Readership and Readers Perception of Omani Newspapers

Global Media Journal Spring 2013 – Al-Shaqsi
Readership and Readers' Perception

of Omani Newspapers
Dr. Obaid S. Al-Shaqsi
HOD, Mass Communication Department

College of Arts & Social Sciences
Sultan Qaboos University
Muscat – Oman
Abstract
Readership of print newspapers has been the focus of many studies and
analyses because of the advancement of online journalism, information
technologies and socio-economic changes in recent years. This study
focuses on the perception and readership of Omani newspapers in the age of
globalization. It investigates people's reading habits and their attitudes
towards the content and layout of 9 dailies and several free weekly tabloids.
This survey study was conducted on 747 subjects selected on the basis of the
non-probability convenience sample from Muscat, the capital of Oman. The
results indicated that only 5.5% of the respondents said they don't read
newspapers. The salient reasons for not reading newspapers were the
availability of other media sources and lack of time to read newspapers. Most
readers of Omani newspapers are males with diploma and university degrees
who work in the public sector. Hard copies are still popular in Oman, since
only 3% read the online version of newspapers. Reading frequency was
found to correlate with the type of content and professionalism aspects more
than the appearance and presentation (layout & design) of Omani
newspapers. The images of private newspapers are more favorable than
those of the public ones. However, readers' views about certain newspapers
were found to be subjective and judgmental. News was the most frequently
read type of content and Omani newspapers were found to cover local news
better than other topics.
Print Media vs. New Information Technology:
Some existing and dominant media players in the market alongside scholars,
tend to perceive new information and communication technology as a threat.
For nearly two decades, most of the available literature speculated a
competitive relationship between print media and digital media, because the
latter is often seen in the context of replacement, challenge and threat.
Sulaiman Saleh (2002) identified four challenges posed by new information
technology to print journalism; death of some newspapers, reduction in
circulation, decrease in advertising revenue and emergence and popularity of
electronic journalism.
However, in depth analysis reveals a very complex picture regarding the

status of print media in different countries. Despite the death of some
newspapers in places like North America and Europe, they actually continued
to grow in other parts of the world such as Africa, Asia and South America.
According to the World Association of Newspapers (2008), the number of
newspaper titles rose by 5.3% in Asia, 4.55% in Australia and Oceania, 3.99%
in Africa and 2.54% in Latin America. The number of newspaper titles world-
wide reached 12,477 in 2009, with a 1.7% increase from the previous year
(World Association of Newspapers, 3 August 2010). To give an example, in
the Arab Gulf region several newspapers came out in the last five years.
These include Azzaman, Muscat Daily and Al-Ro'yah in Oman and
Emirates Today & Alimarat Alyawm in UAE. In 2006, North Africa
witnessed the launch of two new newspapers; Almassae in Morocco and
Mouwatinoun in Tunisia, according to the Arab Press Network Website
(2010). In addition to the emergence of paid newspapers, the world has also
witnessed a noticeable expansion of free daily & weekly tabloids and
newspapers. These free newspapers are heavily supported by advertising
revenue.
Nevertheless, many Arabic newspaper titles have also closed down across
the region. Kuwait’s Awan and Bahrain's Alwaqt ceased their operations in
1
2010, only two years after their inception. Egypt’s El Badeel, which was
launched in 2006, closed down in July 2009. Groupe Maroc Soir, a major
Moroccan publishing company, also closed down in 2009 two of its titles,
Assabahia and Assada El Massaia. Similarly, the Daily Star in Lebanon, the
only English language newspaper, has been battling a difficult financial
situation since January 2009 when it closed down before re-launching, and
continues to have an uncertain future (Dubai Press Club, 2010: 26). Certain
measures have also been taken by publishers in the Arab world. Saudi
Arabia's Al Majalla and UAE sport magazine Super became purely online
publications in 2009. Other print media industries in the Arab region have
downsized their operation and went through a redundancy plan (Op cit: 27).
The closure of some newspapers in the Arab region happened partially

because the market was saturated with new titles at a very disproportionate
rate to the total population and to the strength of the market. Kuwait, for
instance, has awarded 10 new licenses since 2006, which led to a flood of
new titles in 2007 and 2008. Newspaper titles in Kuwait jumped from 8 titles
in 2006 to 17 titles in 2009 (Op cit: 29). Some newspapers in Oman,
especially the new private ones that are not part of an existing cartel are also
vulnerable, Azzaman is an example.
It might be argued that the recent decline in advertising revenue can mainly
be attributed to the global economic crisis, which has affected many industries
including print media since late 2007. Until 2006, US newspaper revenues
were flat and their pre-taxation earnings were 8% of total revenue (State of
the news Media, 2007). However, experts say that, despite the problems of
falling advertising revenues and pressure from new competitors, the global
newspaper industry is far from facing an apocalypse (World Association of
Newspapers, December 2009). On the other hand, Sulaiman Zaid (2009: 24)
argued that electronic journalism will not be able to catch up with the print
media before the year 2017. He added that, if newspapers continue to
increase annually by 3%, it will even be far longer for the electronic journalism
to take over the lead. A recent report published by Dubai Press Club gave
support to this assertion. Global advertising revenue made by the internet
2
during the years 2008, 2009 and 2010 accounted for 10, 12 and 14 percent,
respectively. In contrast, the shares of newspapers for the same years were
25, 23 and 22 percent. By 2013, the share of the internet is projected at 18%
while that of the newspapers is 19% (Dubai Press Club, 2010: 22). These
projected figures are showing a steady trajectory in the internet's share of
advertising revenue at the expense of print media allotment. According to the
World Association of Newspapers (3 August 2010), the Middle East is the only
region where newspaper advertising revenue remained stable. Other regions
showed a decline ranging from 2.9% in Latin America to 18.7% in Eastern
Europe.
From the circulation perspective, the World Association of Newspapers

