David C. Coulson

The Louisville Courier-Journal's News Content after Purchase by Gannett

Analysis of the news content of the Louisville Courier-Journal showed a mixed commitment by Gannett to the editorial quality of the previously family-owned newspaper. Under Gannett, the Courier-Journal substantially increased the size of its news hole, but the average length of stories dropped, hard news coverage declined, and the number of wire-written stories exceeded staff-written pieces.

Journalists' Perceptions of How Newspaper and Broadcast News Competition Affects Newspaper Content

In 1993, 423 journalists who had worked in both competitive- and single-daily cities were asked their perceptions of how newspaper competition affects content. A majority of journalists said competing dailies provide higher quality local news, a greater diversity of news, and a greater diversity of editorial opinions than noncompetitive dailies. A majority also said that competing dailies are less likely to become complacent but more likely to sensationalize news. In the same survey, one-third of 1,667 journalists in single-daily cities said broadcast news offers an acceptable local news alternative to the daily newspaper.

Erosion of Television Coverage of City Hall? Perceptions of TV Reporters on the Beat

In a mail survey of 283 television journalists (67 percent completion) who cover city government in the 214 U.S. television markets, respondents were asked about station commitment to local government news in terms of prominence, airtime, and perceived newsroom importance. Small-market stations were seen as more committed to covering city hall, a finding consistent with content analysis data about local news coverage. More veteran reporters perceived diminishing commitment and quality during the last five years, with fewer stories and less airtime.

Ownership and Barriers to Entry in Non-Metropolitan Daily Newspaper Markets

This exploratory study examines the relationship between private ownership of dailies and the number of weekly newspapers and weekly penetration in non-metropolitan counties. These data indicate private ownership is associated with fewer weeklies in a county, a result consistent with economic theory that suggests private dailies may create barriers to entry for weeklies through nonaggressive pricing strategies and investment in newsroom quality.

Television Reporters' Perceptions of How Television and Newspaper Competition Affects City Hall Coverage

A national sample of 303 television reporters found variations across markets in their perceptions of the effects of television competition on city hall coverage. However, respondents were nearly equally divided about whether television competition increased the number of city hall stories they produced, made it more difficult to find time to provide in-depth coverage of the beat, and caused them to report municipal government stories they otherwise might have missed. Competition from daily newspapers was believed to have more impact on certain facets of their city hall reporting than television competition.

Competition for Readers Among U.S. Metropolitan Daily, Nonmetropolitan Daily, and Weekly Newspapers

This study of 381 U.S. counties outside of central counties in metropolitan areas indicates that competition among newspapers in three layers of the umbrella model exists throughout the United States. However, the intensity of competition between some layers can vary greatly from county to county. The strongest and most consistent impact was between newspapers in the weekly and nonmetro daily layers. The strength of impact varied depending on whether the weeklies were paid or free.

Weekly Newspapers-Solid Industry with Many Variations

An analysis of 1,027 U.S. weekly newspapers reveals most have paid circulation, and ownership is divided equally between independents and groups.

Group Ownership Increases among Weekly Newspapers

This study found that between 1997 and 2009 the community weekly newspaper industry became more rural, as the percentage of weeklies in suburban areas declined. The proportion of weeklies that were group owned increased by about half.

City Hall Reporters' Evaluation of Coverage

A national survey of 227 city hall reporters found that they believe their daily newspapers do a good job of covering the beat. Those surveyed said slightly fewer reporters covered city hall in 1997 and space allocated to city hall remained about the same as five years earlier.

Educators Bring Expertise to Media Consulting

Staff. Our Board Conflict of Interest policy, one of the few in the country, was generated this way. This would be a good project for an ethics class, though we initiated this project through a management class. Other policies which work particularly well with a dass include one on provided by your student publication, that both staff members and nonstaff class members be involved in the project, particularly at the critique phase, and that some part, no matter how small, be actually implemented into operating procedure. It helps in motivating the next class or staff.