UNIFIED STUDENT MEDIA GROUP

Research Group 5
Alex Bodem Sam Crone Ali Gelhaus Jennifer Miller Rachel Rump Meghan Williams

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract Part One: Introduction Part Two: Target Audience & SWOT Part Three: Literature Review Part Four: Research Questions & Literature Review Part Five: Research Methods Part Six: Results Part Seven: Discussion Appendix

ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to find out what messages resonate best with Unified Student Media Groups target audience and what tactics they should use to convey these messages. To resolve these questions, focus groups and in-depth interviews were conducted with Ball State students of different ages and majors as the participants. These methods provided insight into the minds of Ball State students. The findings of our research show that the majority of students were unaware of USMG, but thought that the collaboration was an interesting concept. However, a greater number of students were concerned that the idea would be confusing and would also take away from the individual characteristics of each group.

PART 1: INTRODUCTION
Unified Student Media Group mission statement is: To provide an innovative, nimble and interactive digital environment in which students fine-tune skill sets and experience crossplatform publishing with an emphasis on digital first, (Metzger, Class Presentation, Slide 2, 2012). USMG was formed by Ball State University professor Julie Metzger in 2012, but has been in the works for a few years. USMG comprises six student media outlets including: The Daily News, SportsLink, NewsLink, Ball Bearings and WCRD. When discussing Unified Student Media Groups medium, Metzger stated, We want to reach all audiences on the platform they are most comfortable with whether it be print, web, tablet or the phone. We believe understanding how these platforms work is an essential skill that employers want. USMG wants our graduates to feel comfortable providing content across platforms, (Metzger, Email, 2012). Unified Student Media Groups goal is to create a unified brand that will reach audience members under one name. Combining all of these platforms will help student media grow, promote and sell their ideas. USMGs current strategy is nontraditional in the sense that they are using different types of multimedia: digital, mobile, and iDesk. In other words, they are publishing everything online first in hopes it will end up in a newscast, print, or a breaking-news stream of social media updates. They are also incorporating additional research done by undergraduate journalism students in Media Research and Consumer Behavior, Journalism 382. As a student run organization, Unified Student Media Group will rely heavily on internal student involvement as well as external student interest. USMG will use digital and print ads to help spread awareness of their brand as well as generate financial support from outside sources. All of USMGs media will be combined onto one website called The Daily. The website holds a carousel for new stories that will cycle through. The top, most prominent part of the website will focus mostly on The Daily News. USMG has faced a number of problems from the start, including resistance from members of student media outlets as well as a lack of knowledge from the general Ball State University

public. Internal sources are worried that USMG will take over existing media as well as those who will make editorial decisions. Metzger states, USMG has no intentions to take over existing media, but will help push brands existing content in the current student media outlets. The main problem the Unified Student Media Group faces is deciding what messages resonate best with their target audience and what tactics will convey that message. Another possible problem USMG faces is the confusion between their chosen name, The Daily, and the remaining student organizations identities. By using that vague name, students may not realize that Ball Bearings, Sportslink, etc. are also a part of USMG. Research implications we may face include finding focus group participants, the lack of time to complete and compile the information we find and difficulties finding people who do not have a current bias against one or more student media outlets.

Objectives
1. Administer focus groups composed of Ball State University students with various majors to gain insight on their perception of Unified Student Media Group and what this organization is attempting to implement. We must also find out what messages will resonate best with students. 2. Conduct in-depth interviews with Ball State University students without fear of bias or other opinions altering other participants judgments.

PART 2: TARGET AUDIENCE & SWOT

Target Audience
Our target audience ranged within the university. They were the Ball State students (ages 1825), Ball State faculty, opinion leaders within the mediums organizations and the members of those mediums. Ball State Students Because they digest the most information that is provided by the mediums on Ball States campus, students were our primary public. There typical age ranged from 18-25. Understanding this public was our main focus to understanding USMGs brand. Ball State Faculty and Staff The faculty and staff on Ball States campus, although not primary, were still important to the development of the brand. This public can help promote awareness of the unified brand to their students. The student population is continuously changing, while the faculty stays much more constant, so they can keep the awareness going throughout the coming years when new students arrive. Opinion Leaders This public was extremely important because they are the ones that are heading these mediums. These leaders are the gatekeepers within the mediums and their opinions come through in the published works. Without the opinion leaders support, USMG could fail to promote a unified brand concept, which in turn could create internal issues and problems.

SWOT
Strengths The strengths of USMG are that they have eight different sources of mediums. Within these sources, the Daily News and WCRD are accredited sources of information and WCRD has regular listeners along with a heavy student following. These sources create revenue for themselves, which can be combined for USMG. These strengths provide a strong foundation for UMG to build upon. Weaknesses The main weakness that USMG faces is that the eight mediums are separate; therefore all of the organizations have their own unique identity. With that being said, there is the potential of competition and power struggle between opinion leaders. If there is no unity, there is no brand. Therefore there is no awareness of USMG. The messages that will resonate with the publics are unknown. Opportunities The opportunities that would arise from unifying the mediums will create a chance to obtain new and more viewers and listeners. There is also a huge open market for more advertising dollars for all mediums. It will also eliminate readership bias that may come with the separate mediums. Threats When promoting a new brand, there is always the threat of people not accepting USMG. If the target audience rejects USMG and there is little to no awareness of the brand, it will be hard to gain loyalty from the public.

