Back in September, we asked readers to fill out a survey to help us get to know who makes up the Greater Greater Washington community, learn how and why they read, and identify areas for improvement. 1,041 readers completed the survey. This is what we learned and what we (and you!) can do with this information.

Text analysis of respondents’ open-ended comments.

1. You appreciate the content and think we should keep up the good work!

Overall, your feedback was positive and supportive and many of you told us to “keep up the good work.” i

Our goal is to publish at least 18 posts on normal weeks (when there isn’t a holiday or another reason for us to run a light schedule). Most of our posts are around 700 words long.

The overwhelming majority of respondents thought that the current number of posts and post length are “just right” (93% and 98%, respectively.) So, we’ll likely keep up that frequency and length based on your feedback.

Generally, most respondents (71%) felt that the geographic focus of our coverage was on point, as well.

Responses to current coverage of specific geographic areas in the region.

But, nearly a third (32%) want to see more coverage of areas east of the Anacostia River in DC. Respondents would also like to see more coverage of places in Northern Virginia and Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland.

If you live in or know about urbanism issues in these places, please consider writing for us!

2. You don’t have a clear desire to see GGWash experiment with other forms of media

Staff and the editorial board have been wondering if we should test out new forms of content other than the short, written blog posts published on our website that readers have come to expect from GGWash. We wanted to hear readers’ thoughts, specifically about podcasts, videos, and printed materials.

Generally readers were ambivalent about whether GGWash should produce or feature other forms of content. Nearly a quarter (24%) recommended that we “definitely” produce or feature podcasts, but about the same number (23%) said we should “definitely not” spend our time on podcasts. You had similar thoughts about videos; very few readers seemed to think that printed materials would be a valuable use of our resources.

Especially since readers’ feedback was inconclusive, we’re going to explore new media further to learn what it would take to produce regular audio or visual content.

3. A personal interest in urbanism and a desire to be more knowledgeable about your community brings you to GGWash on a regular basis

The majority of respondents (62%) read the blog every day. Readers seem to be most driven to GGWash because of a personal interest in the topics we cover and a desire to be more knowledgeable about what’s going on in their community and the region.

Most of our readers have been reading for years. More than one quarter of you (26%) have been reading for more than five years. Thanks for sticking with us! But we’re still attracting new readers. We hope that the 11% of you who have been reading for less than a year will become long-time readers, too!

It’s worth noting that these data points are likely skewed in favor of frequent, committed, long-time readers. For example, since the survey was only open for a couple of weeks, people who read less often were probably less likely to see the survey opportunity. Similarly, people who have been reading for less than one year may not have been as inclined to complete the survey as those who have been reading for years and feel a deeper connection and commitment to the site.

4. Comments are an important part of GGWash and you want to see them improved

In an era when many media outlets are shutting down their comments sections, GGWash is committed to keeping a respectful, safe space for constructive dialogue about the issues facing our region. So, we wanted to learn what motivates people to comment and if there is anything we can do to encourage more people to comment.

Most people told us they read comments. Half of all respondents read the comments occasionally, when they’re “very interested in a post.” About a third (36%) read the comments more frequently. The remaining 14% of respondents rarely or never read the comments.

Only a small percentage of readers actually post comments, though. The 278 people who indicated that they comment “frequently” or “occasionally ” do so for a variety of reasons ranging from a desire to provide additional information (“educational”), to an intention to poke holes in the post’s arguments (“contrarian”).

Among readers who don’t comment, some (23%) would consider commenting if we made it easier to reply directly to others’ comments. Good news! Our new site will allow this, so we hope new voices will come forward in the comments once we roll out the redesign.

5. You are aware of our political endorsements and advocacy coverage, even if you don’t engage in it

Most respondents (71%) are aware that GGWash makes political endorsements. Of those, nearly half (49%) indicate that our endorsements have influenced their decision about who to vote for. Given that our survey went out shortly after the contested primary race between Vincent Orange, David Garber, and Robert White, many respondents referenced our endorsements in this race.

Text analysis of respondents’ comments about which GGWash endorsements influenced their vote..

The majority of respondents (71%) felt that GGWash is doing just the right amount of advocacy on the blog. Only 11% indicated that they think we’re doing too much.

Turning awareness into action has been trickier, though. Of the 71% of respondents who have seen our calls to action on the blog, only 27% have actually participated by sending an email or sharing information.

GGWash’s mission is to build informed and engaged residents of the Washington region. We give you information, analysis and opportunities to take action to influence decisions. It’s up to you participate!

6. You help keep our local and national economies running

GGWash readers are a well-educated group of people. Nearly 93% of respondents are college graduates and have either started or completed a graduate degree!

You put your skills and education to work in a variety of jobs that keep our communities, local and national, moving forward. Approximately one third of respondents are employed in government jobs, those focusing on computers or technology, or work in business or finance. The remaining respondents hold a wide variety of jobs from transportation, urban planning, and engineering, to education, social sciences and nonprofits. Our readers are lawyers, caregivers, journalists, artists, students, and economists.

Nearly half (44%) of readers work in a job that is focused nationally, while a quarter spend most of their professional time working on local (13%) or regional issues (14%).

7. Our readership is diverse in some ways, but more homogenous in others

Our readers span generations, but nearly half (47%) of readers are under 35. Many of you have spent decades in the Washington region, while others are relative newcomers to the area.

Most readers identify as Caucasian or White (83%), while 5.4% identify as Black, 3.5% as Hispanic or Latino, and 3.3% as East Asian. Nearly 7% of respondents preferred not to respond to this question. More men (71%) responded to this survey than women (25%) or gender non-conforming individuals (.7%).

Although our readers reflect a variety of different backgrounds, we would like our readership to better reflect the demographics of the region. We have some ideas for expanding our readership in the coming year, but we’d love to hear your thoughts, too.

You can help us keep up the good work and make improvements!

These survey results generally suggest that you think we’re doing good work and appreciate GGWash as a resource. But, there are some ways we can improve.

Greater Greater Washington staff and the editorial board, can keep us moving forward, but we can’t do it without you. Here are two important ways you can help us make Greater Greater Washington…greater!

  • Become a contributor and provide the coverage that you wish you saw on the blog. Be one of the voices you think is missing from the discussion on GGWash, particularly if you share our love for the region and desire to make it better, but don’t think you reflect the names, gender, and/or races and ethnicities you find on the blog. Your voice is welcome, too! Need a hand getting started? Come to Wednesday’s blogging workshop in Arlington! RSVP here.
  • Make a donation so we can keep bringing you a reliable stream of information about the Washington, DC region. Even though our content is written by volunteers, it costs money to keep the site going. From paying our staff editor, to covering for hosting and server costs, your donations help keep the site running. Will you make a donation today? It’s #givingtuesday after all!

Thank you to the more than 1,000 readers who completed the survey! Pat Q., Reema G., and Timothy B. were the lucky winners of a $25 Starbucks gift card, which we offered as an incentive for completing the survey. And, a huge thanks to volunteer contributor Mike Lloyd for analyzing the data!

Sarah Guidi was Greater Greater Washington's Managing Director from 2015 to 2018. She now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her family.