Ajalehe Lääne Elu arengulugu ja lugejaskond

Date

2008

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Tartu Ülikool

Abstract

Description

This thesis is aimed at providing an overview of the development and current situation of the county newspaper Lääne Elu, in order to assist the editorial staff in maintaining the role of the community paper also in the future. Lääne Elu (“Western Life”), established in 1989 in the county of Läänemaa, is a privately owned independent newspaper. The paper was among the first to introduce modern practices of newspaper journalism as well as Western journalistic values in Estonia, successfully defeating the previous county paper in fierce competition. For the last 15 years, the newspaper has had a monopolistic position in its native community. This thesis researched the changes in the readership and the extent of target audience coverage of Lääne Elu, juxtaposing the results with those of other Estonian county newspapers. Data from Estonian market research companies was used for this purpose. Interviews with opinion leaders in the county helped chart the expectations that the populace of Läänemaa has of the community newspaper. Interviews with the founder of the paper and the journalist with the longest tenure reflected the changes in the organisation of the work of and the values held high by the editorial staff throughout the period of the paper’s publication. Using content analysis, shifts in the extent of classical newsworthiness within the context of general news, as well as the topics of the general news’ headlines were observed. In addition, structural changes in the composition of the editorial staff were monitored. The study reveals that within its scope and readership, Lääne Elu is capable of fulfilling the role of the community paper — the newspaper is read by 2/3 of the adult population of the county, the highest indicator of its kind among Estonian county papers. Yet, in recent years, readership of the paper outside the county has steadily grown, and already more than a quarter of the readers only access the online edition. This is a challenge to the editorial staff, as systematic development of the online edition and active sales of advertising to this medium have yet to be initiated. The paper is read more by senior residents of Läänemaa; propagation of the newspaper is the smallest among the youths. Quality of the general news stories in accordance to their newsworthiness has grown throughout the years, while the scope of topics in the headlines of these stories has mostly stayed the same. Local politics, history, native culture and public order are dominant among the topics, yet important issues like subsistence and agriculture are almost absent. Throughout the years, the manpower of the newspaper, including the editorial staff, has dwindled. Many journalists have gone on to work for nation-wide media channels; finding replacements has been complicated. The ability of the editorial staff to shape opinions has diminished, as has the frequency of intra-paper discussions. The interviews suggested that the newspaper, while boasting a strong news section, has regressed in the area of opinions and feature stories. The thesis demonstrates to the owners and the editorial staff of “Lääne Elu” the challenges the paper as a community periodical is facing.

Keywords

H Social Sciences (General), bakalaureusetööd

Citation