PART 3: RESEARCH QUESTIONS

From our situation analysis, we developed two research questions that we addressed through our research: 1. What messages resonate best with the target audience? 2. What tactics should they use to convey those messages?

PART 4: LITERATURE REVIEW

Getting Hooked on News
Getting Hooked on News: Uses and Gratifications and the Formation of News Habits Among College Students in an Internet Environment. College students are at a new time in their lives. They are no longer with their parents who probably watched local news every evening or read the newspaper. News surrounded them when they lived at home. This time of being in college is very important for young adults to form their news consumption habits (Diddi and LaRose, 2006). College students form patterns of voting as well as news consumption that may persist for a lifetime (Diddi and LaRose, 2006). With technology constantly changing, college students can get their news in many different ways. Theres print, online, broadcast and social media. Todays college students have grown up with the Internet. Its something that they use for entertainment and news. According to a study by Pew Internet and American Life (2002), college students are early adopters and heavy users of the Internet. By the time they were about 16 years old, nearly all present-day college students had started using computers (Diddi and LaRose, 2006). This research proves that online presence of the news community is a must to reach this demographic. The research of Diddi and LaRose was to see whether emerging patterns of news consumption still fit the conventional distinction between print and television sources (Diddi and LaRose,

2006). Their research shows that for college students, the campus newspaper, Internet news sites and late-night comedians were the most frequently visited news sources (Diddi and LaRose, 2006). College students are constantly being bombarded by news. They are discussing current events in classes. So if they are not reading the newspaper, they are consuming the news secondhand by listening to their peers and professors. According the Pew Research Center, college students are emerging more as news grazers, which means they check news periodically but do not have a particularly time for news consumption (Diddi and LaRose, 2006). This study consisted of 303 undergraduate students that attend a major midwestern university (Diddi and LaRose, 2006). This ties into Ball State perfectly. It is located in the Midwest. Because this demographic of the research represents the demographic of Ball State, the findings are relevant and the Unified Student Media Group should take this in account. The best way to reach the students is to be present in social media.

Digital Nation
Digital Nation is a documentary produced and directed by Rachel Dretzin and Doug Rushkoff that focus on the current generation of college students and how they interact with and use digital media today. They interviewed several professors and researchers at universities across the country, such as Stanford, Emory and MIT. In addition to interviewing professors and researchers, Dretzin and Rushkoff also spoke with the students at the schools they visited. They obtained viewpoints and opinions from the students on their desire to multi-task and their ability to do it without interruption during class or their daily life. At the beginning of the documentary, Rushkoff went to MIT to observe some of the brightest students in the nation and how they used digital media. When students were asked about schoolwork and multitasking, they were very clear on how they felt. One female student simply stated that, Digital media is whats popular right now. As students we want information at our fingertips and it doesnt matter if were in class or eating lunch, (Dretzin & Rushkoff, 2012). After visiting MIT, Rushkoff went to Stanford University and spoke to Professor Nass, whom at the time was doing research on students that engage in multitasking. Classic psychology believes that doing more than one thing at a time is possible and Professor Nass wanted to test that theory. He carefully chose a group of students that are usually doing five or more things at one time. One of the many tests gauged how well students multitask by listening to a student

talking on the cell phone, while driving a simulated car. After measuring the results of the tests, he found that a student significantly slower when they are engaging in multiple activities as compared to doing one task. Professor Nass also added that multitasking is creating people who are unable to think well and clearly (Dretzin & Rushkoff, 2012). Even with the results of that study, Professor Nass admitted that, Students are spending over 50 hours a week with digital media, (Dretzin & Rushkoff, 2012). Rushkoff ended the documentary with this quote, The internet has changed from a thing one does, to the way one lives, (Dretzin & Rushkoff, 2012). This documentary shows that digital media is more important today than ever before. Students today have openly admitted to their need for media at their fingertips, and the woman from MIT solidified that response. Despite opinions that multitasking while using social media is already making students less engaging and unable to think clearly, students are continually immersing themselves with digital media. Bringing the idea of Unified Media to Ball State Universitys campus would allow students to access multiple student media groups at one time and from a single source. Giving them the opportunity to gain significant information from one outlet will save them from searching multiple news avenues for stories that are of interest to them.

The New Generation Gap

There is a large gap between our generation, 30 and under, and our parents. According to Crowley, our generation has lived through dramatic social and demographic change and that, in turn, has made us a more liberal crowd. He also notes our infatuation with technology. Crowley quoted FAU freshman, Lizzie Barnes saying, I have an iPhone, and I would die without it, (Crowley, 2011). However, the generations of our parents and our grandparents have the belief that our country has done nothing but go downhill, whereas us millennial believe it has improved. Their generation is more conservative because they grew up going through different things. Andrea Campbell, MIT professor, says in the article that there is a generational change going on and that the elder class of seniors is being replaced with younger cohorts, (Crowley, 2011). According to Crowley, the millennial dont feel any kind if loyalty, their opinions can change anytime and they will accept it. However, the older generation have overwhelming loyalty and

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dont change their minds and opinions like we do, (Crowley, 2011). Though these differences cause misunderstanding and confusion, the issue is not a direct conflict. Both groups of individuals are about equal when it comes to their concern for our nation (Crowley, 2011). The research from Crowley and Florin and their journal article show that technology is a big influence when it comes to media intake. Our generation is obsessed with our phones so the chances that we look up media on our phones are pretty big. The chance of our grandparents looking up media on their phones is less. Also with the advance in e-readers that give us more opportunity to view media without using newspaper, televisions or radios. As technology keeps advancing people are going to continue to visit and use social media on the new technology. Therefore, media outlets need to focus on their target audience and then based on that decide how they are going to release their content whether it be on the internet with mobile access, on e-readers or still in traditional print form.