published in June 2008 a report revealing that newspaper circulation world-
wide rose by 2.57% in 2007 and by 2.3% in 2006. If free tabloids and
newspapers were added to the paid dailies, global circulation would increase
by 3.65% in 2007. In its 2010 report, the World Association of Newspapers
indicated that global paid-for daily newspaper circulation fell in 2009 by .8%
and by 1.7% when free papers were added. However, regionally, newspaper
circulation was up by 1 percent in Asia and 4.8 percent in Africa. It fell by 3.4
percent in North America, 4.6 percent in Latin America, 5.6 percent in Europe
and 1.5 percent in Australia and Oceania. Most of the increase in circulation
figures was witnessed in Africa and Asia (World Association of Newspapers 3
August 2010). However, country-by-country analysis reveals great
discrepancies. For example, circulation of Dziennik Zachodni, the largest
newspaper under Polska brand in Poland, dropped 11% in 2008 from the
circulation figure of 2007 (Dubai Press Club, 2010: 28). In the Arab region,
circulation of daily newspapers is expected to grow by 2.3% from 2009 to
2013, especially in Egypt and the Arab Gulf states (Op Cit: 30).
In terms of readership, the 2008 World Press Trends report published by the
World Association of Newspapers revealed that more than 532 million people
buy a newspaper every day while the number in 2003 was 486 million.
Average readership was estimated at more than 1.7 billion each day (World
Association of Newspapers, 2 June 2008). The report in 2009 revealed an
3
increase in readership worldwide regardless of the circulation decline of .8%.

About 1.9 billion or 34% of the world population read newspapers every day,
while only 24% of the world population use the internet. In 2010, newspaper
readership went back to 1.7 billion. In the Arab World, studies revealed
asymmetrical growth between print and electronic journalisms, simply
because of the weak internet infrastructure and high internet charges in many
Arab countries, and hence, low internet penetration or reach (Sulaiman, 2009:
4). Readership and circulation are expected to be indicative of each other,
however, it is very difficult to rely on the circulation figures of most Arab print
media because they are not audited.
This quick review of the state of newspapers in the world shows that US print
media have been hardest hit. In 2005, American newspaper circulation fell
2.8% amongst dailies and 3.4% amongst Sunday newspapers, according to
the 2007 report published by the State of the News Media website. American
print advertising revenue showed a continuous decline from $42,209 million in
2007 to $22,795 million in 2010, whereas the decline in the online advertising
revenue between the two
years was very marginal, from $3,166 in 2007 to $3,042 in 2010
(State of the News Media, 2011). The decline in US newspaper advertising
revenue can mainly be attributed to the recent economic crisis and the
migration of consumers to the online platforms, which have just exacerbated
the status of some newspapers and forced them to close down. News & Tech
website estimated the decline in 2010 at 5 to 10%, with a remarkable
improvement from the 22% decline in 2009. The decline in advertising
revenue is expected to be in the margin of 2% in 2012, the time when the US
economy is also expected to recover from the crisis (News & Tech, June 14,
2010).
The impact of new digital media especially the internet on print journalism is
indisputable. However, this impact is not imminent and does not follow the
same pace across all countries of the world. The focus on the death of some
newspapers and the decline in advertising revenue and readership in the USA
and some European countries have dominated the scene and overlooked the
4
growth that newspapers are experiencing in other parts of the world. In many
countries, circulation figures are steadily increasing, readership is not severely
affected by the digital news sources and the decline in advertising revenue
has affected print and digital media alike because of the economic crisis since
2008. From the beginning of the 20th century, the issue of influence and
competition between electronic media, then radio, and print media has been
widely debated. Yet, newspapers continued to grow and continued to have
their audience. The fact that every single medium has its own merits and
characteristics allows different media to complement each other. Competition
in a free and open market is inevitable, but it is the duty of the newspaper
industry to become proactive and to work towards meeting the needs of its
readers in this age of globalization.
Print Media in Oman:

Oman is located on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering
Saudi Arabia in the west, United Arab Emirates in the north, Yemen in the
south and Oman and Arab sea in the east. Oman is a monarchy with a
population of slightly over three millions according to a 2009 estimate by the
Ministry of National Economy (abolished by a royal decree in March 2011).
Historically, Oman was an empire until the mid 20th century, with colonies
extending from the east coast of Africa to the shores of the Indian
subcontinent. Omanis established a Sultanate in Zanzibar (Tanzania) that
remained for more than a century (1832 – 1964), and perceived Zanzibar and
other parts of east Africa as their second home (Al-kindi, 2008: 22). The
settlement of Omanis in Africa contributed to the establishment of newspapers
in Zanzibar as early as 1911, when Alnajah (success) was established by
Abu Muslim Al-Bahlani. Alnajah died in 1914, but a number of publications
followed, including Alfalaq (dawn) in 1929, Almurshid (the guide) in 1942
and Alnahdha (renaissance) in 1951 (Op cit: 33). All of these newspapers
died by the end of the Omani rule in east Africa in 1964. In 1971, a new era
for journalism had just begun, but this time in mainland Oman.
In 1970, Sultan Qaboos bin Said took the throne (an is still in power) and
started the renaissance of modern Oman. His modern vision and openness
5
to the world brought in many positive changes to the country, including the
growth and expansion of the media sector. As a result, the first newspaper to
appear in Oman was the privately owned Alwatan, established by the Al-
Taee family in 1971. The government started its own newspaper, Oman, in
1972, and several other new newspaper titles started to emerge erratically
over the years with a very a long interval between one another. However, this
trend has changed since 2006, as four dailies and more than 10 free weekly
tabloids have come into existence.
According to the list of publications obtained by the researcher in October

