The Indiana Publisher

Publisher The Indiana Volume 87, Issue 10 • October 2022 Published monthly This year, the Hoosier State Press Association commis- sioned Coda Ventures, an inde- pendent research and consult- ing firm, to conduct a survey among Indiana adults. The survey was designed to measure the demographics of newspaper readers, and their reliance on public notices and local community news. "The full survey will be presented to the board and members in the coming weeks and we will work together to find the most effective use of the data beyond the legisla- ture," HSPA Executive Director Amelia McClure said. The Indiana Market Study: Consumer Insights from the Hoosier State Press Association was conducted online. Respondents were 18 and older and were screened by zip code to ensure an accurate repre- sentation of urban and rural communities. Additional quotas were set for age and gender to match the demographic compo- sition of the population. The survey determined 4.5 million Hoosiers read their local print or digital newspapers each month. That equals 84% of the adult population in Indiana. Among the findings was the public's overwhelming support of public notices in newspapers. The majority, 74%, read the pubic notices in their news- paper or on their newspaper's website. And 72% thought it should be required to publish public notices in a newspaper. "I believe that notices should be in independent newspapers as a way to keep the govern- ment accountable," wrote one participant. "Public notices and noti- fications keep me posted and updated on what is going on See Survey, page 2 We must frame our product to attract, maintain loyalty of readers It's covered in depth below, but I'm going to shout our success every chance we get. Newspapers are the most trust- ed source of news in Indiana! In an era that faces unprece- dented skepticism towards news media outlets, that's a good place to be. But it's just a start. Because, while trust ensures a confidence in the news read- ers are consuming, it does not ensure that readers consume the amount of news needed to sus- tain our business. So, we must consider ways to attract and maintain the loyalty of readers newspapers have seen in decades passed. And that begins with the fram- ing of our product. It's easy to forget that newspapers are, at the most basic level, a product because local newspapers play See Dispatch, page 2 Capital Dispatch Amelia McClure Newspapers are the original local, craft product. They're specific and special to their localities — a product that can be had no place else in quite the same way. 74% of Indiana adults read public notices in print or digital newspapers. 72% of Indiana adults believe that publishing public notices in newspapers should be required. Readership survey shows support for newspapers, public notices 4.5 million active consumers read local print or digital newspapers each month. This translates into 84% of Indiana adults, 9 out of 10 vote in local elections. Readers HSPA commissioned project to gauge reader thoughts, preferences 87% of respondents ranked their local newspaper or news- paper website as the most trusted source for news. 77% of respondents rely on newspapers or newspaper websites for information about local government. Trust Public Notices

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