Readers Love The Groundhog

In an age when newspapers are going all-digital and print publications are becoming increasingly rare, readers of The Groundhog continue to enjoy their monthly community newspaper and the news and features it delivers.

Across the past several weeks, The Groundhog has conducted a survey to better understand reader engagement with the newspaper. Following are some of those results:

Favorite features

• Upcoming events
• News
• Human interest stories
• Updates from organizations such as the Little River Arts Council and Moon Lake Library
• Mentone Matters by Mayor Rob Hammond
• From the Editor.

Where to you pickup your copy?

• 90% at distribution points within the community
• 10% via subscription.

Residency

• 70% described themselves as full-time or part-time residents of Mentone.

Support for Advertisers

• 76% of readers have visited a business after seeing its ad in the newspaper
• 63% of readers have made a purchase from a business after seeing its ad

When asked to complete the sentence, “The best thing about The Groundhog is,” readers consistently described the newspaper as a vital thread connecting the people, places, and stories of Mentone. There was a strong appreciation for the focus on local news, community happenings, events, history, and the people who give the mountain its character. Many readers valued how the newspaper helps them “keep up with everyone & everything going on in Mentone,” while others pointed to its deeper role in preserving local memory, from “local lore” and “old photos” to stories of artists, farms, and outdoor life.

One reader summed it up by saying The Groundhog presented “the different colors of fabrics all sewn together that make up the greater Mentone area — community, arts, music and nature.”

The Groundhog is published by the non-profit MERF, which does tremendous work in Mentone and Valley Head through arts education, support for senior citizens, and scholarships. local residents and visitors alike.