2010 from the Ministry of Information, the licensing body in Oman, there are
84 publications in Oman ranging from the mere newsletters to refereed
journals. Amongst those are 9 daily newspapers, 22 private commercial
magazines, 17 governmental magazines, 10 free weekly tabloids, 3 quasi
refereed journals and 8 refereed journals. The rest are either newsletters or
erratic publications.
Five out of the nine daily newspapers are in Arabic and four are in English.
The English Muscat Daily, published by Apex Press and Publishing, is the
newest in the market, it appeared in October 2009 and is published from
Saturday to Wednesday. Oman’s three other English dailies are the Times of
Oman, Oman Observer and Oman Tribune. The most recent Arabic dailies
are Alr'oyah, which was launched in 2009 by Arro'yah Establishment for
Press and Publishing and Azzaman in 2007. The remaining Arabic dailies,
Alwatan, Oman and Alshabiba are the oldest. The free weekly tabloids are
published both in English and in Arabic. The first free weekly tabloid was
introduced to Oman by Apex Press and Publishing, which launched The
Week, an English tabloid, in 2003 and its Arabic version, Al Isbou’a, in 2006
(MediaSource, 2011:45). Muscat Press and Publishing House launched its
own free weekly tabloids in 2007, namely Hi (English) and Al Youm Al Sabe
(Arabic).
Circulation figures, readership rates and advertising revenue of print media in

Oman are not authentic, as auditing is not a common practice amongst
6
newspaper publishers with the exception of Apex which hired BPA Worldwide
to audit its two tabloids. Most of the claimed circulations are exaggerated by
the newspapers in order to attract advertisers. However, according to Dubai
Press Club (2010: 135) total dailies circulation in Oman is estimated at
274,000 copies sharing an advertisement market of US $85 million. Table 1
gives details about all dailies while Table 2 gives details about most free
weekly tabloids in Oman.
Table (1)
Omani Daily Newspapers
Publication Launched Circulation language Ownership Owned By
AlWatan 1971 * 47,000 Arabic daily Private Omani Establishment For

Press, Printing, Publishing &
Distribution LLC
Oman 1972 * 41,721 Arabic daily Government Oman Establishment for Press,
News Publication & Advertising
Alshabiba 1993 * 37,000 Arabic daily Private Muscat Press & Publishing House
Oman 1981 7,000 English daily Government Oman Establishment for Press,
Observer News Publication & Advertising
Times of 1975 21,000 English daily Private Muscat Press & Publishing House
Oman
Oman 2006 NA English daily Private Oman Establishment For Press,
Tribune Printing & Publishing
Azzaman 2007 * 25,000 Arabic daily Private Azzaman Establishment for
Press, Publication & Advertising
Muscat 2009 NA English Private Apex Press & Publishing
Daily weekly
ARro'yah 2009 NA Arabic daily Private ARro'yah Establishment for Press
and Publishing
Table (2)
Omani Free Weekly Tabloids
Publication launched Circulation Language Ownership Owned By

The Week 2003 * 254,000 English Private Apex Press and Publishing
Futoon 2005 NA Arabic Private Omani Establishment For Press,
Printing, Publishing & Distribution
LLC
Alosbou'a 2006 **20,884 Arabic Private Apex Press & Publishing
Al Youm Al- 2007 * 45,000 Arabic. Private Muscat Press & Publishing House
Sabe
HI 2007 NA English Private Muscat Press & Publishing House
Al Malaib 2006 NA Arabic Private Omani Establishment For Press,
Printing, Publishing Distribution &
LLC
Waseet 2008 NA Arabic Private Alwaseet International
Koooorawabas 2008 NA Arabic Private SABCO
I'elanak 2008 150,000* Arabic Al-Imtyaz for Press & Publishing
Zedni 2008 NA Arabic Private Zedni For Press & Publishing
* Claimed circulation by newspapers ** Figures from Middle East Media Guide website
(2011).
7
Three of the above mentioned free weekly tabloids are purely commercials,
specializing in classified advertizing. These are Waseet (broaker), I'elanak
(your ad) and Zedni (get me more). AlMalaib (playgrounds) and
Koooorawabas (just football) focus on sport issues besides advertisements.
The remaining free tabloids try to provide diverse editorial content but most of
their pages, especially Futoon, are occupied by advertisements.
Scope of Omani newspapers:
The scope of editorial content and interest of Omani newspapers is not

remarkably different. Alwatan is a general daily with some focus on politics,
arts and literature. It is the first newspaper in Oman and was launched in
January 1971 by Nasr Al-Taee. Now, it is published in 48 pages using paper
size 40 x 60cm, with some pages printed on glossy paper since 1999. The
paper also publishes three main supplements for sport, economy and arts. In
1997, Alwatan started its internet version. About 290 employees are working
for Alwatan, 74% of whom are Omanis. Both Alwatan and Oman Tribune
are issued by the same publishing house, Oman Establishment for Press,
Printing, Publishing & Distribution LLC.
Oman was launched in 1972 by the Omani government under the supervision
of the Ministry of Information. Oman was published weekly every Saturday
until 1975, and began to appear daily only in 1982. Oman publishes a
number of supplements focusing on sport, culture, economy, health, family
and arts. In addition, it publishes special supplements for some Ministries
such as Ruaa (vision) for the Ministry of Higher Education, Na'mal (we work)
for the Ministry of Manpower, Haytuna (our life), for the Ministry of Social
Welfare and Nafithah Tarbawayiah (Window for education), for the Ministry of
Education. In 2009, Oman updated its electronic version to become the first
interactive newspaper website in Oman. Nearly 95% of employees are
Omanis. Both Oman and Observer follow the same editorial policy as they
are considered the mouthpiece of the Omani government.
8
Alshabiba is also a general daily newspaper with a focus on sport. The

paper was started by the entrepreneur Eisa bin Mohamed Al-Zidjali in 1983.
Alshabiba began as a sport magazine until it stopped in 1991. In 1993,
Alshabiba reappeared but in a newspaper format. In 2009, the paper has
undergone major changes including its design, layout, paper size and even its
logo in an endeavour to attract more readers in a small but competitive
market. The paper has also improved its content by focusing more on
investigative reporting and opinion and analysis. It reprints translated articles
of well-known columnists and writers, such as Robert Fisk and Thomas
Friedman. Both Alshabiba and Times of Oman come from the same
publishing house; Muscat Press and Publishing House. Times of Oman is
the first English daily in Oman. It appeared in February 1975, but became a
daily only in 1991. The main reasons for starting Times of Oman were to
publicise Oman abroad and to address non-Omanis in the country. This
explains why the newspaper dedicates more pages to news about the Indian
Subcontinent since the majority of expatriates in Oman are from that region.
Azzaman is the fourth Arabic daily in Oman. It was launched in 2007 by

