Visual communication and newspaper reader satisfaction

This research applied findings from experimental research to a natural setting to examine visual communication in newspapers and reader satisfaction. The research design included a content analysis of one daily newspaper with a visual design and one with a traditional design. A survey was conducted of 752 readers in three locations, including the publication towns and an equidistant town with subscribers of both newspapers.

Ten sets of hypotheses were formulated. Independent variables included readership of the visual or traditional newspaper, newspaper subscription and community of residence, daily television minutes, cable TV, weekly magazine minutes, readership of large visual newspapers, age, income, education and gender. Control variables were included.

Dependent variables included satisfaction with photo quality, desire for larger photos and more photos, satisfaction with graphics, satisfaction with writing and coverage, satisfaction with appearance, satisfaction with journalistic quality and personal utility and enjoyment.

Hypothesis testing showed that visual newspaper readership resulted in more satisfaction with maps, overall graphic quality and news coverage. Respondents rated the visual newspaper more modern, more appealing and better on overall appearance. However, visual newspaper readership had no impact on nine other appearance variables, a sharp contrast from previous experimental research findings

Increased time watching television had negative effects on perceptions of overall graphic quality and exciting appearance. Cable TV in the home resulted in desire for multiple photo stories. More time spent reading magazines had little effect on the dependent variables. Readership of large visual newspapers resulted in less satisfaction with feature stories and lower ratings on appearance variables.

Ratings on nine of the appearance variables increased with age. Income and education increases resulted in more satisfaction with visual communication in general, less desire for visual change, but more critical stance toward appearance variables. Males desired more photos and were less satisfied with the appearance of the newspaper than females.

Exploratory research found that editor influence, maturity and home ownership, education, gender, readership of large visual newspapers, clipping coupons and equidistant town residence had more impact than other variables in the hypothesis testingThe author suggested multi-variate research designs for future visual communication research.