Indicates that newspapers are as readable today as they were in 1904, although the complexity of language they use has increased. Shows that magazines were significantly more readable than the newspapers published during the same time periods. (RL)

Contradicts previous research, finding that differences in social class status were not significant predictors for the perceived utility of news or advertising. (RL)

Reporters appear to fall into three types according to the way in which they evaluate the credibility of their sources. All types demand corroboration, but they differ on the significance of intuition. (RL)

Indicates that, across three circulation categories, there are differences in the research process, availability and use of resources, and how writers rate usefulness of sources. Finds that most editorial writers make use of various sources for ideas and background material. Shows that some writers disagree about how much research is needed to…

Shows that newspapers moving to new reporting and editing systems, such as the video display terminal, must develop the new electronic system to meet copy-flow needs. Notes that new systems must conform to a newspaper's gatekeeping needs, not vice versa. (RL)

Shows how a special marking procedure--having readers leave detailed traces of what they read in a newspaper--revealed important differences in reading behavior. (RL)

Four experiments tested reader reaction to selected newspaper design techniques, including jumps, wraps, type style, and picture size. The results implied that a newspaper striving for the highest overall readership of its stories will get the best results by keeping jumps to a minimum and running larger pictures. (RL)

Analyzes newspaper readers' evaluations of specific categories of newspaper content, including four advertising categories. Shows that reader demand for advertising was lower than for news, although most readers desired the same amount or more advertising in their newspaper. (RL)

Finds that election surveys, expert opinions, and man-in-the-street interviews have about the same amount of impact on candidate preferences. (SR)

Indicates that 73 percent of the writers agreed or strongly agreed that lack of time to do adequate research was their biggest problem. Shows that 68 percent said that they seldom or never used the full text, database retrieval systems, citing as reasons institutional and personal constraints and inadequate training. (JD)

Identifies four "types" of newspaper readers. Suggests ways editors can attract these readers. (RL)

Shows why newspapers should use live telephone interviewers instead of automatic telephone interviewing devices to collect marketing/readership data. (RL)

Supports multiple regression analysis as a tool for isolating the impact of newspaper content on newspaper sales. (RL)

Shows how one medium-size daily newspaper operation in Louisiana has set up a viable polling system at modest cost. Points out some of the problems involved. (RL)

Reports on the news gathering behaviors of 24 mass media science writers. Concludes that organizational constraints were the major factors determining news selection strategies, but that individual-level variables came into play at both the information gathering and writing stages. (RL)