Readers' Response to Appearance of Competing Metropolitan Dailies.

ABSTRACT A study was conducted to examine newspaper readers' responses to front page design and to explore the perceived differences among traditional, modern, and modular formats of newspaper design. Slides of the front pages of 10 pairs of competing daily newspapers were shown to 91 journalism students. After viewing three slides for each paper, subjects completed a semantic differential instrument for each one. Students also indicated how attractive they found nine appearance deviser for the newspapers and completed a profile questionnaire. Respondents generally gave moderate to good ratings to most newspapers on most dimensions. Only one of the pairs of papers showed a significant difference on any of the 15 quality ratings. The "Evening Sun," Baltimore's circulation leader, was perceived as much bolder than the competing "News American." Modular papers, although perceived as bolder, more modern, and more readable, were also viewed as less professional and as containing softer news. Traditional papers were seen as more valuable, more accurate, and running harder news, bat also as old fashioned and more dull. Newspapers using the modern Lome.: scored higher across the 15-item quality dimension, with the "Det\.)it News" scoring highest in overall quality. Subjects who read newspapers regularly were more likely to find the use of graphs and charts attractive than were nonregular readers. (HTH)