Eau Claire News Web Sites Survey Results
 
Welcome!  Thank you for your interest in this survey, which was completed by 118 respondents in the mere 36 hours it was conducted on April 13-14, 2004. The survey was sponsored by Western Wisconsin Press Club and the UW-Eau Claire chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

-- Mike Dorsher, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Communication and Journalism, UW-Eau Claire
1. First, which one of these categories best describes you?
 12.7%  Undergraduate broadcast journalism major
31.4%  Undergraduate print journalism major
22.0%  Undergraduate advertising major
24.6%  Undergraduate in another major or undecided 
1.7%  Graduate student
0.8%  Faculty or staff member
1.7%  Professional broadcast journalist
0%  Professional newspaper journalist
0%  Professional online journalist
0%  Other community member
5.1%  Other  
     N = 118
2. Which sex are you?
Woman  64.6%  Man 35.4%
     The first Web site, in alphabetical order, that we'd like you to visit is the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram Online. You can view it in a separate window by clicking on its Web address: www.leadertelegram.com.  If you have not already registered for this site and do not want to take time to do so now, you may log in with Dr. Dorsher's phone number (7158365729) and password (survey). Please explore this site as long as you want and refer back to it as you answer the following six questions:

3. How would you rate this Web site on its immediacy; i.e., on how up-to-the-minute its news appears to be?
1 (Poor) 2.5%  2 (5.1%) 3 (28.0%) 4 (55.9%)  5 (Excellent) 8.5%   Mean Rating = 3.6
4. How would you rate this Web site on its interactivity; i.e., on how much user choice and feedback it offers?
1 (Poor) 3.4% 2  (15.3%) 3 (32.2%) 4 (41.5%)  5 (Excellent) 7.6%   Mean Rating = 3.4
5. How would you rate this Web site on how in-depth its content is?
1 (Poor) 0.8% 2 (12.7%)  3 (30.5%) 4 (49.2%)   5 (Excellent) 6.8%    Mean Rating = 3.5
6. How would you rate this Web site on its individuality or identity; i.e., on providing information available nowhere else on the Web?
1 (Poor) 3.4%  2 (17.8%) 3 (38.1%) 4 (32.2%)  5 (Excellent) 8.5%     Mean Rating = 3.3
7. What would you estimate as the total number of times you had visited this Web site before taking this survey?
Never (17.8%)  1-5 times (41.5%)  6-12 times (15.3%)  More than a dozen times (25.4%)
8. Please list any suggestions you have for improving the Leader-Telegram Web site.
     The second Web site that we'd like you to visit is that of The Flip Side, the alternative press of UW-Eau Claire. You can view it in a separate window by clicking on its Web address: www.flipsidepress.com.  Please explore this site as long as you want and refer back to it as you answer the following six questions:

9. How would you rate this Web site on its immediacy; i.e., on how up-to-the-minute its news appears to be?
1 (Poor) 17.1% 2 (37.6%)  3 (32.5%) 4 (10.3%)  5 (Excellent) 2.6%    Mean Rating = 2.4
10. How would you rate this Web site on its interactivity; i.e., on how much user choice and feedback it offers?
1 (Poor) 6.8%  2 (23.1%) 3 (33.3%) 4 (25.6%)  5 (Excellent) 11.1%    Mean Rating = 3.1
11. How would you rate this Web site on how in-depth its content is?
1 (Poor) 7.9% 2 (21.9%)  3 (43.0%)  4 (24.6%)  5 (Excellent) 2.6%   Mean Rating = 2.9
12. How would you rate this Web site on its individuality or identity; i.e., on providing information available nowhere else on the Web?
1 (Poor) 3.4% 2 (7.7%)  3 (15.4%)  4 (41.0%)  5 (Excellent) 32.5%    Mean Rating = 3.9
13. What would you estimate as the total number of times you had visited this Web site before taking this survey?
Never (67.5%)  1-5 times (27.4%)   6-12 times (4.3%)  More than a dozen times (0.9%)
14. Please list any suggestions you have for improving The Flip Side Web site.
     The next Web site that we'd like you to visit is that of The Spectator student newspaper at UW-Eau Claire. You can view it in a separate window by clicking on its Web address: www.spectatornews.com.  If you have not already registered for this site and do not want to take time to do so now, you may log in with Dr. Dorsher's e-mail address (mdorsher@uwec.edu). Please explore this site as long as you want and refer back to it as you answer the following six questions:

