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Readers in areas served by community newspapers continue to prefer the community newspaper as their source of local news and advertising, according to the 2011 results of an annual survey conducted by the National Newspaper Association and the research arm of the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism. The survey is in its sixth year.
The study shows that 74 percent of people in communities served by a newspaper with circulations under 15,000 read a local newspaper each week. They prefer the printed copy to the online version, with 48 percent saying they never read the local news online.
Since 2005, NNA (National Newspaper Association) has done research on how people read and what they think about their local newspaper. Results have been consistent over the years, even as sample and community sizes have been adjusted slightly.
You are reading this - right?!!!
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I had the opportunity to have breakfast at the Red Room Sunday with neighbors Jack and Dorothy Weirich and some of their family. Jack observed his 94th birthday on Wednesday! He drove to Dubuque and back as they visited an establishment or two down south!
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We received a note from Mrs. Elden G. Smyth of Beloit talking about my recent mention in this column about the letter Rose Martin (96 in March) wrote to us about remembering Mifflin correspondent Kathryn Smyth. This Mrs. Smyth said Kathryn died in 1953 at age 63 from Pancreatic Cancer. Elden, her son, lives in Beloit and has subscribed to the Dodgeville Chronicle for over 50 years. She said they enjoy my column very much!
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It will be in with the "old" and out with the "new" for one day on Friday, February 17th when Carrie (Miller), Jim and Patti Blabaum will be running the Dodge Theater while the owners are gone. Here's hoping many of you can stop in and say hi to the Blabaums and check to see if they are able to handle the "new fangled" equipment as well as they did the crank projectors!
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There's a familiar face in the flower business in downtown Dodgeville as Darlene Ryan has joined the staff at Enhancements on a part-time basis. Darlene ran Rustic Floral Uniques & Antiques for quite a few years at the north end of town. I guess she got lonely for her flowers and when Nicki needed some help, she answered the call!