Women told researchers for the 1997 Media Usage Study that there are lots of things right about newspapers. They expressed interest in a broad range of topics that newspapers cover, and they generally gave coverage high marks. They especially liked newspaper advertising. NAA and the American Society of Newspaper Editors in Reston, Va., sponsored the effort to explore why some segments of the population read and enjoy newspapers more than others. But other studies show that women of every age group, regardless of time constraints, spend more time reading each week than men of their age do.
Women spend the bulk of their time with magazines and books, men with newspapers.
A careful look at what women like about newspapers offers clues. Major gaps stretch between what women rated as their most important topics and those that newspapers do the best job of covering. Finally, women see a disconnect between what they value in advertising and the ads that newspapers carry. Editors and publishers need to move on several fronts to bridge those rifts. They said newspapers do the best job of covering crime, sports scores and statistics, professional sports, and entertainment.