Santa Rosa Press Democrat Comics Survey

Comments ⁶

1. Mike Peterson  (admin)

   I used to try to explain that these unscientific comic “surveys” are just a way to find out what your existing subscribers who have retired want to see. Rather than attract new readers, the goal is apparently to placate those you already have but who won’t be around in another decade or so.

   It ought to make readers question the editing of any story that has to do with polls or statistics, since it’s such a blatant giveaway that the editors understand neither.

2. Mark Jackson

   “It ought to make readers question the editing of any story that has to do with polls or statistics”

   Shouldn’t that already be everybody’s Bayesian prior?

3. P.J. Terryberry

   Are there new or potential readers of newspapers? I think that ship has sailed. This is more likely a way to cut comics at the bottom of the polls to save money. Then when they get complaints about the “cut” comics they can turn it back on the readers and their votes.

4. Mike Peterson  (admin)

   PJ, I’m not speculating about this. I spent about 35 years working in newspapers, including redesigning one paper’s entire comics section (Sundays included).

   Here’s how we did it, and why I wish innumerate editors would stop doing “comic surveys.”

   https://www.weeklystorybook.com/comic_strip_of_the_daycom/2016/03/how-to-conduct-a-comics-survey.html

5. P.J. Terryberry

   Thanks, Mike, that’s a great piece. I totally defer to your experience, but my cynicism feeds the “They don’t care about the results. They just want to make changes and blame the readers” position. What’s the point of a survey unless they’re adding new comics, right?

6. Jack and Lana Hassett

   COMICS WE LIKE:
   FAMILY CIRCUS, PEANUTS, FOR BETTER OR WORSE
   GARFIELD, LUANN, HAGAR THE HORRIBLE, MUTTS
   PICKLES, ZITS, BABY BLUES, TUNDRA, BLONDIE
   ARGYLE SWEATE, NON SEQUITAR IS SOMETIME GOOD

   COMICS WE DISLIKE:
   BIZARRO, BLISS, DOONESBURY, CANDORVILLE, DILBERT,
   SALLY FORTH WAS GOOD NOW POOR,
   REX MORGAN WAS GOOD NOW STUPID, PEARLS BEFORE SWINE SOMETIMES GOOD

   LIKE TO SEE ADDED:
   B.C.
   FAR SIDE
   MOTHER GOOSE