Ibrahim Al-Mamery who had worked as editor in chief for Oman daily before
starting Azzaman Establishment for Press, Publication & Advertising.
Azzaman is the only daily in Oman which uses tabloid size. It differs from
other newspapers in its news writing style and its focus on human interests.
In the last three years, it published many controversial issues and that led to
many lawsuits against the newspaper, the most publicized of which was
Azzaman vs. Minister of Justice in 2011. The court ruled against Azzaman for
publishing defamative and false information against the then Minister of
Justice.
ARro'yah is the fifth Arabic daily. It was started in 2009, by Hatim Altaee, a
member of the Al Taee family that owns Alwatan. ARro'yah was thought to
be the first business newspaper. However, the newspaper covers far-fledged
topics ranging from politics to health and beauty. It also dedicates a section
to youth news and activities, especially those of college and university
students.
9
Literature Review:
Makkawi (1991) conducted one of the earliest survey studies on 300
university students in order to find out their uses of different mass media. He
found that students spent more time watching TV than reading newspapers or
magazines, which were ranked fifth and sixth, respectively. Books, radio and
audiocassettes were ranked second, third and fourth.
However, Al-Abd (1995), conducted the first readership study in Oman. He

used a stratified sample of 400 students and employees selected from
schools and public and private institutions. The study found that 55% of the
sample, males in particular, frequently read newspapers and magazines.
Their favorite newspapers, in order of preference, were Oman, Alwatan,
Times of Oman and Observer. Oman was mostly favored by males working
in the public sector, while Alwatan was favored by male students and private
sector employees. Oman and Alwatan were read most because of their
writing styles, news analyses and layout and design. Alwatan elicited more
positive attitudes about its content and design from its dedicated readers than
did Oman. However, readers were not loyal to their favorite paper, as 69% of
them indicated they would read any Omani or Arabic newspaper if they could
not get a copy of their favorite one. The majority (64%) of the readers acquire
their copies through buying, 17% at work and another 16% through borrowing.
Most (70%) prefer to read newspapers at home. Hard news, whether
international, regional or local, was the most read item followed by soft news,
sport, religious and scientific topics. It should be noted that Makkawi (1991)
and Al-Abd (1995) conducted their studies before the advent of the internet to
Oman and at a time when satellite channels had just started to stream in.
Al-araimi (2002), studied readers' perceptions of Oman daily. The study was
conducted on 200 readers of the newspaper selected purposively from the
city of Muscat. Income, age and education of the readers correlated
negatively with their image of the newspaper. For example, the higher the
age and income, the less positive the image of Oman daily. However, the
10
study lacks robust statistical and theoretical analyses. For example, no

information has been provided regarding where, when and how frequently the
subjects read the newspaper.
Al-Ghabshi (2002) studied Omani women's general use of different mass

media including newspapers. She conducted her study on a stratified sample
totaling 400 female subjects. The study found that 84% of the sample read
newspapers in general, and 98% read Oman daily newspapers, but the
majority (62%) read them occasionally. The most read newspapers were
Oman, Al-Watan, Al-Alshabiba and Observer respectively, a result that
partially conforms to the findings of Al-Abd (1995). The majority (75%) of the
subjects buy their favorite newspapers, 25% get them free at work, and about
11% borrow them. Most of the subjects (84%) prefer reading newspapers at
home while only 25% of them read them at work. However, these
percentages add up to more than 100%, a case that can only be explained by
having some respondents selecting more than one option. Most readings
take place during the weekend. In line with some other findings, hard news is
the most preferred subject, followed by literary arts, crimes, religious and soft
news. The most important motives for reading newspapers were to get
information and learn new things, especially about female issues and
entertainment. The study also indicated that Omani newspapers were helpful
in satisfying subjects' needs for local, international and regional news.
However, there was no prior indication about how important these issues
were to Omani women in the first place.
Al-Mukhaini (2006) studied the uses of Omani newspapers and the resulting
gratifications amongst Omani readers. He conducted his study on 400
respondents aged 18 years and above from the city of Muscat. Similar to the
findings of Al-abd (1995), Al-Mukhaini found that the majority (60%) of
respondents frequently read newspapers. However, his study indicated a
preference shift in which Alwatn has become more preferred and frequently
read than Oman. This result lends support to the assertion made by Al-
Uraimi (2002: 42) that Oman daily was suffering from sharp decline in both
readership and advertising revenue because of advertisers' and readers'
11
negative perception of the paper stemming from their view of it as the

mouthpiece of the government. Reasons for preferring certain newspapers
were writing style, habitual, accessibility to the paper, different views and in
depth analysis, respectively. The most read subjects in a descending order
were politics, human interest, scientific, religion, sport and medicine.
Al-Shaqsi (2011) conducted a survey study on 517 university students in

Oman investigating mainly their uses of mobile phones. Students were asked
to rank in a descending order the importance of 9 personal and mass media.
Books were ranked fourth and newspapers fifth, while mobile phones, TV and
the internet occupied the first three ranks, respectively. The fact that mobile
phones and the internet are interactive media, very accessible especially on
campus and more than just a source of information, would partially explain
why students found them very important.
Al-Shaqsi (2012) studied expatriates' uses of different media in Oman.