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PART 5: RESEARCH METHODS

Primary research methods used were focus groups and in-depth interviews. Both are strong qualitative methodologies that answer the why questions in market research. Each of these methods revealed a wealth of detailed information and insight that helped us find an answer for our research question. Why Focus Groups: Relatively little was known about a given subject The dynamics of a group would best elicit respondent opinion. You want to personally view consumer reactions to the subject You want to see results quickly. You need to explore multiple topics. Low cost

Focus groups were a relevant method for our research because we did not have insight from students on campus about their feelings toward what Unified Student Media Group is attempting to do. As stated in the introduction, USMG does not know what messages and content will resonate well their target audience, or what tactics to use to convey those messages. A key necessity of conducting focus groups was asking open-ended questions about USMG and other relevant ideas. The positive dynamics between focus group members elicited the best responses. While listening to the participants answers, observers and researchers were able to watch the participants react to the questions. Less significant incentives to use focus groups included being relatively low cost, and the ability to be done in a small amount of time. Conducting focus groups was a beneficial tactic for this project because it enabled us to provide the client with insight as to what information Ball State students want to consume. If they partake in student run media currently we were able to understand why they are doing so and how they feel about USMG as a brand. If they do not partake in student run media, then we were able to gain insight and understand what USMG could do in order to draw them in and start using USMG. Focus groups tend to elicit a group dynamic, which in turn encouraged shy or less talkative students to provide their input as well as allowed participants to build off of each

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others answers. This helped us gauge their true feelings in an authentic setting. Overall, conducting focus groups provided an open forum that enabled students to provide their opinions and feedback about Unified Student Media Group. The reactions that we got from the participants can bestow invaluable information to the client that in turn makes USMG a stronger and better brand.

Why In-depth interviews: Relatively little is known about USMGs audiences preferences Explore customer satisfaction and/or dissatisfaction and other feelings about Ball State student media Learn more about different colleges and USMG usage Low cost Ideal tool for participants that may not be comfortable discussing issues in front of others

In-depth interviews was an additional method that was useful for our research because it provided information during a one-on-one talk which was free of influences and bias from other participants. Using the in-depth interviews method was also important with individuals who were not comfortable in large groups or had an opinion that did not quite match others. This method also allowed us as researchers to delve deeper into responses from the participants with follow up questions and simple leading techniques. Conducting in-depth interviews for our research regarding the Unified Student Media Group was beneficial because it allowed the client to see exactly how participants feel about the organizations combining into one brand. USMG can then use this information to connect directly with their targeted audiences and build brand loyalty. In our appendix, we have listed all of our in-depth interviews with the questions and answers used. The name of the participants along with their major and status with the university is also provided.

Participants
Focus groups: Two focus groups were held on November 28, 2012. The first focus group was held at approximately 10 a.m. in the Atrium at the Arts and Journalism Building. The second focus

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group was held at 7:00 p.m. in Bracken Library. Both focus groups comprised five participants. All participants were students of varied ethnicity, sex and majors at Ball State University. In-depth interviews: Twelve in-depth interviews were conducted from November 18 to November 23. The interviews were held at various locations on the Ball State University Campus. Like focus group participants, in-depth interview participants were Ball State students of varied ethnic origin, sex and major.

Measurement & Assessment

Inevitably, both focus groups and in-depth interviews were rich and detailed. To ensure that all comments and thoughts were recorded we documented via audio recorder and typed while focus group and interviews were being held. Once the interviews and focus groups were finished, we compiled the data. In order to break down to the essential information we used a systematic and variable process. We will clean up transcripts.

Research Procedure
Focus Group Step 1: Open-ended questions were developed based from our research problems. Step 2: We found willing participants by asking individuals at the Atrium (Focus Group 1) and Bracken Library (Focus Group 2) offering them donuts and cookies as incentives. Step 3: Once we had enough willing participants, we welcomed, had them fill out a demographics card and then introduced everyone in the focus group. Step 4: Explained the purpose of focus group: We have been asked by USMG to conduct the focus groups. The reason we are having these focus groups was to find out who USMGs audience is and what resonates with this audience. We need your input and want you to share your honest and open thoughts with us. Step 5: Explained terms and rules: 1. We want you to do the talking 2. There are no right or wrong answers 3. What is said during the focus groups should stay here.

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4. The focus group will be recorded for research Step 6: Before starting questions, we did an icebreaker, to increase comfort and level the playing field. Step 7: Began focus group questions Step 8: Thanked everyone for participating. Step 9: Compiled data. In-depth Interview Step 1: Open-ended questions were developed based from our research problems. Step 2: Rules were developed to insure consistency among interviews. Step 3: We selected a sample of diverse individuals to partake in the interviews. Step 4: Participants were greeted and given a demographics card to fill out. Step 5: Explanation of the purpose of the interview was discussed. Step 6: Explained terms and rules: 1. There are no right or wrong answers. 2. What is said during the focus groups should stay here. 3. The interview will be recorded for research. Step 7: Began in-depth interview questions Step 8: The participant as thanked for their time and participation. Step 9: We then collected and analyzed the data. Step 10: Callbacks were made if necessary to clarify results. Step 11: Results were verified and then tabulated.

