I thought this would be a good space to thank the more than 200 readers who took a lengthy survey we posted online and share some of the results. It’s humbling, for better or worse, to read what our neighbors think of us.
Through the years, we have responded to a number of critiques, but this was the first time we asked for comprehensive feedback. We were surprised by how many of you were willing to participate.
Some demographics of our responders: The majority were women over 35 years old who have a household income between $26,000 and $76,000. Ninety-one percent live in Flathead County and 80 percent own smartphones.
When asked your preference, 60 percent of our readers said they preferred the Flathead Beacon in print, about 30 percent on their desktops and 10 percent on their mobile devices.
We also asked about your social media habits, to which almost 90 percent said you frequently check Facebook. However, fewer than 15 percent of you frequently check Instagram, and fewer than 10 percent Twitter. We heavily use all three platforms, but what this tells us is that we should focus the majority of our social media efforts producing quality posts on Facebook, which we will continue to do.
More than 85 percent of readers rated the Beacon’s “fairness” in reporting as “good” or “excellent,” while 15 percent rated it as “fair” or worse. That’s good, but not good enough. In response, over the coming months we hope to add more voices to both our online and print products and each journalist was shown the results of this survey. We scored higher marks (over 90 percent) in “accuracy,” “quality” and “relevance” of the news we report.
Our readers were split on whether we should cover more statewide news and whether they prefer shorter or longer stories. Most interesting, to me anyway, were the responses to the question: “How can we improve?” Your feedback varied, but two suggestions that surfaced multiple times: more investigative reporting and more arts and entertainment coverage.
Regarding the former, we have begun discussing how to better manage our responsibilities, allowing a reporter who is digging into a lengthy story to pass off his or her other duties to a colleague. The price of more in-depth pieces is the time they take to produce, and we need to find more of it.
As we consider tweaking the design of our print product, we plan on evaluating the value of each section in the newspaper, including arts, of which it appears you want more.
Beginning early next year, we also hope to produce more video, another point raised by our survey participants. While we’ve periodically posted videos over the years, we now have the staff in place to substantially beef up that effort.
Admittedly, I’m attached to this place where I’ve worked since its inception – now most of my adult life. When I first opened the survey results, I expected my heart to sink. Instead, while your responses were both positive and negative, nearly every one was thoughtful.
One reader wrote: “Do not quote sources if you know they aren’t telling the truth.”
Another: “There are stories begging to be told. People who live humble but powerful lives and I’d love to hear about them. The same people are covered over and over.”
Another: “Become a beacon for those with little or no voice.”
Thanks for reminding us that we can improve. Everyone who works here assures you that we will. Please don’t hesitate to give us feedback at [email protected].