Readers' poll

The Panama News is about to undergo a makeover. Under our present format we have enjoyed a substantial growth in readership and a little bit of growth in advertising revenue, but that’s no reason for complacency. For one thing, there are long-standing quality issues that are acutely felt at our office, usually the results of money and labor shortages. When a paper is too much the product of one person, then cultural perspectives that this person does not share unavoidably get slighted. Moreover, because someone can only be in one place at one time and has finite energy a lot of stories that ought to be covered don’t get covered. Probably the most glaring distortion in our perspective is that, with the exception of Patricia Alvarado on the Fun page, we have no regular female contributors and the resulting male point of view --- for example with frequent coverage of boxing and no reporting of Panama’s fashion design scene --- is readily apparent.

For this makeover we will be consulting with a professional web designer, but even more important, we are consulting with you, the readers. Of course, these consultations can only go so far --- you might, for example, suggest that this basically insolvent enterprise hire a network of professional correspondents across Latin America and the Caribbean, but then the old Latin American proverb --- “If wishes were horses then beggars would ride” --- would apply. As things are now, we can’t afford to hire a consultant for our makeover, but will be receiving such services as an in-kind donation from one of our readers.

If you want to help make The Panama News a better publication, answer the following questionnaire and send your responses by email to editor@thepanamanews.com. The responses you give to this questionnaire will only be used by us for the purpose of evaluating possible changes to this publication. No record will be kept of your name or email address and we won’t share your responses or identity with any other person or institution.

Thank you for your help.

Demographic information:

Where do you live?

How old are you?

What is your first language?

What is your occupation?

What personal tie, if any, do you have to Panama?

If you live outside Panama, how often do you visit here?

If you live outside Panama, do you plan to move down here?

Do you read every issue of The Panama News, most but not all issues, only an occasional issue, or is this the first time you have read the paper?

Evaluation of The Panama News

What parts of The Panama News do you always read?

What parts of The Panama News do you never read?

What do you like the most about The Panama News?

What do you dislike the most about The Panama News?

What would you like to see included in The Panama News that is not now included?

On a “left to right” political spectrum, where would you place the overall mix of opinions expressed in our Editorial, Opinion and Letters sections?

Are you happy with that mix of opinions, and if not, how do you think it should be changed?

Do you believe that the news coverage in The Panama News is truthful?

Do you believe that the news coverage in The Panama News is fair?

Do you ever rely on information in The Panama News to make decisions in your working or personal life?

Send your answers to: editor@thepanamanews.com

Also in this section:
American Fair
Global Fund looking for proposals
Esther Maduro
The Panama News readers's survey
Worldwide effort against violence

community

We’re asking for your advice