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PART 6: RESULTS
We organized research findings by key themes under each research question:
1. What messages resonate best with the target audience? Through our research we have found that simple messages resonate best with our target audience of the Ball State students. Students pay attention to the messages that have to do with them and what is currently going on in their lives. Faculty also enjoy the simple, hard facts of a story presented in a clear way that tells them what they need to know at that exact moment in time. USMG should be sure that they do not complicate their way of putting out the news. Leslie Swanson, Senior Interior Design major, believes the process of combining all the news media outlets could complicate the message that they are trying to put out. She wants to be sure that the news still gets reported and in a timely manner. Other messages that would resonate with the student population is one of their interests. Many are interested in the happenings of life outside Muncie, Indiana. So USMG should attempt to focus slightly on the outside world as well as Ball States campus. For opinion leaders, they want to be sure that their branches of student media will not be overshadowed or dominated by one program. The groups want to keep their individual identities but function as one media source on the Daily. 2. What tactics should they use to convey that message? From the focus groups and in depth interviews, it was clear that a social media presence is a must for USMG. Ball State students spend a lot of time on Twitter and Facebook and is where they get their news already. Im on Twitter constantly, especially when Im bored in class. Its a convenient source to get news from because I can filter what news I want to see on my timeline, said Karla. Their message needs to be clear and concise. It needs to be presented in a way that is easy and fast for students to get the information. Senior, Joseph Kornman, said: I want a quick way

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of getting information that is easy to access and doesnt take much time for me to do so. If its all in one place it will a lot faster to view the different media outlets in one place. So for USMG to be successful, they must convey their messages through social media and make it easy to get the information. Students are always on the go, between classes, schoolwork and work they use their phones to get the news. And if USMG caters to this lifestyle, students should be able to interact with USMG easier.

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PART 7: DISCUSSION
Key Findings
Focus Groups: Focus Group 1: Our findings show that a majority of the students in our first focus group do not regularly consume campus media. Brian admitted that he does not find any of the current media material interesting or relevant to him. I dont care about what philanthropic event a Greek organization is throwing this week or if the football team won or lost. The stories seem to always be about the same topics so I stopped looking for information on campus, says Brian. Overall, Twitter was the most popular method for these students to get their news. Im on Twitter constantly, especially when Im bored in class. Its a convenient source to get news from because I can filter what news I want to see on my timeline, said Karla. The radio and CNN were also answers given by the participants regarding where they find their news. When we asked the focus group if any of them had heard of Unified Student Media Group, they all shook their heads in confusion. After explaining what it was, they agreed that the concept of USMG sounded like a good idea, but they were concerned that it would be a confusing change for the campus. The participants were also afraid that the collaboration of the outlets would take away the uniqueness from each individual student media group. Surprisingly, toward the end of the focus group, we found out that the two girls in our focus group were involved with Ball Bearings and regularly take in campus media, yet they had no idea what the Unified Student Media Group was. Focus Group 2: Many of the members in this focus group absorb the campuses media that is provided. They read the Daily News almost regularly. They also find other information from different media types such as Facebook and Twitter. On average they enjoy getting their news from sources that are quick and easy to access such as the Daily News around campus or news from their phones.

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On average they read for many local stories and to see what is going on with the world today. They enjoy the media provided from the campus such as Ball Bearings and Newslink although they do not absorb information from them as much as the Daily News. No one in the group had ever heard of the initiative for the Unified Student Media Group here on campus. However, they feel that it is a great idea for campus. Many feel that it will be easier to access news from the different student outlets in one place. Many of the people in the group would be willing to use the new media source as long as it is easy to access and tells them the facts of the stories. Many suggested that that Unified Student Media Group should heavily advertise themselves on social media as well as the Ball State University website and around campus. In-depth interviews: Of the twelve individuals who were interviewed, no more than two of them read campus media. And overwhelmingly, they said that if the transition to USMG did take place, they probably wouldnt change their campus media intake because the change to USMG might make everything too complicated. Many do not take in news as it is so creating a new media outlet will not change their habits of how they get their news. A common complaint was that the media here on campus focused too much on sports and not enough on students. If the media would highlight students or be more relevant to students in many different majors, then more of the audience might read it. There are still many interested in other news so these topics cannot be ignored in the upcoming new source. Another common topic was social media. More people would be inclined to read information from USMG if they used social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter. These students said they would rather read briefs on Twitter than articles in the Daily News. Throughout our research using in-depth interviews and focus groups, we were able to identify problems within Unified Student Media Group. Our in-depth interviews and focus groups showed us that there was a strong disconnect between USMG and the student body at Ball State University. Ten of the 12 students we interviewed said they had no knowledge of USMG.

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This shows that USMG hasnt been promoting their brand enough so that students would know about the organization. Students also recommended that the magazine needs to be aimed at people of all ages, races, genders, sexualities, religions and majors. One student said, My advice would be to make sure that there's something for everyone to read. Try to write in a way that just about anyone would be interested in what is said. USMG must make sure that they are targeting all of the demographics at Ball State. As a campus we have students of all ages, so we should target those people as well. During one of the focus groups two students, both active members of Ball Bearings, said they had no knowledge of USMG or that Ball Bearings were participating in USMG. We also found that most students we interviewed or talked to in focus groups said that most of their news came from Twitter and did not check student media often. When asked, these students said that USMG was a good idea and an interesting concept, but that it would be too confusing for students. Since many students dont know what USMG is, the current website is a major problem for confusion. The name The Daily is so similar to The Daily News that students who dont know about USMG will assume it is The Daily News website and not connect it to Ball Bearings, WCRD, and other outlets. For example, when you type in bsudailynews.com it redirects you to bsudaily.com. If students do not look for a change in the name of the website, they would have no idea that it was USMG and not The Daily News with an updated website. Danielle Gladieux, a senior Elementary Education major, said If anything I would use the website. But I actually dont even know if I would use that. It all sounds like a mess and it might be confusing. This sounds like something that is good in theory, but I dont think it will actually turn out that way. Maybe in the future after everyone has gotten used to it.