Amongst 10 different mass and personal media, expatriates expose
themselves to TV, books, friends, newspapers and use fixed and mobile
phones more than other media. This result shows that amongst expatriates in
Oman, electronic media, other than TV, have not constituted a threat to the
readership of books and newspapers. Fixed and mobile phones and the
internet were ranked fifth and seventh, respectively.
In 2010, two international media research companies, Effective Measure and

Spot On PR, studied between 9th – 12th July 2010, internet users' exposure to
other print and electronic media in the Arab world. The study used 2587
subjects selected randomly via an intercept invitation and the survey was
conducted online. Countries covered in this survey were Egypt, accounting
for 69% of the total sample, Arab Gulf countries (20%), Arab North African
countries (5%), Syria, Lebanon and Jordan (4%), and other countries (2%).
The ages of the respondents range from 15 to 60 years, with the age group
21-30 being the highest (42%) with most (57%) of them having tertiary
education. The study found that 88% of the internet users in these countries
access the internet daily, 71% watch television daily, 27% listen to radio daily,
12
43% read newspapers daily with 80% of them reading for an hour or less per
day, 29% read magazines more than once a week and 54% use mobile
applications daily. It was also found that office hours are the peak time for
reading newspapers and magazines. This result indicates that nearly half
(43%) of the daily users of the internet also read newspapers, while the least
used media are radio and magazines.
AlShehri & Gunter (2002) conducted a survey study among 800 readers of
Arabic electronic newspapers. Arabs prefer reading the print version of their
favorite newspapers to the electronic one. For example, while only 10.6% of
the respondents reported reading the electronic version of Al-Hayat, 16%
said they read the print copy of the paper. In fact, 63% of the sample were
not willing to pay fees for reading online newspapers. This result was also
reached by Skogerbo & Winsvold (2011) who studied young Norwegians use
of print and online newspapers. Among the daily readers, 80% read the print
versions while only 5% read the online ones. Moreover, AlShehri & Gunter
(2002) also found that the popularity of the internet versions is drawn mainly
from the popularity of the hard copy. Most Arab readers of the electronic
newspapers were predominantly male, young to middle-aged adults and
business professionals or students in higher education.
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman's neighboring country where

expatriates outnumber the nationals by a ratio of 8 to 2, Ipsos-Stat and
Business Compass, two international research companies, conducted in 2004
a large scale readership research based on interviews. The study used a
proportional multi-stage sample totaling 2,403, aged 15 years and above.
The results showed that daily newspapers have a 59.5% penetration amongst
the UAE's resident population (Rahman, 15 June 2004). The study also found
that "best news coverage" and "habit" are among the top reasons for
choosing a newspaper. Favorite topics include current affairs, politics and
celebrities' lives. About 90% of the samples buy newspapers at least once a
week and only 5% get them through subscription. In the UAE, print remains
the dominant platform for news, but a quarter of the respondents use the
internet more than print and nearly 50% of these read news online.
13
Elvestad & Blekesaune (2008) used the data of the European Social Survey
(ESS) of 2004/5 to conduct a comparative multilevel analysis on newspaper
reading in 23 European countries. The overall sample of the ESS survey was
32,765. The results indicated that Irish, Norwegians and Finnish, respectively
spend more than 40 minutes a day reading newspapers. The European
countries that have the highest number of non-readers were, in descending
order, Greece, Spain, Belgium and Portugal. The analyses indicated that
gender, age, education and income were strong predictors of the time spent
on reading newspapers in most European countries. Men spent more time
reading newspapers than women. Age, education and income correlated
positively with time spent reading newspapers.
Raeymaeckers (2002) studied young Belgians, aged between 16-18 years
old, reading habits and attitudes towards newspapers. The study found that
young Flanders (n=1200) spent more time watching TV and listening to radio
than reading magazines, books and newspapers. Only 19% of the
respondents read newspapers on a daily basis, 18% read them regularly and
20% never read newspapers. The study also found that male respondents
spend more time reading newspapers than females and they read them
frequently. This result lends support to the findings of Makkawi (1991) an, Al-
Shaqsi (2011) in which young adults are found to spend more time viewing TV
than reading newspapers and books.
In the United States of America, the Readership Institute at Northwestern

University published in 2001 the results of a comprehensive study aiming at
investigating people use and attitudes towards American newspapers and
their content. More than 37,000 readers and non-readers were surveyed, and
47,500 news stories, photos, graphics and other content from 100 American
newspapers were analyzed. The study used Reader Behavior Score (RBS)
with a 17-point scale questions to measure time, frequency and completeness
of reading. About 21% of the sample were heavy readers, 11% skimmers,
6% selective readers and 28% non-readers. The top content topics were in
order; local and people-focused news; lifestyle news; governance and global
relations; natural disaster and accidents; movies and weather; business and
14
personal finance; science, technology and environment; police, crime and

justice and finally sport.
This literature review has indicated that all readership studies in Oman except
Alabd (1995) used Omani subjects, whereas this study uses a more
heterogeneous sample including Omanis and non-Omanis. Moreover, since
2006, several free and paid newspaper titles have emerged, but there is little
information available about the characteristics of their readers and their
reading habits. Previous studies in Oman and elsewhere have also pointed to
several variables that influence reading habits such as, gender, age,
education and income. Therefore, it is important to examine the role these
variables play in the current study. It was also found that readers' attitudes
towards a given newspaper were influenced by the content and layout of that
paper. These factors are also considered in this study. It is worth noting that
some newspapers in Oman have already changed their layout and design and
reduced the dimension of their paper in an endeavor to attract readers.
Study Problem:
The previous discussion showed that at a time when many publications in the
USA and Europe closed down, went online or took certain measures in order
to survive competition and recession, new newspaper titles appeared in
Oman. Since 2006, 8 new dailies and a number of free weekly tabloids have
emerged. Overall, there are more than 15 daily and weekly newspapers in
both the Arabic and English languages available to a population totaling
3,173,917 people, according to the population statistics of 2009 published by
the Ministry of National Economy. Oman has a high proportion of young
people with over 72% of the Omani population (n= 2,017,559) aged between
0 – 29 years. In 2003, the illiteracy rate amongst Omanis aged between 15-
45 years, was 9.1% (Ministry of National Economy, 2003). Non-Omanis
account for 36.43% (1,156,358) of the total population. Most of the
expatriates come from the Indian subcontinent and about 36% of them work in
the construction field, which does not require any form of Arabic or English
language proficiency (Ministry of Manpower, 2009:53). The age group (30 –
44) accounts for 34.3% of the expatriates population, followed by the age
15
group (15 – 29) with approximately 33%. Thus, in light of these figures and
recent development in the newspaper industry, accompanied by the lack of
any robust readership study in Oman, there is a need to investigate readers'
perception of Omani newspapers and their reading habits.
Objectives:
The main purposes of this study are to explore audience reading habits of
newspapers and readers' attitudes towards the editorial content and layout
characteristics of daily newspapers. It also investigates the role of some
socio-economic factors in the issue of readership and perception.
Significance of the study:
The significance of this study stems from the fact that it is the first study in
Oman that uses Omani and non-Omani subjects. It also covers dailies and
free weekly publications while previous studies focused only on one or the
other. Moreover, this study is the most recent, since all readership studies in
Oman were conducted before 2006, the year when many new dailies and free
publications were just starting to emerge.
Limitation:
This study was not intended to provide a conclusive account of readership of

