COASTWATCH 



SURVEY 



Audience 

 Participation: 



Subscribers Respond 

 to Coastwatch Survey 



By Hans Vogelsong and David Graefe 



.ublishing Coastwatch presents a variety of 

 challenges. 



"The magazine is designed to help fulfill 

 North Carolina Sea Grant's outreach mission — to 

 make coastal science accessible to the public," 

 Managing Editor Katie Mosher explains. 



In considering story topics for each issue, 

 editors and wnters need to know who reads 

 the magazine and how information provided in 

 Coastwatch may influence knowledge and behavior. 



To answer these questions, researchers at 

 East Carolina University surveyed a sample of 

 Coastwatch subscribers in summer 2006. The survey 

 was designed to help determine what readers 

 want from the publication, and to ascertain how 

 effective the magazine is as an educational tool. 



A sample of 800 subscnbers was randomly 

 selected, including individuals, libraries, 

 government branches, museums and nonprofit 

 agencies. 



The researchers received 520 completed 

 surveys. "We are very pleased that so many chose 

 to reply," Mosher says. 



Data from these surveys is still being 

 analyzed. And additional surveys will be sent to a 

 sampling of agencies and educational institutions 

 that receive complimentary copies. 



A copy of the full report will be available 

 on the Sea Grant Web site in early 2007. In the 

 meantime, the researchers offer highlights of 

 preliminary findings. 



WHO SUBSCRIBES? 



More than 60 percent of respondents own 

 property on the North Carolina coast or coastal 

 plain. Those not residing at the North Carolina 

 coast reported visiting an average of eight times 



peryear. As expected, the lowest number of these 

 trips occurred in the winter and spnng months, 

 and the highest number of visits coincided with 

 the peak summer and fall seasons. 



About 40 percent descnbe themselves as 

 retired. The remaining respondents represent 1 1 2 

 different occupations. Respondents range from 26 

 to 95 years old, with an average age of 63. Almost 

 three-quarters of the respondents are males. 

 Ninety percent report some post-high school 

 education, and 40 percent report at least some 

 graduate education. 



Members of the sample appear to be a busy 

 group. Nearly 44 percent belong to community 

 organizations. Nearly 25 percent are business 

 owners. Twenty percent are educators. Others 

 described themselves as elected or appointed 

 officials or government employees. 



About 14 percent have received Coastwatch 

 for two years or less — and 8 percent report 

 receiving the publication for more than 20 years. 

 On average the respondents had received the 

 magazine for nine years. 



Although Coastwatch readers are a diverse 

 bunch, they have a common thread: an interest in 

 North Carolina's coastal issues. 



VALUE OF COASTWATCH 



On average, more than three people read 

 every copy of Coastwatch received by a subscriber. 



Most subscribers — more than 89 percent 

 — share Coastwatch with others, or keep copies 

 for future reference. Slightly more than 9 percent 

 recycle issues when they are finished reading. 



More than 90 percent share information 

 from Coastwatch with family and friends, while 30 

 percent of readers share knowledge gained from 



Coastwatch in educational settings. 



Articles on coastal issues and controversies 

 were read most frequently. In close succession were 

 articles on science, nature, history, and coastal 

 communities. Even the least popular category 

 — Book Market — is read at least some of the time 

 by a majority of respondents. 



One section of the survey asked subscribers 

 to read statements about different potential 

 attributes of Coastwatch — informative, accurate, 

 balanced stories, understandable, appealing overall 

 and visually attractive — and rank their level of 

 agreement with those statements. 



Respondents gave Coastwatch high marks on 

 all these statements — the lowest average score was 

 4.2, out of a top potential score of 5. They were 

 most likely to strongly agree with statements that 

 Coastwatch is informative, visually attractive and 

 appealing overall — each receiving an average of 4.6 



The informative theme continues. More 

 than half the respondents indicate that Coastwatch 

 provides "considerable understanding" of various 

 topics including aquaculture, coastal development 

 issues, coastal erosion and storm effects, coastal 

 communities and heritage, coastal water quality 

 issues, and coastal ecosystems and habitats. 



The following comments, selected from 

 responses, describe how Coastwatch affects readers: 



"Coastwatch has enhanced my knowledge and 

 improved my understanding of coastal development issues, 

 storm effects on the coastal region and homes, invasive 

 species, and the changing face of the region itself." 



"Coastwatch is best at conveying a sense of 

 uniqueness and fragility of both the ecosystems and culture 

 of the N. C. coast. I have especially learned to value the 

 toughness of those trying to live in the small villages as their 

 ancestors have done. " 



26 Coastwatch I Holiday 2006 I www.ncseagrant.org 



