European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 17, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Section readership Here is a listing of the major sections of stars and stripes and the percentage of people who indicated they always read that Section. Stateside news pages 71 International news 65% sports news 38% faces an places i 23.2% letters to the editor 22.3% editorial pages 21.6% stripes Magazine 119.8% daily Magazine 1 19% _ business Stock pages 115.1% car Corner Auto Page 11.7% musical preferences types of music that stars and stripes readers say they enjoy most. Rock 16.9% t pop 14.9% i country 14.6% Golden oldies 14.4% i classical 10.3% jazz 7.7% soul j 7.5% spiritual Christian other 4.5% 1.9% disco reggae 12.4% 11.6% heavy Metal 12.1% latin 11.2% 1 source stars and stapes readership Survey sports interest which is the most important to stars and stripes readers. College sports 16 4% High school sports 3,8% military sports 4.4% other sports 11.4% source stars and stripes readers help Survey not enough too much below is a listing of subjects where readers say a not enough space or a too much space is devoted to on stripes pages. Not enough stateside news your Community overseas 41.4% 41.4%vacation features 30.2% computer hardware 29.3%health and 29.0% j medical care personal Linance 27.2% International news 25.4% achievements awards 25.4% legs pay changes 25,0% photo a How to tips 24.6% physical fitness 24.4% european news 24.2% business finance 20,5% video equipment 20.5% too much 35.5% training exercises and Maneu vers Dod personality. Features source stars and stripes readership Survey Page 14 a the stars and stripes Survey results a a a  a a to. A a a a a a a a a. Stripes readers speak out on what they want to see by the stars and stripes european stars and stripes remains the major source of news in Europe for armed fore is personnel their family members and civilian counterparts according to an audience study conducted by the newspaper Durine 1990. 6 Lowndes f. Stephens a consultant for the department of defense and the european stars and stripes Analysed the 3915 completed questionnaires and wrote the report. The Survey is the first for the newspaper since 1980. The report said stars and stripes readers want More stateside International Community business and personal finance news. Readers also want additional information on regulations and pay changes plus stories on achievements and awards Stephens said. They want less news about training exercises and Maneu vers and fewer Dod personality feature  would like to see More vacation destination Fea a. Tures expanded health and medical care information. Additional computer hardware and software reviews photo How to tips and More physical fitness oriented stories.,  v. A a. A a a Bernard Zowistoski editor of the european stars and stripes said the Survey will be a a tool and an important one but not the gospel in deciding what the newspapers Content will be a Zovistoski said the Survey results will play a key role As the newspaper considers changing the emphasis of its Content. _. A a emphasis is the key word. Readers might not necessarily see More of something or less of something. But Well use the Survey results to make the paper More exciting More interesting. Its the Quality of what we produce that s important not the Quantity a Stephens a University of South Carolina professor of journalism with a . In mass communications said about 60 percent of military personnel and 80 percent of american civilians assigned to Europe read the newspaper at least five Days each week. The Survey findings Are a extremely reliable a Stephens said a with a plus or minus error rate of 2 per-cent.�?�,- a \ a. A a. A. A Stephens whose mass communications doctorate is from the University of Wisconsin said the Survey is the most comprehensive of its kind a never done of the Mill tary in  a Stephens also conducted the 1980 stripes readership Survey and wrote an accompanying report. Last years Survey asked readers whether they believe european stars and stripes was free to report news. Sixty percent of those responding in 1990 Felt stripes provided As free a flow of information and news As they could get in the United states. Stephens noted that in 1980, 50 percent of the respondents Felt the paper was free to report controversial stories about the military. A the perception of stripes As a source of unbiased and uncensored information and news has improved in the last 10 years among armed forces members in Europe but these perceptions Are still unsettling a he said. A too Many readers still believe the a Piper to whom the paper is Beholden is the government and too Many do not believe the newspaper is As free to report controversial news stories As Are commercial newspapers in the United  said that before analysing the replies the number of returns were weighted to reflect the makeup of the army Navy Marine air Force and . Civilian population in Europe. An increased Reliance on american forces television was noted in the report. A in 1980, stripes was the dominant source of european Community news news about happenings in european countries and for stateside news a Stephens wrote. Today about 47 percent of the audience depends primarily on stripes for hews about events in european countries followed by 24 percent who depend on american forces television and 42 percent depend primarily on stripes for news about the United states compared to 31 percent who rely primarily on american forces  Stephens said readers feel the news in stars and stripes is not As fresh As that found in their stateside newspapers. A a a recommendations of the Survey report included a getting stripes into More households on weekends not just on the weekdays and improving delivery service. A a a / a a. A a a a. A informing readers with delivery problems on How to Contact stripes representatives. A a providing More hard news about happenings in the United states As Well As soft news features on vacation destinations. A finding Why one in three readers done to think stripes covers Many controversial stories and almost one in two Are not satisfied with the balance of viewpoints on the editorial Page. Seldom 9.5% always 8.2% do you believe that stars and stripes is providing you a free flow of news and information that you would receive in a . Commercial newspaper that you Are familiar with when stripes is read a breakdown of the time of Day a Quot that stars and stripes is usually read and the percentage of Al pm readers within that time Frame. . 64 . 22.2% 8-10 . 11.2% 10-12 noon 7.5% noon-2 . ?vv.vsv.v.,.v.v.v.�?~.,i. Mils ii a 2-4 . A p vj2% 4-6 . A 12.7% 6-8 . Mai source stars and stripes readership Survey where you came from a breakdown of the stars and stripes Reading audience by geographic area. Mountain states 4.5% other 1 6% where your replies Jwj came from an approximate breakdown of the countries from which the surveys Yvere received. United kingdom 12.4% Italy 6.8% Spain 4.9% ships afloat 2,3%. Portugal 0.2% Belgium 0.9% Greece 1.1% Netherlands 1.3% Turkey 1.8% others 1.4% source stars and stripes readership Survey Days a week the number of Days a week our audience usually reads stars and stripes. Every Day three Days 41.5% j i it i six Days ,. Two Days. 18.3%6.5% five Days one Days. 14.6% j4.6% four Days no Days 9.1% j 4.4% amount of time time typically spent daily Reading the stars and stripes. I-10 minutes 31-40 minutes 111 % 113.9% ii-20 minutes 41-50 minutes 33.5% 4.6% 21-30mlnutes More than 50 minutes 33.5% j 3.5%. Who to who from whom the 1990 Survey was mailed to and who answered listed by Branch of service. Mailed to 12,247 total received from 3,915 total marines 58 to Navy 395 air Force j1560 j1203 j 2551 army 819 j3312 civilian Ujj 1164 source stars and stapes readership surveys amps graphics Wes Booher wednesday april 17, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 15