- How do you read the Citizens' Voice? What sorts of things do you read in the CV? What do you never read?

- Where else do you get your news? (Other newspapers, television, internet, radio?)

- Approximately how much time per day (or per week) would you say you dedicate to reading the news? How about listening to the news?

- How would you describe your reading process? Do you read the CV daily? Every few days? Once a week? Only when important news happens?

- What aspects of the newspaper are its greatest strengths?

- What aspects of the newspaper are its greatest weaknesses?

- Where is the most convenient place for you to get a newspaper?

- What is the main function of the newspaper for you? (to learn about local happenings? To learn about national happenings? To be entertained? Other?)

- What makes you pick up a newspaper?

- What makes you put a newspaper down?

Credibility Issues

- What makes a news source credible to you? Do you automatically believe what you read in the newspaper, or do you approach a story with some skepticism (i.e, an attitude that says, basically, prove it to me).

- How does the CV meet your informational needs as a community member?

- Where does it fall short?

- When you look for 'fairness and balance' in news coverage, what do you look for? What does 'fairness' mean to you? Is it important to community members? Why or how?

- How does the Citizens' Voice meet or not meet your expectations for fairness and balance in its news coverage?

- Have any of the national ethics scandals at newspapers across the country (i.e., Jayson Blair at the New York Times or Dan Rather at CBS) effected how you look at the local news coverage in the CV? If so, how?

- How would you assess the Citizens' Voice's credibility with readers?

- How does the Citizens' Voice's credibility compare with other news sources for you?

- Is there anything in local/national/international coverage in the CV that has bothered you in the past? If so, what was it? Why did you find it problematic?

- If a newspaper's goal is to reflect a variety of community voices and perspectives, how would you assess the Citizens' Voice in that regard? Does it accurately reflect who we are as a community? How might it more effectively make use of community voices?

- Looking at the copy of the Citizens' Voice in front of you, what stories feel like they need more information or a follow-up? Is every important perspective on the story explored? If not, where could the CV writer take a follow-up story?

- How important to you is credibility in your primary news source? How does a news source gain credibility with you?

- Compare the news you receive in the newspaper with the news you receive on television or on the radio. Which do you trust more and why?

- Who do you believe is most responsible for maintaining the credibility of a newspaper among readers?

- How do headlines and photographs effect what stories you read?

- What could effect the credibility of a headline or a photograph for you?

- Does a newspaper's physical design (layout) impact its credibility for you? If so, how do you respond to the Citizens' Voice's design on weekdays? On Sundays?

- How do you feel about newspapers endorsing political candidates?

Questions for non-readers

Process
- How do you receive your news?

- Is receiving local, national, and international news important to you? Why or why not?

- What type(s) of news are important to you (local, national, international, sports, political, social, health, financial etc)?

- Do you read any newspaper at all? If so, what newspaper do you read?

- Do you ever read news online? If so, what sites do you frequent?

- Have you ever looked at the Citizens' Voice's online version of the newspaper? If so, how do you feel about it? Does it meet your informational needs?

- Because you have identified yourself as a 'non-reader,' we're interested in learning why you choose not to pick up the Citizens' Voice.

- What would it take for you to pick the newspaper up?

- How much do you read on a weekly basis outside of any newspaper (i.e., books, magazines, newsletters, e-mail, etc)?

- If you don't consume any type of mainstream news (print, broadcast, online), why? Is there anything about news coverage in general that turns you off?

Credibility issues

- How would you define media credibility?

- How important is the issue of credibility to you in terms of the news media? Is it an important factor in determining whether you watch or read?

- What does it take for you to trust that a news outlet is providing you with fair and balanced coverage?

- Have any of the national ethics scandals at newspapers across the country (i.e., Jayson Blair at the New York Times or Dan Rather at CBS) effected how you look at the local news coverage? If so, how?

- If you are a consumer of any local news, has there ever been a time when you were disappointed with the way a story was handled? Can you describe this instance or these instances? What made them disappointing to you?

- In any example of news coverage you have read or viewed, are there examples of outstanding, excellent reporting? How or why do you consider these stories 'excellent'?

- What draws you to pick up a newspaper?

- What makes you put down or avoid picking up a newspaper?

- Are there things the Citizens' Voice could do that might make you want to pick up the paper with more frequency?

- Looking at the newspaper in front of you, does it appear to reflect a variety of perspectives within the community? If so, how? If not, why not? Could it do so better? How?

- How do headlines and photographs effect what stories you read?

- What could effect the credibility of a headline or a photograph for you?