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Communication Research: Where Airmen Get Information

Communication Research: Where Airmen Get Information. Major Rob Pope SAF/CMA. Overview. Noteworthy third-party data Where Airmen Get Information (WAGI) Other research projects. Info Preferences: Noteworthy Third-party Data. Newspapers: readership fell 1.7% from last year, to ~52%

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Communication Research: Where Airmen Get Information

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  1. Communication Research:Where Airmen Get Information Major Rob Pope SAF/CMA

  2. Overview • Noteworthy third-party data • Where Airmen Get Information (WAGI) • Other research projects

  3. Info Preferences:Noteworthy Third-party Data • Newspapers: readership fell 1.7% from last year, to ~52% • TV: audience numbers are down, primarily due to lifestyle changes (longer commutes, etc.), Internet usage, and some decline in interest in news • Radio: audience remains stable w/ >93% of people listening at least some each week; news/talk/info audience stable at 15.9% • Online: while online use rose more than an hour last year, the number of Americans who go online for news every day dropped 7% last year, to 27% • Blogs: audience has increased 12% in a year, to 39% • New media: • Only 8% of MP3 player owners listen to news podcasts • Only 6% of cell phone owners get news on their phones • 18.5% of PDA owners get news on them • 12% of Internet users had downloaded a podcast; many were teenagers • Just 5% have used RSS, while 88% don’t know what RSS is • Nearly 75% of people are not interested in watching TV on handheld devices Source: Pew Research Center’s “State of the News Media 2007 Report, As reported by OSD PA Research & Analysis’ 20 Mar 07 “Public Affairs by the Numbers”

  4. Where Airmen Get Information • Purpose • Explore where and how Airmen and AF civilians prefer to get info about the Air Force • Results will drive decisions on which channels to retain and improve and which channels to discontinue • Methodology • Focus groups with 91 Total Force Airmen and AF civilians at 3 bases, Nov 06 – Jan 07 • Web-based survey, answered by ~1,600 Airmen and AF civilians, Mar 07

  5. WAGI:Survey Questions • Overall satisfaction with AF communication • Info-gathering preferences • Fifteen specified AF communication products / channels • Other (non-AF) sources of info • New communication technologies / media

  6. WAGI:General Observations & Conclusions • The communication environment: focus group participants… • Are interested only in info that affects them personally • Receive too much info, yet rely on receiving a message via multiple channels for it to register as important • Don’t want more info pushed to them, but are unwilling to seek (or pull) info themselves

  7. WAGI:General Observations & Conclusions • The good news • Top-down emails within the chain of command are viewed as a highly valuable source of AF-specific info (though many also complain of too much email) • In-person meetings or briefings from the Commander, supervisor, or First Sergeant are valued sources of AF info • Commander’s Call is perceived as a slow but reliable source of important AF info; “If it’s important, it will be brought up at commander’s call” • Audience uses (94%) and values the base newspaper; prefers hardcopy (61%) over electronic (14%); may not be using paper primarily for news • AF Portal, AF Link, and Airman magazine are also highly used and valued • The rest of the story… • Many other AF products not highly used or valued by internal audience; radio, TV, and streaming audio and video fared poorly • Little interest in or use of new media technologies

  8. WAGI:Overall Satisfaction Average Rating = 6.8 N=1,040

  9. WAGI: Info gathering preferences

  10. WAGI: Info gathering preferences How audience would prefer to get info about AF-wide programs (matrix of channels and sources w/ 84 possible answers; multiple responses possible) Top 9 preferences are email or in person

  11. WAGI: Info-gathering preferences How audience would prefer to get info about AF-wide programs (matrix of channels and sources w/ 84 possible answers; multiple responses possible) Getting info from USAF HQ Least preferred channels (any source)

  12. WAGI:Info-gathering Preferences N=997

  13. WAGI: Info-gathering preferences

  14. WAGI: Info-gathering preferences

  15. Where Airmen Get Information 2007 Survey N=1,331

  16. Where Airmen Get Information 2007 Survey N=1,331

  17. WAGI:1/15 – Air Force Portal • Appears to be used more for career activities than AF info / news • Most Airmen use Portal because they have to (65%), not voluntarily (32%) • Portal needs improvement • 36% - It’s great, wouldn’t change a thing • 57% - Some parts are great, others need work • 7% - Very little I like about the Portal • Focus group feedback: • Use Portal primarily for personnel, training, and finance • Frustration with non-applicable info that “clutters” workspace – “I don’t need to see what CSAF is saying every time I log in” • Access is a major obstacle to Portal use – CAC, changing passwords • Finding info is a problem – poor search engine • Very little use or awareness of the Communities of Practice or AFKN

  18. WAGI:Air Force Portal Potential news / info sources N=1,349

  19. WAGI:2/15 – Air Force Link • Surveyed use of all links across top and right side of home page (28 total) • Most used links: News (50%), Photos (36%), Careers (35%) • Least used links: AF Bandstand Player (1%), Senior Leader Soundbites (1%), AF Posture Statement (2%) • 28% cannot or do not use streaming media from AF Link (of those who know what streaming media is) • Focus group feedback: • Very few knew of or used • Of the few who had seen it, most had only visited once or twice • Typically used to find out about the Air Force before entering the service • Some only used it as a resource for photos or biographies

