This semester, I am taking the Community Journalism class at Gaylord. This class has taught me so much about the importance of local news. We are working with the publishers of the El Reno Tribune to create a survey that will help determine the needs/wants of the readers.
I had the amazing opportunity to write the story that will be going in the newspaper, along with a QR code that takes viewers to the survey. This will be the first time one of my articles is featured in a published paper, and I could not be more excited. Below is a link to the article on El Reno’s website. If you are not subscribed I have provided a copy of the article for you to read below.
https://www.elrenotribune.com/news/ou-students-survey-el-reno-residents-concerning-tribune
OU students conducting survey to help El Reno’s newspaper
By Analyse Jester
As print journalism continues to decline due to the rise of the internet, many small town communities are struggling to find the means to continue their local paper. Students in Gaylord College at the University of Oklahoma are surveying El Reno residents about their local newspaper.
Students in the Community Journalism class, taught by John Schmeltzer, are exploring how local news impacts communities. As online media becomes the more viable option, smaller communities are beginning to struggle with access to local news, according to the United States Census Bureau.
“That’s why the Community Journalism class at the University of Oklahoma is working with Sean and Ray Dyer to learn a little more about where you are getting your news,” Schmeltzer said.
The El Reno survey is the fourth that the Community Journalism class has conducted since 2019. Previous surveys have been conducted in Norman, Moore and Edmond.
Even though print is declining, the survey data conducted from past classes has shown interest in local papers. The survey asks a variety of questions, spanning from demographic to sports, to determine the interest of the readers.
The survey will allow the students to see how the citizens are responding to their local newspaper.The Community Journalism class is working alongside the publishers of the paper, Sean and Ray Dyer, to develop their plan-of-action.
“I hope we are able to take feedback from your survey and help us create a product that more people in the community will embrace,” Ray Dyer said.
Online and print are two options for the citizens of El Reno to receive their news.
However, print is becoming a less viable option due to cost of production. The El Reno Tribune has developed an online system for readers to subscribe, removing the cost of printing and distribution and allowing the firm to continue being funded.
“It is no exaggeration but community newspapers such as the El Reno Tribune are facing a fight for their survival.” Schmeltzer said. “Hundreds of newspapers across the U.S. have closed in the past five years.”
Ray Dyer, the editor and co-publisher of the El Reno Tribune said papers like the Tribune are important “because we are the only ones who get into the daily life of the community.”
Students curated the survey to determine the factors which go into a community’s need for local news. El Reno residents can scan a QR code, which leads directly to the survey.
Shelby Emery, a rising junior, said the class has helped her to better understand the importance of local news.
“Taking OU’s Community Journalism class has given me a much greater understanding of the newspaper business.” Emery said. “Until now, I have never thought much about the relationship that a community has with its newspaper.”
The results of the survey will help the Tribune move forward during this transition and improve their outreach to the community.
“I think what we are doing in this class is extremely important,” Emery said. “Understanding what a community needs from a newspaper- such as how they prefer to read the news and what they prefer to read-can help newsrooms develop a plan to extend their outreach and grow readership.”
Previous surveys have shown that citizens recognize the need for local news but are sometimes unwilling to pay the price.
“Print has been around much longer, of course. Online is fine, but I don’t think it has the same impact when ink is printed on paper,” Dyer said.
The need for local news will never go away, although the means of fabrication may be different. With the results of the survey, the Community Journalism class will collaborate to find ways to improve the town’s local paper.