15. How would you rate this Web site on its immediacy; i.e., on how up-to-the-minute its news appears to be?
1 (Poor) 5.2% 2 (11.3%)  3 (27.0%) 4 (46.1%)  5 (Excellent) 10.4%    Mean Rating = 3.5
16. How would you rate this Web site on its interactivity; i.e., on how much user choice and feedback it offers?
1 (Poor) 2.6% 2 (10.4%)  3 (23.5%) 4 (50.4%)  5 (Excellent) 13.0%    Mean Rating = 3.6
17. How would you rate this Web site on how in-depth its content is?
1 (Poor) 3.5% 2 (7.8%)  3 (30.4%) 4 (51.3%)  5 (Excellent) 7.0%    Mean Rating = 3.5
18. How would you rate this Web site on its individuality or identity; i.e., on providing information available nowhere else on the Web?
1 (Poor) 1.7% 2 (8.6%)  3 (12.1%) 4 (46.6%)  5 (Excellent) 31.0%    Mean Rating = 4.0
19. What would you estimate as the total number of times you had visited this Web site before taking this survey?
Never (12.9%)  1-5 times (25.0%)  6-12 times (22.4%)  More than a dozen times (39.7%)

20. Please list any suggestions you have for improving The Spectator Web site.
     The fourth Web site that we'd like you to visit is that of WEAU-TV, channel 13, in Eau Claire. You can view it in a separate window by clicking on its Web address: www.weau.com.  Please explore this site as long as you want and refer back to it as you answer the following six questions:

21. How would you rate this Web site on its immediacy; i.e., on how up-to-the-minute its news appears to be?
1 (Poor) 0.9% 2 (0%)  3 (17.9%) 4 (46.2%)  5 (Excellent) 35.0%    Mean Rating = 4.2
22. How would you rate this Web site on its interactivity; i.e., on how much user choice and feedback it offers?
1 (Poor) 0.9% 2 (10.3%) 3 (24.1%) 4 (47.4%)  5 (Excellent) 17.2%   Mean Rating = 3.7
23. How would you rate this Web site on how in-depth its content is?
1 (Poor) 1.7% 2 (16.2%) 3 (27.4%) 4 (37.6%)   5 (Excellent) 17.1%   Mean Rating = 3.5
24. How would you rate this Web site on its individuality or identity; i.e., on providing information available nowhere else on the Web?
1 (Poor) 2.6% 2 (12.0%) 3 (44.4%) 4 (33.3%)  5 (Excellent) 7.7%   Mean Rating = 3.3
25. What would you estimate as the total number of times you had visited this Web site before taking this survey?
Never (44.4%)  1-5 times (30.8%)  6-12 times (16.2%)  More than a dozen times 8.5%
26. Please list any suggestions you have for improving the WEAU Web site.
     The final Web site that we'd like you to visit is that of WQOW-TV, channel 18, in Eau Claire. You can view it in a separate window by clicking on its Web address: www.wqow.com.  Please explore this site as long as you want and refer back to it as you answer the following six questions:

27. How would you rate this Web site on its immediacy; i.e., on how up-to-the-minute its news appears to be?
1 (Poor) 1.7% 2 (7.6%)  3 (28.0%) 4 (49.2%)  5 (Excellent) 13.6%   Mean Rating = 3.7
28. How would you rate this Web site on its interactivity; i.e., on how much user choice and feedback it offers?
1 (Poor) 3.4% 2 (8.5%)  3 (44.9%)  4 (31.4%)  5 (Excellent) 11.9%   Mean Rating = 3.4
29. How would you rate this Web site on how in-depth its content is?
1 (Poor) 4.3%  2 (16.2%)   3 (31.6%) 4 (41.0%)  5 (Excellent) 6.8%   Mean Rating = 3.3
30. How would you rate this Web site on its individuality or identity; i.e., on providing information available nowhere else on the Web?
1 (Poor) 4.2% 2 (13.6%)  3 (44.1%) 4 (33.1%)  5 (Excellent) 5.1%   Mean Rating = 3.2
31. What would you estimate as the total number of times you had visited this Web site before taking this survey?
Never (60.7%)  1-5 times (24.8%)  6-12 times (11.1%)  More than a dozen times (3.4%)
32. Please list any suggestions you have for improving the WQOW Web site.