by John Osborn ·
Friday, February 20, 2026
In its fall 2025 reader survey, the Harvard Press received a vote of confidence with 89% strongly agreeing the newspaper is “integral to the Harvard community” and 96% agreeing they’re satisfied with the quality of reporting.
Respondents also identified areas where the Press could improve, including political balance in opinion content, expanded coverage of Devens, and more reporting on state and federal issues with local impacts.
The survey, designed by Press staff and members of the Harvard Press Community Advisory Board, was conducted in September and drew 262 responses—including readers who completed the survey online or via paper surveys available at the senior center, library, and General Store. Of those who responded, 86% were current subscribers, approximately half of whom were sustaining subscribers who pay double the regular rate to support the Press.
These and other findings were announced this week by the Press. A full report will be available in March.
The survey revealed that readers prize the Press’ hyperlocal focus above all else. The word “local” appeared 73 times in open-ended responses about favorite features. “It’s Harvard-focused,” one reader wrote. Said another, “You can’t get this info anywhere else!”
The news section ranked highest in importance, with 82% rating it “very important.” Front-page coverage, photographs, and letters to the editor each garnered strong support, with at least half of respondents rating them as very important. The police and fire log emerged as a particular favorite, with one reader noting appreciation for “goofy small-town items like when the intruder is actually a raccoon.”
Town Meeting coverage drew repeated praise. The paper’s Warrant in Plain English was cited more than once, one reader crediting the Press with “outstanding coverage of local news” and urging editors to “please keep it up!”
Print readership remains robust: 74% of respondents read the newspaper every week in print, compared to far lower digital engagement. The Press’ advertising also appears highly effective, with 81% of readers reporting they have purchased goods or services from Press advertisers.
While satisfaction levels were high overall, respondents identified several areas for improvement. A small but notable number of respondents—nine in total—expressed concern about perceived liberal bias in editorial and opinion content. “I know the Press attempts to be politically neutral but it seems to lean progressive,” wrote one reader. “Not everyone in Harvard is progressive and it would be nice to see more neutrality or maybe even some conservative views.”
However, 94% of respondents agreed that the Press provides accurate and unbiased coverage of town government, suggesting concerns about balance are limited to opinion pages rather than news reporting. Concerns about liberal bias came primarily from Independent voters. Too few Republicans responded to the survey—just nine out of 245 who answered the question—to draw reliable conclusions about that group’s views.
Readers also called for expanded coverage. Two-thirds (67%) said they would like the Press to cover more state and federal news with a local impact. The desire for more state and federal news coverage is bipartisan—all groups want it at roughly the same rate.
Several respondents requested more coverage of town committees, though some acknowledged the challenge of limited staff. One reader urged the paper not to “reprint stories.”
Only 10 of the 262 survey respondents were from Devens, home to approximately 950 residents. Devens residents flagged the need for better outreach and coverage of their community. One reader suggested offering introductory rates to Devens subscribers, noting that “most of them don’t realize what’s going to happen in 2033” regarding jurisdictional changes.
School coverage also drew requests for diversification beyond sports. “The Press has a weekly report on sports, but there’s a lot more going on!” one reader said, suggesting stories about club competitions, music performances, and student government.
The survey’s respondents skew toward the Press’ most committed readers: subscribers and sustainers, who are concentrated among older residents. They are engaged in the community with 81% having lived in Harvard or Devens for five or more years, and half saying they attend Town Meeting regularly. This suggests that survey results reflect the views of engaged readers rather than the broader community served by the paper.
Two-thirds of readers (67%) said they would be likely to use an improved Press website, with strong interest across all age groups. Social media platforms showed sharp divides: Instagram drew interest from 53% of readers under 40 but only 8% of those 65 and older—not surprising, as this mirrors national trends in Instagram use by age. Facebook proved unpopular across all ages, never exceeding 33% even among younger readers. TikTok, despite its national popularity with younger demographics, drew almost no interest from any age group.
Survey respondents skewed older than the town’s actual demographics. While 14% of Harvard and Devens residents are 65 or older according to census data, that age group made up 39% of survey respondents. Women were also overrepresented in our sample, accounting for 61% of respondents compared to 53% of the town. However, among the 15 younger readers aged 25-39 who did respond—too small a sample for firm conclusions—subscription rates were surprisingly high, hinting that the challenge may be less about conversion than outreach.
A final finding: Several readers volunteered that they would be willing to pay more for their subscriptions. “You could charge a bit more,” said one. “It’s a great deal for what we get.”
Molly Waring, a member of the Harvard Press Community Advisory Board, contributed to this report.