all print media in Oman. From a methodological perspective, the results
cannot be generalized because the study used a none-probability sample.
However, the results provide valuable information regarding newspapers
readership and readers' views and perceptions of daily newspapers in Oman.
Research Questions:
With reference to the aims of this study and to the literature review, the study
seeks to answer the following research questions:
16
1- What are the general characteristics of the readers and non-readers of

Omani newspapers and do readers use electronic or print copies
most?
2- What are the types or forms of journalistic writings that readers read
most? And are there differences between readers in this regard based
on age, gender, education, ethnic group, income and employment
status?
3- To what extent are readers satisfied with their favorite newspaper's
coverage of different topics?
4- Is there any correlation between reading certain types or forms of
journalistic writings and readers' satisfaction with newspaper coverage
of certain corresponding topics?
5- How do readers perceive the design and layout and professionalism of
Omani newspapers?
6- Is there any correlation between reading frequency on the one hand
and readers' satisfaction with the layout and appearance and the
professionalism of Omani newspapers, on the other hand
Methodology:
This study is based on a survey questionnaire to investigate readership and
readers' perceptions of Omani newspapers. The following section discusses
readership measurement, the data gathering instrument and its variables.
Measuring Readership:
Readership is a very complex term to measure, though it is widely used. One

can simply define readership as the number of readers of a specific
publication. In Europe, the newspaper reading pattern is often based on the
circulation of paid newspapers (Elvestad & Blekesaune, 2008: 430).
However, circulation is not a valid measurement of newspaper reading
because it does not reflect the people who actually read newspapers and their
characteristics. The Magazine Publishers of America uses "average issue
17
audience" for readership, and defines it as "the projected number of people

who have read or looked into an "average issue" of a magazine" (The
Association of Magazine Media, 1st June 2000). The Audience Dialogue
website defines readership as "the number of readers of a newspaper,
magazine, etc which can only be assessed by a survey" (Audience Dialogue,
26th June 2006). Bottle PR, a UK based agency established in 2004, defines
readership as "a general term that refers to the number of people reading a
particular publication, including both the individual who purchased the
publication and others who have read it (Bottle PR, 8th February 2011). The
Huntsville Time website (8th February 2011) defines readership as "the
number of adults (18+) in a specified geographic area who "read or looked
into the publication yesterday".
It is obvious that there is no consensus as to what readership precisely means

and how it can thereafter be measured. In retrospect, does readership refer
only to the people who have read or looked into a specific publication, or does
it also include by default those who have purchased the publication? If both
views are equally valid, this would raise a serious question about how to
classify an illiterate person who buys a newspaper for his disabled daughter.
Then, how can a researcher operationally define the terms "read or looked
into" a publication? Can a researcher consider the act of flicking through the
pages of a newspaper or a magazine as reading? To what extent can a
researcher rely on the assertion of the audience that they read without
seeking further details about their reading habits and the content and
publication they read? Does the duration of the act of reading, its frequency
and the method of reading (skimming, scanning and thorough) affect our
measurement of readership? Is readership assessment limited to the adults
whose age are 18+ as The Huntsville Time website has suggested?
These series of questions show how complex is the operational definition of

the term readership. Dennis List (2007) offered six different ways of
measuring readership. These are average issue readership which in itself
includes another five subcategories, reach or the circulation audience,
frequency, the Startch method, readers per copy and eye tracking. For the
18
purposes of this study, these ways are not discussed in detail, but their
general principles are used to outline how readership is operationally defined
and measured. In this study, the question of readership is examined by a set
of questions aiming at finding out:
1- Whether or not the respondent reads newspapers.
2- The name of the paper he/she reads most.
3- The frequency of reading his/her favourite newspaper, as well as
other newspapers.
4- The days when and the places where reading is happening, and the
means by which the reader gets a copy of the newspaper.
5- The content he/she reads most and forms of writing he/she prefers in
the newspaper.
The survey questionnaire:

A survey questionnaire in the Arabic and English languages was generated.
The English version was mainly targeted at non-Arabic speaking subjects.
The questionnaire consisted of 22 main questions with scales ranging from
the nominal yes-no answer to the ordinal 5-point Lickert scale. In addition to
the demographic variables, the questions cover reading habits, forms of
journalistic writings, newspapers' coverage of certain content areas, design
and layout characteristics and professionalism.
The researcher hired three individuals to distribute and collect 1000

questionnaires. The distribution process started in 2010. Each person was
given a formal letter from the researcher's institution requesting any given
administration where questionnaires had been distributed to facilitate the
distribution process. Subjects from the army and police sectors were very
scarce due to the inaccessibility of their headquarters. Overall, 800
questionnaires were filled up by respondents, but only 747 of them were valid
for SPSS analysis. Several statistical analyses have been used including
frequencies, crosstabulations and correlations.
Sample Characteristics:
The study used a non-probability sample, namely convenience, since no
sample frame has been identified for the population. Subjects were selected
based on their existence in the places where questionnaires were distributed,
19
which mainly academic institutions, ministries and private companies in

