Every few years, we ask our readers what they think of the Harvard Press. This fall, 262 of you took the time to complete our survey—some online, others filling out paper copies at the Harvard Senior Center, library, and General Store. We are grateful for every response, including the critical ones.
Any survey has limitations. Ours reached the people most likely to respond: current subscribers, longtime residents, regular Town Meeting attendees. That means we heard clearly from our most engaged readers but less clearly from newcomers, younger residents, and those not yet convinced the Press matters to their lives. Still, 262 responses represent meaningful feedback from the community we serve, and patterns in the data—both encouraging and concerning—deserve attention. For more, see our report, which begins on page 3.
The good news is that respondents value what we do. Nearly nine in 10 strongly agree that the Press is integral to this community, and 95% expressed satisfaction with our reporting. We don’t take those numbers for granted. They reflect years of work by a small, dedicated staff committed to covering this town with care and accuracy.
But this survey wasn’t conducted to congratulate ourselves. We wanted to hear what we’re missing, and you told us that, too.
Several readers raised concerns about political balance in our opinion pages. We hear you. News coverage of town government earned near-universal high marks for accuracy and fairness, but our editorial and opinion content is another matter. We need to do a better job of seeking out a wider range of voices—including conservative perspectives that reflect the full range of views in this community.
We also heard a clear call for better coverage of Devens. With jurisdictional changes coming in 2033, the relationship between Harvard and Devens will only grow more consequential. Only 10 of our 262 survey respondents were from Devens—a sign that we have not yet made ourselves essential to that community. We hope to change that.
Readers 65 and older made up 39% of our survey respondents but only 14% of the town’s population. Younger residents—the families now raising children in Harvard’s schools, the newcomers who don’t yet know what they’re missing—are largely absent from our pages and from our subscriber rolls. This is not a problem unique to the Harvard Press, but it is our problem to solve.
We are a small paper serving a small community. That is precisely our strength. Our thanks to the Press staff and Harvard Press Community Advisory Board members who designed this survey, compiled the responses, and guided our analysis of what you told us. Most of all, thank you to everyone who took the time to help us do this better.