Experts classify newspapers as “general interest publications,” appealing to broad, common interests of readers. This distinguishes them from “niche” or specialty magazines and journals, serving particular interests.
That’s accurate, but not precisely true.
Readers lead me to a different conclusion.
Yes, many readers have broad, “general” interests: national news, local news, sports, entertainment.
But most people are actually individual collections of special interests. They pick and choose.
These interests can change, sometimes from week to week.
For example, some tell me they can live quite comfortably without ever glancing at the classified ads.
But the week they need to buy – or sell – a used car, the classified ads become the most important section in the paper.
Think about it.
Two years ago, The Arizona Republic didn’t bother with the Maricopa County restaurant inspections. Now, judging from my calls, it’s one of the most popular features in our Community sections.
In fact, several readers ask if we can’t get more up-to-date inspection reports.
“Four of us go out for dinner every Friday, so we check what’s on the list,” one wrote. “Our death notices would get published . . . before the month-old inspections do. No one would know we perished from contaminated food.”
Practically everything that editors run is vital information to some and irrelevant to others.
Consider:
- Dog racing results at Phoenix Greyhound Park.
- Money market interest rates.
- Bimonthly meeting schedule of the East Valley Writers Group.
- Meet your Match listings.
- ESPN Classic TV Channel’s feature on Pistol Pete Maravich.
- Bridge.
- Ultraviolet radiation index.
- Food coupons.
With every edition, readers will disagree among themselves on the relative merits of columnists Clay Thompson, E.J. Montini and Richard Ruelas and editorial cartoonist Steve Benson.
Some readers have clamored for more letters to the editor, while others have complained: “I don’t care what the idiot down the street thinks. I want to know what your syndicated columnists think.”
Sun City reader Dave Smith loves the addition of columnist Molly Ivins. “She tells it like it is,” he said.
But Anna Lo Cicero of Gilbert lamented: “She’s a professional Bush-basher and she just spews venom.”
Practically every reader offered this advice on comics: “Just keep the ones I like.”
So every section and each edition involve choices. And whatever selection is made, it can’t possibly satisfy a “general” readership.
Because readers, like the newspapers that serve them, are not really “generalists,” but a peculiar collection of special interests.
