Newspaper solicits reader feedback

The 20,000-circulation Pocono Record in Penn., has taken the notion of soliciting reader feedback a step further than most by adding a form to the bottom of every local story, Steve Yelvington reports. The form ask, "Did this article satisfy your expectations?" If you answer "no," you're invited to write a note explaining why.

Bill Watson, managing editor of the Ottaway newspaper, says he gets all of the feedback, and "It has produced more sources for us on news situations and it has been extremely well received by the newsroom staff." He regards it as an "ongoing customer survey" with an extra benefit in that he can follow up conversationally, with questions of his own. A common theme he's seeing: Readers want more specific information and more "how-to stuff like driving directions and phone numbers." He doesn't see a downside of this feedback effort. The workload of reviewing it isn't a problem, he says, although it might be substantial at a larger paper.

May 21, 2004 | E-MAIL | SAVE | PRINT | PERMALINK | DISCUSS(1)

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1 comments about 'Newspaper solicits reader feedback'

good

Posted by marcus at January 18, 2007 6:22 AM

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