1 of 8

Oklahoma Press Association

Mark Thomas, Exec. Vice Pres.

Final Report for Ecosystem Engagement Fund grant

News Coverage Measurement

2 of 8

Oklahoma Press Association�Ecosystem Engagement Fund project update

​

​

Project objectives:

        • Analyze the prior year’s news coverage at two Oklahoma weekly newspapers.
        • Survey current readers to gather feedback on current content and to find �gaps in existing coverage.
        • Develop a 2024 news coverage plan for each paper based on community needs and feedback.
        • Monitor and report to the local newspaper on progress toward goals.

​

Had you done anything like this before? No.

Why did you want to pursue this project?

  • Deep listening partnership to identify news coverage strengths and weaknesses, and to assist local newspapers with citizen feedback.
  • Improved news coverage enhances readership and local investment in the newspaper.

3 of 8

How did your final project actually differ from what you initially planned to do?�No difference.�

What was your initial expected timeline for the project? What was your actual timeline? �Some phases required more time than expected.�Project Phase Initial Timeframe Actual Timeframe�Identify & Measure 2023 Coverage Nov. 6 – 13 Nov. 10 – 26� Defining and refining coverage categories and their criteria required additional time. �Create, Distribute & Collect Custimozed Surveys Nov. 14 – 30 Nov. 27 – Jan. 5 � Expected to receive reader email addresses but received almost none. � Two weeks response time allowed for distributed surveys.�Tabulate, Compare & Plan Dec. 4 – 29 Jan. 8 - 12�Monitor & Report on 2024 Coverage Jan. 1 – March 31 Jan. 1 – March 31

Oklahoma Press Association�Ecosystem Engagement Fund project update

4 of 8

Oklahoma Press Association�Ecosystem Engagement Fund project update

​

How successfully did you accomplish your defined objectives?

  • Accomplished the four main objectives within the timeframe of the �grant project and each newspaper’s available staffing and resources.
  • Only two months have passed since the survey results were tabulated and shared. We will continue to monitor each newspaper’s 2024 coverage to assist with their planning.
  • Need to assist news staff to find resources for content requested in survey responses.

5 of 8

Oklahoma Press Association�Ecosystem Engagement Fund project update

​

How could this engagement project be replicated/scaled for other organizations?

  • Any news organization could measure and evaluate its previous coverage, �survey readers and implement a new coverage plan.

How could it be implemented in a collaborative way that involves multiple stakeholders?

  • Measure across a broader scale of newspapers/organizations to improve the larger news ecosystem.
  • Organizations could share resources to offset limitations of existing staff and to identify trusted sources of content that are relevant to the local audience.

6 of 8

Now that you’ve done the project, what would you do differently next time?

​

  • Timeframe: Phase 1 took longer than expected, which placed the survey response time during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.�
  • Did not include Opinion content in the readership survey as we viewed it as being the publisher’s prerogative. However, it could have been useful for content comparisons and to inform the publisher on readership preferences.�
  • The limited timeframe did not allow easy access to survey non-readers.

7 of 8

“Quote about the best thing you learned from the project.”

�Local news outlets can not plan the news, but they can develop a �news plan based on deep community listening. ��If coverage is not balanced the community will look for alternative news sources. Therefore, engaging with readers builds trust, opens conversation and can increase financial support from local citizens and businesses.

8 of 8

In the collaborative’s next stop for this project, OMC plans a multimedia media marketing campaign to promote local news. Please think through and list some examples here of local, trustworthy ambassadors who could help promote your news organization in a media literacy program.

​

  • Mark Thomas, Oklahoma Press Association
  • Other potential ambassadors could be provided after learning more about the program.