Daily Circulation: 17,575
Sunday Circulation: 19,143


List the major steps you have taken in the last four years to increase readership. Please organize your response under four headings: content, brand, service, culture.

Content
Started using more breakouts and text-box graphics.

Expanded our People column.

Started a column for school news.

Started a motor sports column.

Started publishing photo galleries online from big-ticket events such as graduations and events.

We're working on adding a list of today's funeral services.

Brand
We've reached out to the public with numerous projects, asking for their help to tell the story. Among them:

"Making a Difference," a special section in which we asked readers to nominate folks from their community who are working to make a difference.

Continued producing annual salary survey which looks at salaries of top public servants.

Continued producing our Giving Tree, a special section which raises money to help the needy in our community.

Launched a California Public Records Act project which involved members of the public who made requests for information at our behest.

We launched a Reporter Book Club a few years ago and review about six books a year. Our mailing list has topped 200.

Service
We made all our forms for news submission available online... so forms for weddings, engagements, new businesses, etc. can now be filled out and submitted online.

Culture
To inspire our staff to implement readership ideas, we launched a game, which we called "Readership: Catch the Wave." We have broken into teams and they're competing for points and prizes. Points are earned for every readership-growing idea that is implemented. Prizes include everything from a mascot to ice cream and fancy lunches.



What is the most innovative, successful or noteworthy thing you have done on readership that you think other papers might learn from or want to emulate?
I think our game is unique. It's a fun way to inspire people to work together. It has been amazing to see people really thinking about making connections with readers and how empowering it is when they learn that others will cooperate with them, even if it's just for points. Some people think the game concept is silly, but once they start talking to readers, they're hooked.



What is the most persuasive indication you have that your readership efforts are producing results?
We've invited our readers to share their thoughts with us on what we're doing right and what we need to improve. So far, the feedback has been very valuable. It's too early to look at circulation numbers for validation because our "game" started in June.



What is the most important lesson you have learned as you have worked on readership in the last few years?
That readers don't think like journalists, and that if we are to be successful, we need to start thinking like readers.



What would you like to do on readership that you have not been able to do and why haven't you been able to do it?
I'd like to see the entire newspaper staff get involved with this concept, but so far, staffs from other departments (advertising, circulation, press, mailroom) don't know much about it.

Getting Traction on Readership

Survey Responses by Topic & Newspaper