Oman's capital, Muscat. According to the statistics of the Ministry of National
Economy of mid 2009, Muscat is the most populated place in Oman with
949,694 people. Expatriates constitute 53% (502,293) of the inhabitants of
Muscat and 43.4% of the total expatriates in Oman (n=1156358). Because it
is the capital, Omanis from different regions come to Muscat for work and for
study, and a great deal of them make it a second place of residency.
Therefore, choosing Muscat as a venue for conducting this study, is cost and
time effective in finding a representative sample with Omanis, non-Omanis,
Arabs, non-Arabs, students, employees and other demographic
characteristics. Moreover, all of the paid and free newspapers in Oman are
printed and published in Muscat.
Of the 747 respondents in this study, 62% were males and 38% were
females. Their ages range from 15 to over 40 years old. Omanis account for
87.6% of the sample, while foreigners, including Arabs, Asians and
Europeans, account for 12%. The age group 21-30 years comprises 45%,
and the age group 31-40 comprises 30.7%. Most of the respondents (29%)
fell in the middle-income category (551 – 850) Rial Omani (RO) a month (1
RO = US$ 2.6), and 20% in the low income category (250 -550 RO). More
than 62% of the respondents have diploma and university degrees, 11% have
postgraduate degrees, and more than 25% have high school diplomas or less.
Nearly 48% of the subjects work in civil government institutions, 22% in the
private sector, 19% as students and 6% in the military sector.
Results:
General Characteristics Of Readers And Their Reading Habits:
Only 5.5% of the total sample (n= 747) said they didn't read daily newspapers,
and half of those (2.7%) worked in the public sector. The most important
20
reasons for not reading newspapers were the availability of other media
sources, hate of reading and not finding newspapers as interesting,
respectively. Most readers of daily newspapers are males (63%), their ages
range between 21 – 35 (65%) from low and middle income background
(48.8%), who have diploma and university degrees (62.8%) and worked in the
public sector (48%).
More than 41% of the respondents read newspapers during the weekdays,
23.4% during the weekends and 35.6% daily. In line with this result, 43.5%
said they read newspapers at work and 49.6% at home, whereas only 6.8%
said they read newspapers in public places. Most of the respondents (42.2%)
get their copies for free at work, 32.2% buy them from news stalls or vendors,
7% borrow them, 6.4% obtain them through annual subscription and 5.3%
read them in public places, such as cafes. What is worth noting here is that
only 3% read the electronic version of their favourite newspapers, a case that
explains why print copies are popular in Oman and are not challenged by the
new information technologies. Hard copies of newspapers in the Arab World
are still popular because of low internet penetration and high internet charges
(Alshehri & Gunter 2002; Nemeth 2006). Moreover, Arabs use the internet
mainly to browse their emails, search for information about their hobbies and
connect with others through social networking sites (Spot on PR & Effective
Measure 2010). The Arab diasporas are found to browse the electronic
version of either their national or popular newspapers more than those who
reside in their home countries (Negm, 2005).
Respondents were asked to name their most read and favourite newspaper.
The results showed that amongst Arabic dailies, Alwatan was favoured by
49.6% of the respondents, followed by Oman (27.2%) and Alshabiba (9.5%).
The new Arabic titles, namely ARro'yah (vision) and Azzaman (time), claimed
only 3% and .7%, respectively. Amongst the English dailies, Times of Oman
was favoured by 5.4% of the respondents followed by Tribune (2.7%). The
least read newspapers were the newly launched Muscat Daily and
Observer. Table 3 shows that Alwatan is more frequently read (61%) than
any other newspaper, followed by Oman. On the other hand, Times of
21
Oman is the most frequently read amongst English dailies. Both Oman and
Alshabiba are more read occasionally.
Amongst free weekly tabloids, Futoon appeared to be the most read

publication (29.6%), followed by Almalaib (16.8%), Alosbou'a (7.5%), Al
Youm AlSabe (6.5%) and The Week (6.1%)
Table 3
Reading frequency of dailies based on valid percents
Always Occasionally Don’t Read Total
N % N % N % N %
Alwatan 390 61.3 212 33.3 34 5.3 636 100
Oman 225 36.7 337 55 51 8.3 613 100
Alshabiba 121 20.3 363 60.9 112 18.8 596 100
Azzaman 30 5.7 141 26.6 359 67.7 530 100
Times of Oman 56 11.2 121 24.2 322 64.5 499 100
Observer 21 4.4 116 24.5 337 71.1 474 100
Tribune 10 2.3 65 14.8 364 82.9 439 100
Crosstabulation analyses of the whole sample reveals that both Alwatan and
Oman appeal to the same readers. Their predominant readers are Omani
males within the age group 21-30 years who work in the public sector and
have a university degree.
Most Read Forms Of Journalistic Writings:

In a 3-point scale (always, occasionally & don't read), respondents were
asked to identify how frequently they read 9 journalistic forms of writing.
Table 4 shows that the majority (67%) of the respondents read news always,
and about 40% of them always read caricatures and comics. The most
occasionally read forms of writing are opinion and analysis (63%), interviews
(57%), investigative reporting (53%), classified ads (49.7%) and daily columns
(48%). What is worth noting here is that 37% and 35% of the respondents
said they do not read letters to the editor and puzzles, respectively.
Table 4
Most Read Forms of Journalistic Writing
Forms of writing Always Occasionally Don’t Read Total