  20. WAGI:Air Force Link N=1,305

  21. WAGI:Air Force Link N=1,305

  22. WAGI:Air Force Link N=1,305

  23. WAGI:Air Force Link N=1,305

  24. WAGI:Air Force Link N=1,209

  25. WAGI:3/15 – Base Newspaper • On average, audience disagrees with statement, “If the base paper went away, I’d still be able to get the info I want and need without much trouble” • Prefer hardcopy (61%) over electronic (14%) • Focus group feedback: • Most would not read online or via email • The most popular sections were the classifieds, police blotter, man-on-the-street interviews, upcoming MWR offerings, and unit sports scores • Often described as “boring” and “not pertinent” – “If it’s important, it will be brought up at commander’s call” • Perception by Airmen in the Reserve and Air Guard wings was that the base paper serves only active-duty Airmen • Base newspapers and their associated web-based versions seem to be more important for deployed Airmen

  26. WAGI:Base Newspaper N=1,071 N=1,061

  27. WAGI:Base Newspaper N=1,067

  28. WAGI:4/15 – Airman Magazine • Prefer hardcopy (47%) over electronic (19%) • On average, audience is neutral on the statement, “I would read more issues of Airman magazine, but sometimes I never see a copy to read” • Readership compared to last year: 14% more, 59% same, 27% less • On average, audience disagrees with statement, “I think Airman magazine is written with me in mind as the target audience” • Focus group feedback: • Many couldn’t recall ever having seen a copy • Seen by many as leisure-time reading – “entertainment, not news” or “the pictures are nice” • Some described as a window into the lives of other Airmen – useful for seeing what life is like in other units, bases, MAJCOMs, and career fields • A few indicated that “The Book” (Airman’s annual almanac issue) is a valuable resource that they keep on hand

  29. Use of Airman Magazine N=1,085

  30. Use of Airman Magazine N=1,078

  31. WAGI:5/15 – Commander’s Call Topics • 9% subscribe to CC Call Topics via email • 10% forward CC Call Topics to others via email (61% forward to < 5 others) • Focus group feedback: • Commander’s calls are perceived as a slow but reliable source of important AF info Researcher comment: may be confusion between product and event

  32. WAGI:6/15 – AF Print News (AFPN) N=646

  33. WAGI:7/15 – Commander’s Access Channel • On average, audience agrees with the statement, “If the Commander’s Access Channel went away, I’d still be able to get the information I need from other sources” • Focus group feedback: the vast majority did not know what a Commander’s Access Channel is or whether one exists on their base

  34. WAGI: 8/15 – AIM Points • Readership compared to last year: 17% more, 56% same, 27% less • Focus group feedback: very limited use or awareness N=506

  35. WAGI: 9/15 – Around the Air Force (TV) N=483 N=489

  36. WAGI:10/15 – USAF Highlights N=413

  37. WAGI:11/15 – Air Force Report (TV) N=404 N=405

  38. WAGI:12/15 – Today’s Air Force (TV) N=1,119

  39. WAGI:13/15 – AF Policy Letter Digest • Frequency of use: 5% read every issue, 14% read most issues, 82% read an occasional issue N=329

  40. WAGI:14/15 – Chief’s View (TV)

  41. WAGI:15/15 – Around the AF (Radio) N=269

  42. WAGI:Other Sources of Information

  43. WAGI:Other Sources of Info • General – Focus groups: • CNN, BBC, and FOX News were the most-cited civilian news sources • Not much use of radio, except during commute • Air Force Times – Focus groups: • Seen as both a primary info source and a sensationalist tabloid • Approximately half indicated they read it • Seen as a useful source for “the rest of the story” about negative AF stories Airmen won’t hear in official channels • Many said it is one of the first places they look for info such as pay charts, force shaping, promotions, retirements, and deaths

  44. WAGI: New technologies / media

  45. WAGI: New technologies / media

  46. WAGI: New technologies / media • Focus group feedback: in general, very low usage of new info technologies • Streaming video • A small number reported watching streaming video from AF TV News, AFN, or the Pentagon Channel • More reported streaming video from commercial sites • Internet instant messaging: • Much higher use among younger Airmen than older Airmen • Cell phone text messaging: • First-term Airmen and younger CGOs indicated a much higher use • NCOs, FGOs, and older civilians indicated almost no use • Blogging • Very few use blogs • Many indicated they don’t know what blogging is • Other indicated blogging is nothing more than “unfiltered ranting” or an online diary

  47. WAGI:Airmen as Communicators N=1,082

  48. WAGI:Computer Access at Work N=1,082

  49. WAGI:Product Summary

  50. WAGI:Summary of Key Findings • Feel overloaded with info, yet rely on receiving a message via multiple channels for it to register as important • Don’t want more info pushed to them, but are unwilling to seek (or pull) info themselves • Interested only in info that affects them personally • Satisfied overall with job AF does informing them (6.8 on 10-point scale) • The most valued communication channels are e-mail and in person from chain of command • Audience uses (94%) and values the base newspaper; prefers hardcopy (61%) over electronic (14%); may not be using paper primarily for news • AF Portal (99%), AF Link (96%), and Airman magazine (92%) also used and valued • AF radio (24%), TV (27 - 41%), and streaming audio & video fared poorly • Little interest in or use of new media technologies to get info about the Air Force (single digits)

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