Readership survey reveals Airmen think magazine is 'vital,' half would read news on web

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Stephen J. Collier
  • 302nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. --  We asked, you spoke: the 2009 Front Range Flyer readership survey results are now available.

In January and February, the 302nd Airlift Wing public affairs office conducted a wing-wide readership survey to better gauge its reader's likes and dislikes pertaining to the wing's quarterly magazine, the Front Range Flyer. More than 120 Reservists responded to the 19 survey questions, with 30 percent of respondents originating from the 302nd Mission Support Group.

Breaking down responders even further, more than 34 percent of those who took the survey identified themselves as being between the age of 41 and 48, while more than 64 percent identified themselves as male.

Three-quarters of survey respondents revealed they read all four issues of the Flyer printed throughout the year. Furthermore, more than 55 percent selected "agree" or "strongly agree" when asked if the magazine was a vital source of unit news to them.

"We greatly appreciate the feedback we received from 302nd Airlift Wing members through this readership survey," said Ann Skarban, chief of the 302nd AW's public affairs office. "Knowing what is important to our primary audience helps us make better decisions on the content of each quarter's magazine. We work hard with each edition to select the most interesting and newsworthy items to share with the wing and the information gained from this survey will help us to do just that."

With the addition of electronic communication tools, including the wing's public website and Facebook social media page, the ability to share information and stories has expanded beyond the traditional print publication.

But while 72 percent of respondents said they were aware of the wing's public website,  two-thirds of overall responses indicated they visit the site only during Unit Training Assemblies or not at all. This fact was also coupled with close to 48 percent of respondents who revealed they would not use social media sites, like Facebook or Twitter, to get their news from the wing.

"The amount of news we can put in the Front Range Flyer is limited by space and budget," said Capt. Jody Ritchie, deputy chief of wing public affairs, "so I hope Reservists continue to look to the website for up-to-date information; we are dedicated to the site and update it nearly every business day."

Since undergoing a major redesign in the spring of 2009, the Front Range Flyer has garnered praise from both wing members to Air Force Reserve Command officials, where it took third place overall for best magazine in the command. That redesign incorporated more dynamic graphics, provided an enhanced layout for better functionality and added a more visually-appealing design for readers, while being presented in a "21st century" layout.

To see all of the results from the survey, click here.

Stay with www.302aw.afrc.af.mil for the latest news and information.