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Limitations
1. Time USMG has no set timeline for the launch of their product. They have launched the website without warning to the general student body. Since many were not aware of this plan, they can become confused with the sudden change. USMG needs to have a set timeline that is made public to the students as well as the internal media groups. 2. Funds Without a set budget, it is unclear how much a this new initiative can cost. USMG will have to budget in need for advertisement and awareness. Since this is a combination of the student media groups, it is still unclear of the budget that they will have. It is unknown if it will be a combination of the media groups current budgets or if they will have a new budget. 3. Awareness USMG will have to make sure that they are advertising their brand hard. People will be more key to hone in on the information that USMG provides. Without awareness the brand will not be able to function properly and no one will know how to get their information.

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Suggestions for the Next 90 Days

From these findings we are making a number of recommendations for USMG in the next 90 days. Unified Student Media Group needs to begin focusing on increasing their brand awareness through social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube and others. As we found in our focus groups, Twitter is the most popular source that students are getting their news from. USMG needs to capitalize on the popularity of Twitter and start promoting the student media merge and the new ideas that they are bringing to Ball State University. USMG can also begin marketing their unification by placing ads in the table tents that are on every table in the atrium or by advertising in the Daily News. Also, advertising in student media other than the Daily News would also be very beneficial. They could promote their brand in Ball Bearings, NewsLink, Sports Link and WCRD. They should really utilize the media they have recruited for Unified Student Media Group. They also have the opportunity to advertise at many places on campus like on the TVs in the student center, the marquees outside of Worthen Arena and University Theatre and in residence halls. Using campus advertising and social media are just two ways that USMG can get their name out to the Ball State University public. Over the next 90 days USMG should also try using incentives to bring people in. They dont have to provide these incentives forever, but it wouldnt hurt to offer them while they are trying to promote their brand and bring awareness to the students. They should try to team up with some of the restaurants in the village or near campus and offer coupons or deals as an incentive for clicking on links. They could also offer coupons and deals via their Twitter account, Facebook or any other social media they choose to get involved in. Unified Student Media Group should also work on the new website. With the website being called The Daily people are going to confuse it with the Daily News or they wont be aware that its also the other student media outlets. They should change the website to a name that is representative of all the student media outlets associated with USMG as opposed to using a name so similar to just one of the outlets under them. This will not only allow them to establish themselves as Unified Student Media Group, but it also wont take away from the media outlets that arent the Daily News.

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REFERENCES
In-depth Interview handout from method group Crandall, B. (1999). Decision analyst. Retrieved from http://www.decisionanalyst.com/publ_art/focus.dai Crowley, M. (2011, November 14). The new generation gap. Time, 178(19), Diddi, A. and LaRose, R. (2006). Getting Hooked on News: Uses and Gratifications and the Formation of News Habits Among College Students in an Internet Environment. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 193-210. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier Dretzin, R. (Producer), & Rushkoff, D. (Director) (2012). Digital nation [Web]. Retrieved from http://video.pbs.org/video/1402987791 Metzger, J. (2012, September). [In Class].

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APPENDIX
Question Routes
1. Where do you get your news? a. Twitter, newspaper, CNN, TV, (Mobile, Web, Print) etc. 2. Why do you like that source? a. Reliability, design, familiarity, type of information 3. What information are you most interested in reading about? a. Sports, entertainment, nationwide, campus news, breaking news 4. What do you currently think of campus media? a. Like it, hate it, ignore it, irrelevant 5. Have you ever heard of Unified Student Media Group? a. Depending on yes/no explain it to them/clarify 6. Do you think that this idea will be successful in reaching students on campus? a. The integrated media, iDesk idea, website 7. Will you use USMG? Why or why not? 8. What do you want USMG to provide? 9. Are there any comments, advice, ideas or concerns you would like to give to UMG?

In-Depth Interviews
Name: Christian Brookins, Year in School: Senior Major: Interior Design Major 1. Where do you get your news? I usually get my news from other people. I don't really watch TV or read the newspaper and mostly don't get on Facebook anymore either. Possibly twitter is another news feed I use. I am on that quite often nowadays. 2. Why do you like that source or sources? I like getting news from people because then I sometimes get the real version of a story and not a Hollywood version. That and I don't have time for TV and I never really was one to be interested in the news. I get it from twitter because I follow my local city news on there in case of like traffic issues if I'm trying to get in and out of the city. 3. What information are you most interested in reading about? I don't like sad stories where people have died like murders or extreme accidents. Maybe mysteries solved? Healthy life and living sort of topics.

