The Press is launching a survey this week to better understand you, our readers, and the larger community of which you are a part—what you value, what you want us to cover, and how you prefer to receive your news. By the time you read this editorial you should have received an oversized postcard from the Harvard Press inviting you to take part in our first reader survey since 2013. Don’t toss it.
The media landscape has changed dramatically since our last reader survey was completed 10 years ago. According to the Pew Research Center, a majority of consumers now get their news online—from a smartphone, computer or tablet—and increasingly from podcasts and social media. The town has changed as well, increasingly diverse with an influx of younger families and a growing senior population. How have these local and societal changes affected your expectations of an independent community paper like the Press, what we cover and how we deliver it? We want to find out.
We will use the survey results to refine our editorial strategies and evaluate our performance in relation to our mission. We are also interested in learning more about you and your household to help us engage advertisers who can connect you with goods and services relevant to you and your family. So please take 10 minutes to complete the survey and share your thoughts and opinions with Press staff.
We’ve mailed the postcards to every household in Harvard and Devens, whether or not you subscribe to the Press and regardless of how you access our content. The card includes the QR code and URL for the survey (https://tinyurl.com/HarvardPressSurvey2025), either of which you can use to access the online survey. We’ll also have paper copies at the General Store, public library, and senior center for those who prefer pencil and paper. Press representatives will be distributing postcards and paper copies of the survey at this weekend’s Fall Fest and at Town Meeting Sept. 27.
Your responses are anonymous. You are free to skip any question that you prefer not to answer, and to stop the survey at any time, though if you stop partway through, please click to the end and click “Submit” so we receive your answers. Please only complete the survey once (either online or paper).
We plan to publish our key findings in the townwide edition of the Press on Nov. 7.
Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences and thoughts with the Harvard Press.
