student, Hermel, S., Angus Production Inc. (API) Editor, API Board of Directors, agricultural communications and journalism professionals, faculty and instructors teaching agricultural communication courses TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences include: API editors, AJ and ABB subscribers and readers, professional communicators and public relation professionals in the agriculture industry, breed association editors, and the Angus industry. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: No modifications. Project completed.

Impacts
Two readership questionnaires were developed to assess the AJ and ABB readers. Online versions of the instruments were created to provide an alternative opportunity for instrument completion. AJ surveys were sent to more than 17,000 subscribers, and ABB surveys were sent to nearly 78,000 readers. Through this study, API (the largest beef cattle breed association in the U.S.) was able to more effectively and efficiently deal their diverse readership base and make efforts to improve their publications. Results of this study could only be reported when removing all terms associated with API, AJ and ABB due to a confidentiality agreement.

Publications

• API Board of Directors Report on AJ and ABB data of the (June 2009)
• Norton, M., Edgar, L. D., & Edgar, D. W. (2009). Readership Habits and Needs of a Major Beef Cattle Breed Association Publication. Proceedings of the 2010 Agricultural Communications Section of the Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists, Orlando, FL. (Refereed paper)

Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Objective 1: Assess readership, future direction, past purchasing of advertisements, and reader demographics of the Angus Journal (AJ). Objective2: Assess readership, future direction, past purchasing of advertisements, and reader demographics of the Angus Beef Bulletin(ABB). PARTICIPANTS: Norton, W., M.S. Graduate student, Hermel, S., Angus Production Inc. (API) Editor TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences include: API editors, subscribers and readers, professional communicators and public relation professionals in the agriculture industry, breed association editors, and the Angus industry. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: No modifications at this time.

Impacts
Two readership questionnaires were developed to assess the AJ and ABB readers. Online versions of the instruments were created to provide an alternative opportunity for instrument completion. AJ surveys were sent to more than 17,000 subscribers, and ABB surveys were sent to nearly 78,000 readers. Through this study, API (the largest beef cattle breed association in the U.S.) will be able to more effectively and efficiently deal their diverse readership bases and make efforts to improve their publications. Results of this study cannot be reported due to a confidentiality agreement.

Publications

• API Board of Directors Report on preliminary data of the AJ (December 2008)
• Norton, M., Edgar, L. D., & Edgar, D. W. (2009). Readership habits and needs of a major beef cattle breed association publication. Paper in review for the National Agricultural Education Research Conference.