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4. What do you currently think of campus media? I think campus media can get a bit interesting. Its relatable to me in a sense that I'm a college student and I go to some of the events on campus that they review and the topics hit home for me like ones about new things that open around Muncie (in the village) or bills that are being passed that directly affect students. I think its like the big local or national media mixed with college life. Campus news wants us to stay interested so the make it easy to read and pay attention to. 5. Have you ever heard of Unified Student Media Group? No. 6. Do you think that this idea will be successful in reaching students on campus? My first reaction is yes. I think there will be more perspectives so a better span to capture the audience of a campus with a large diversity. 7. Will you use USMG? Why or why not? I probably won't just because I don't really deal with media and the news but I mean, if there's a story I just 'have to read' I'll look into it but I doubt I will. 8. What do you want USMG to provide? Not sure probably different experiences surrounding Muncie, achievements on campus, comics, puzzles, words of the day, any school holidays or events. 9. Are there any comments, advice, ideas or concerns you would like to give to USMG? My advice would be to make sure that there's something for everyone to read. Try to write in a way that just about anyone would be interested in what is said

Name: Ashton Campbell, Year in School: Senior, Major: Advertising 1. Where do you get your news? CNN on Twitter, Facebook and word of mouth. 2. Why do you like that source or sources? Because they're fast, up-to-date, and I use social media more than reading newspapers. 3. What information are you most interested in reading about? News relative to my daily life, or people in my life, such as fashion, new technology, future prospects in jobs 4. What do you currently think of campus media? I dont think it is that strong, Daily News is great but it doesn't seem to reach a larger group.

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5. Have you ever heard of Unified Student Media Group? No. 6. Do you think that this idea will be successful in reaching students on campus? I hope so, it sounds great. Students can be informed of different information when looking up stuff they're already interested in. 7. Will you use USMG? Why or why not? I would, I'm great with learning new social media that could help at school or in my future work. 8. What do you want USMG to provide? Campus updates, events and their news. Maybe integrate a way to be involved or feedback. 9. Are there any comments, advice, ideas or concerns you would like to give to USMG? Involve yourself with different or all majors on campus and their news. Include interesting/fun information that is relevant to everyone.

Name: Joseph Kornman Year in School: Senior Major: Pre-Physical Therapy and Exercise Science 1. Where do you get your news? The very little news that I get is from passing by a TV on campus. I glance at TV and thats the most news I get. 2. Why do you like that source? Its quick, easy convenient and requires no effort from me to receive the information. 3. What information are you most interested in reading about? Nationwide and breaking news. Its more interesting to see whats happening globally instead of Timmy saving a kitty from a tree. 4. What do you currently think of campus media? Its good but there for those who are interested in it, unlike me. 5. Have you ever heard of Unified Student Media Group? No. 6. Do you think that this idea will be successful in reaching students on campus? It has a very high possibility in attracting people that are interested in the little pieces and it all coming together.

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7. Will you use USMG? Why or why not? No because I rarely use media so it will not change my ways of gaining information. 8. What do you want USMG to provide? I want a quick way of getting information that is easy to access and doesnt take much time for me to do so. If its all in one place it will a lot faster to view the different media outlets in one place. 9. Are there any comments, advice, ideas or concerns you would like to give to USMG? Wish you the best of luck in your organization and achieves its goals. The idea is good and it needs to be initiated before a reaction can be made.

Name: Leslie Swanson Year in School: Senior Major: Interior Design 1. Where do you get your news? Facebook mostly and what other people post as their statuses. 2. Why do you like that source? No commercials and usually something is posted almost instantly as it happens. 3. What information are you most interested in reading about? Entertainment and celebrities. I like to see whats going on outside of my life as well as whats happening on campus. 4. What do you currently think of campus media? I dont read campus media. Somethings are sent out via email a little late after it happens. 5. Have you ever heard of Unified Student Media Group? No 6. Do you think that this idea will be successful in reaching students on campus? No because I think the different media forms being placed in the same organization will bring them down. 7. Will you use USMG? Why or why not? No, I dont use the current methods so this new method will not intrigue me enough to look into it. 8. What do you want USMG to provide? Instant news and updates as soon as they happen. At the touch of my fingertips whether it be online or on mobile phones.

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9. Are there any comments, advice, ideas or concerns you would like to give to USMG? Keep it simple. Complication will turn away users. Keep it user friendly so that everyone can use this.

Name: Danielle Gladieux Year in School: Senior Major: Elementary Education Major 1. Where do you get your news? I get my news from Twitter usually. But sometimes I watch local TV stations or E! News. 2. Why do you like that source? I like Twitter because I get all the news I want in 140 characters. I dont have to read a whole article or watch an entire news segment. I see what the more important points are and if I want to know more, I can go else where to look it up. 3. What information are you most interested in reading about? Im really interested in celebrity news. I like gossip. And Im interested in political news if its relevant to teaching or the education in our country. 4. What do you currently think of campus media? I dont read campus media. I read the Daily a few times freshman year, but thats been it. I dont like reading the newspaper because its not relevant to me and nothing ever interests me. Reading the paper here makes me feel like Im reading my newspaper back in high school. Everything it about sports. I like the website better. Sometimes if I hear of an interesting article someone read, Ill check it out on their website. 5. Have you ever heard of Unified Student Media Group? No 6. Do you think that this idea will be successful in reaching students on campus? No, people will be confused. Itll just be another newspaper. It might work on incoming students or faculty; people who dont know that its new or different. 7. Will you use USMG? Why or why not? I would not read the paper or the magazine. If anything I would use the website. But I actually dont even know if I would use that. It all sounds like a mess and it might be confusing. This sounds like something that is good in theory, but I dont think it will actually turn out that way. Maybe in the future after everyone has gotten used to it. 8. What do you want USMG to provide?

