Buried in the backyard: a study of locally generated content in small U.S. newspapers

• Main Author: Funk, Marcus James
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Small newspapers; Locally generated news content; Wire news content; Circulation size; Newspaper subject matter; Geographical newspapers; American newspapers; Newspapers
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2152/ETD-UT-2010-05-1053

Locally generated content comprises nearly 80% of front page content for most American newspapers, with Associated Press and other wire service content comprising between 15% and 20% across various circulation categories. However, newspapers with daily circulation between 30,000 and 50,000 provide a sharp distinction – a “curve” or “groove” – publishing an average of barely 60% locally generated content on their front page, pulling nearly 40% from wire services. The anomaly declines somewhat for publications with daily circulation between 50,000 and 100,000. This statistical content analysis of 42 American newspapers of diverse circulation sizes also reveals a universal focus on domestic politics, which comprises nearly a third of all locally generated and wire content, and reveals key commonalities across circulation categories and regional boundaries. === text