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More stuff concerning specific majors. They focus so much on sports. I dont care about our sports. I would rather read about changes going on in the teaching major if its something big. For example, if changes were being made to laws involving education, I would read that article because its relevant to me. I think thats what would get more people to read the paper. Im sure the TCOMM major would read the paper if they were written about. Same with the architect majors, and nursing majors and everyone else. 9. Are there any comments, advice, ideas or concerns you would like to give to USMG? Personally, I dont think they should go through with the change. Its going to be confusing, people arent going to take to something new because its not what they are used to.

Name: Will Kuhn Year in School: Junior Major: Telecommunications 1. Where do you get your news? I get my news mostly from Twitter and from hear-say in my group of friends and my classes. 2. Why do you like that source? I like Twitter because its easy and its quick. I can get the gist of whats going on without having to waste time reading entire newspapers. 3. What information are you most interested in reading about? I like sports. So, Im interested in sports news and also whats going on in Muncie. 4. What do you currently think of campus media? Sometimes Ill read the Daily News. Not usually, maybe once or twice a month. I dont like it. I would rather get my news from a credible, reliable source instead of getting it from biased students. 5. Have you ever heard of Unified Student Media Group? No. 6. Do you think that this idea will be successful in reaching students on campus? I dont think people will really notice. And if they do notice, I dont think they will care. 7. Will you use USMG? Why or why not? If they make the change my habits probably wont change. Ill still pick it up every once in awhile, but not every day. 8. What do you want USMG to provide? I would read the paper if the people writing knew what they were talking about. I just dont trust them.

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9. Are there any comments, advice, ideas or concerns you would like to give to USMG? I dont know. I dont think the audience is going to care either way. I think they should be more worried about what the people who actually work in the media outlets will think.

Name: Kylie Martin Year in School: Senior Major: Public Relations 1. Where do you get your news? I get a lot of my news from Twitter. I follow CNN, MSNBC, the DN, Huffington Post and lots of other news outlets on Twitter. 2. Why do you like that source? I can get information from several different sources in one location. I can see where bias lies and figure out what the real facts are by checking several different sources. 3. What information are you most interested in reading about? Hard news like international affairs as well as government and national news. I also like human interest pieces and soft news stories. 4. What do you currently think of campus media? I am really only familiar with the DN and I dont completely trust it a lot of times. I will see them post something and find out that they were wrong later. I also know that the DN tends to misquote people, which really damages their credibility in my eyes. 5. Have you ever heard of Unified Student Media Group? Yeah, I have heard professors talk about it in class as well as classmates like yours talk about this project youre doing. 6. Do you think that this idea will be successful in reaching students on campus? I am not sure if it will be successful. It may be difficult to try and mesh all of the different channels into one giant organization. 7. Will you use USMG? Why or why not? Probably not frequently, because I will graduate before it really takes off. I may follow the organization on Twitter just to keep up a little bit with what is going on here at Ball State. 8. What do you want USMG to provide? More credible and less biased news. 9. Are there any comments, advice, ideas or concerns you would like to give to USMG? No

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Name: Lindsay Westrick Year In School: Senior Major: Speech Pathology 1. Where do you get your news? If I find out about any breaking news, its usually from Twitter. I just dont always have the time to sit down and watch the news, but Twitter is always just so convenient. If it isnt twitter then its usually local news on TV. 2. Why do you like that source? Like I said before, Twitter is convenient. If something happens, everyone will start tweeting about it. After I see a news story, I usually check its credibility by going to USA Today or CNN. 3. What information are you most interested in reading about? Im a big Packers fan, so obviously sports news is important to me. I also enjoy watching E! News to find the latest on entertainment. 4. What do you currently think of campus media? The only time I usually see a copy of the DN is if I go to eat in the Atrium, otherwise the building that my classes are in usually do not have it available or its gone by the time I get there so I cant really judge it as a news source. However, I have heard from friends that they misquote people all the time and glorify Greek Life which Im not really into. 5. Have you ever heard of Unified Student Media Group? I have not heard of USMG before this. 6. Do you think that this idea will be successful in reaching students on campus? It sounds like a smart idea, grouping everything into one, but it also sounds like peoples toes are going to get stepped on and individual groups will have to start making compromises in order for the greater good. I hope that the creativity and diversity will not be hurt by this merger. 7. Will you use USMG? Why or why not? It could be useful to have all student media groups available from one source. It would cut down on time searching for different groups. 8. What do you want USMG to provide? It would be great if they added an entertainment section. The majority of women our age like to hear about whats going on in the celebrity world and it would be a nice conversation piece. I would also like them to treat all groups on campus equally in terms of pieces written about them. I feel as if Greek organizations get the spotlight so much on our campus, when independents could care less about what happened at their formal or fundraiser.

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9. Are there any comments, advice, ideas or concerns you would like to give to USMG? No

Name: Madelyn Perkins Year in School: Senior Major: Entrepreneurship 1. Where do you get your news? Facebook and the Daily Show. Ill also look at CNN occasionally. 2. Why do you like that source? Facebook is right there; Im on it about every day. I like the Daily Show because it presents the news in a comedic fashion, but I feel like he tells the truth unlike a lot of the major news shows. I like CNN because its not Fox. 3. What information are you most interested in reading about? Definitely world news and news about the US and Indiana. I also like to know whats going on around campus. 4. What do you currently think of campus media? Its okay. I dont really have a negative view on it. 5. Have you ever heard of Unified Student Media Group? I have not. 6. Do you think that this idea will be successful in reaching students on campus? I think so if theyre on Facebook and Twitter. Thats where I read stories from the Daily News. I dont ever read the actual paper. 7. Will you use USMG? Why or why not? I probably will. If theres a link about something that peaks my interest then Im going to click on it and if thats this group, then it is. 8. What do you want USMG to provide? A good source of information thats unbiased. 9. Are there any comments, advice, ideas or concerns you would like to give to USMG? I mean not really. I guess just make a presence on Facebook and I think theyll do well.

Name: Natalie Sachs Year in School: Senior Major: Psychology

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1. Where do you get your news? I guess mainly from Facebook and sometimes I watch the Daily Show. 2. Why do you like that source? Im constantly busy and Facebook is something that I get on even though I dont have the time, so if theres a news story that Im interested in, Ill either read it then or later. I watch the Daily Show because my roommate does, so if Im home Ill watch it. But it is funny and does present the news in a different way than other news programs. 3. What information are you most interested in reading about? I like to read about whats going on in Indiana, Indianapolis, the country, and around the world. 4. What do you currently think of campus media? I think its fine, I think that they could offer a different variety of stories. I know the Daily News covers a lot of sports which Im not really into. 5. Have you ever heard of Unified Student Media Group? Not that I can say. 6. Do you think that this idea will be successful in reaching students on campus? I do. Its one source for all information and I feel like we, as in students, are always looking for a one stop place for information. 7. Will you use USMG? Why or why not? I dont know, honestly. I might at least check it out, but I cant say that Ill look at it every day. Id have to wait and see what it shows and how it actually is. 8. What do you want USMG to provide? I dont know a good answer to this. I feel like its going to do what it wants to, no matter what I want. 9. Are there any comments, advice, ideas or concerns you would like to give to USMG? Yea I would like them to cover everything and not just sports. There are a lot of great things that are happening academically as well.

Name: Kylee Cress Year in School: Senior Major: Journalism Graphics 1. Where do you get your news? I get my news from buzzfeed.com and Twitter.

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2. Why do you like that source? Its a lot more fun and looks fun. I like the layout of the site. It is a great mix of TMZ and CNN. 3. What information are you most interested in reading about? I like to read about celeb gossip, music and just whatever is going on around in the U.S. 4. What do you currently think of campus media? I think the Daily News works hard with what they have, but personally the stories arent that appealing to me. I like the new style to Ball Bearings and theyre stories are a lot more fun. 5. Have you ever heard of Unified Student Media Group? Yes, I am in the class. 6. Do you think that this idea will be successful in reaching students on campus? I think eventually it will be a great source but I really enjoy print stories 7. Will you use USMG? Why or why not? I will definitely check it out, but I dont think that I will use it too much. I really dont go to the Daily News website now. I just get school information from Twitter. 8. What do you want USMG to provide? I want them to provide a place to find whats going on all over campus, not just what the people working there see as news. 9. Are there any comments, advice, ideas or concerns you would like to give to USMG? I would just say that UMG should really try to think about everyone who is on campus at individuals.

Name: Andrea Laugle Year in School: Junior Major: Fashion Merchandising 1. Where do you get your news? I get my news from Facebook and Twitter. If Im interested in a story from there I will research the topic further on another news site. 2. Why do you like that source? Because Im already on it all of the time. Its convenient and not boring. 3. What information are you most interested in reading about? Celebrity gossip and fashion news 4. What do you currently think of campus media?

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I dont even have an opinion of it. I just started reading it this year. I started reading it when the robberies happened because I was involved in it. 5. Have you ever heard of Unified Student Media Group? No 6. Do you think that this idea will be successful in reaching students on campus? I think so because it will give different perspectives from different stories. It will be a great way to combine different points of view 7. Will you use USMG? Why or why not? Probably not because I dont really get into news. 8. What do you want USMG to provide? If they talked more soft news gossip or really interesting things 9. Are there any comments, advice, ideas or concerns you would like to give to USMG? Not really.

Focus Group 1 Participants

Laura Smart, Fashion Design and Merchandising Jordan Simmons, Magazine Journalism Brian Readnour, Magazine Journalism Karla Wilson, Telecommunication Focus Group 2 Participants Melissa Lada, Animation Jessica Yoder, Business Comm Emily Smith, Animation Reghan Harrison, Art History Jag Harper, Undecided

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Demographics We had a total of twenty-two participants within our focus groups and in-depth interviews. Of those twenty-two there were thirteen females and nine males. We had eight participants who were Caucasian and six who were African-American. Five of the participants were Asian, and three were Hispanic. Of the Caucasian participants, five were female and three were male. Two of the African-Americans were female and three were male. Four of the Asian participants were female and one was male. Two of the three Hispanic participants were female. Ten of our participants were seniors, six were freshman, three were sophomores and three were juniors. Our participants had a very wide range of majors. Design, telecommunications, fashion merchandising, animation and magazine journalism were majors that were each claimed by two participants. The majors that had only one participant in them were advertising, exercise science, interior design, elementary education, public relations, speech pathology, entrepreneurship, psychology, journalism graphics, art history, business communication and undecided. Overall we had a very wide range of diversification. We were successful in getting participants from different majoring inside and outside the department of journalism. This should be beneficial in the credibility of our research.

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Charts

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