N % N % N % N %
News 470 67.3 217 31.1 11 1.6 698 100
22
Opinion & Analysis 161 23.9 421 62.6 91 13.5 673 100
Interviews 171 25.8 381 57.1 114 17.1 667 100
Investigative 187 28.4 348 52.8 124 18.8 659 100
Reporting
Caricatures & 290 43.8 266 40.2 106 16 662 100
Comics
Daily Columns 227 34.4 316 48 116 17.6 659 100
Classified Ads 191 28.5 333 49.7 146 21 670 100
Letters to the editor 135 21.2 266 41.7 237 37.1 638 100
Puzzles 173 25.4 266 39.1 241 35.4 680 100
Further analyses revealed statistically significant differences between the

mean scores of males and females in reading three forms of writings.
Females read letters to the editors (m=2.01), advertisements (m=2.16) and
puzzles more than males. Amongst ethnic groups, statistically significant
differences (p< .05) between Omanis, Arabs and Asians were observed in
three writing forms. Asians (m=2.71) read letters to the editor more than
Omanis (m=1.80) and Arabs (m=1.81), whereas Omanis (m= 2.32) and Arabs
(m=2.00) expose themselves to caricatures and comics more than Asians
(m=1.87). The differences between the mean scores in these two forms of
writings were significant at .01 probability level. On the other hand, Asians
(m= 2.43) read advertisements more than Arabs (m=2.02) and Omanis
(m=2.05), but the differences in the means were only significant between
them and Omanis at 95% level.
Table 5 shows that older age groups, 31 years and above, read news, daily
columns and classified ads more than younger age groups. The differences
in their mean scores are statistically significant at 99% level. Younger age
groups, however, read caricatures & comics and puzzles more than older
ones.
Table 5
ANOVA on age & reading different forms of writings
Topics Means based on age groups SD SS F Sig

10-20 21-30 31-40 40 + Total Total Total
News 2.39 2.64 2.78 2.68 2.66 .51 179.16 13.17 .000
с ь ª ª
Daily Columns 1.95 2.12 2.28 2.30 2.17 .71 324.30 5.91 .001
ь ª ª
Caricatures & 2.31 2.42 2.16 1.91 2.28 .72 344.86 12.38 .000
Comics ª ь ь
23
Classified Ads 1.83 2.14 2.01 2.21 2.07 .71 333.98 5.64 .001
ь ª ª
Puzzles 2.45 1.97 1.64 1.69 1.90 .77 407.20 27.21 .000
ª ь ь ь
The respondents' level of education was a significant factor in predicting their

reading of certain journalistic writings. Table 6 shows only the results where
statistically significant differences were observed. Respondents with MAs &
Ph.Ds read news, opinion & analysis and classified ads more than others,
while those with a high school qualification or less read puzzles more than
other groups. Investigative reporting appeared to be more frequently read by
all groups apart from respondents with a high school qualification.
Table 6
ANOVA on education & different forms of writings
Topics Means based on education SD SS F Sig

> HS HS Dip/B MA/Ph. Total Total Total
A D
News 2.49 2.62 ь 2.65 ь 2.93 ª 2.66 .51 176.64 10.4 .000
ь 1
Opinion & 1.98 1.93 с 2.12 ь 2.36 ª 2.10 .60 243.05 8.91 .000
Analysis с
Investigativ 2.35 1.88 ь 2.12 ª 2.36 2.10 .69 304.90 6.24 .000
e Reporting ª
Classified 1.84 1.89 ь 2.11 2.25 ª 2.07 .70 328.80 6.78 .000
Ads ь
Puzzles 2.07 2.16 ª 1.86 ь 1.55 с 1.89 .77 401.07 11.3 .000
ª 0
According to Table 7, respondents from the high income category frequently

read news, opinion & analysis, daily columns and investigative reporting. The
differences between their mean scores and other income categories are
highly significant. On the other hand, letters to the editor and puzzles are
more frequently read by readers from the low income category.
Table 7
ANOVA on Income & reading different forms of writing
Low= (R.O. 100-550) middle= (R.O. 551 – 1150) high= (R.O. 1151 & above)
Topics Means based on income SD SS F Sig

Low Middle High Total Total Total
N= 233 N=289 N=141 N= 663
News 2.54с 2.70ь 2.84ª 2.67 .50 167.98 17.94 .000
24
Opinion & Analysis 1.96с 2.14ь 2.31ª 2.11 .60 233.90 15.00 .000
Daily Columns 2.05ь 2.21ª 2.28ª 2.17 .71 315.33 5.22 .006
Investigative Reporting 1.89ь 2.21ª 2.21ª 2.10 .68 291.85 15.74 .000
Letters to the editor 1.99ª 1.77ь 1.77ь 1.84 .74 338.06 5.87 .003
Puzzles 2.10ª 1.78ь 1.62ь 1.86 .76 369.44 20.56 .000
* R.O. (1 Rial Omani = $2.6)
Readers' Satisfaction With Newspapers' Coverage Of Different Topic

Areas:
Readers' satisfaction with 13 different topic areas was assessed by a 5-point

scale (excellent, very good, good, fair & unsatisfactory), where excellent was
rated 5 and unsatisfactory 1. The topics under investigation are the most
prominent ones that appear in any average newspaper (local news, Arab
news, international news, opinion & analysis, business news, art & artists,
current affairs, ads, sport, culture, religious, medicine and games & puzzles).
The analysis in this section is limited to the readers of the four most read
newspapers; Alwatan (n=350), Oman (n=190), Alshabiba (n=67) and Times
of Oman (n=36). These four newspapers make up 86% of the total
newspaper reading indicated by the sample (n=643). Table 8 shows ANOVA
results on readers' satisfaction level with the newspapers' coverage of 13
topics.
Table 8
ANOVA on readers' overall satisfaction with newspaper coverage of different topics
(mean scores with the same subscripted letters= no significant differences)
Topics Means SD SS F Sig

Oma Alwata Alshabib Time Tota Tota Total
n n a s l l
Local News 4.02ª 4.01ª 4.24ª 3.44ь 4.00 .967 596.9 5.46 .00
9 1
Sport 3.72ь 3.74ь 4.26ª 3.25ь 3.76 1.04 670.7 7.66 .00
0 3 0
Ads 3.60 3.68 3.68 3.67 3.66 1.12 777.8 .266 .85
1 2 0
Arab News 3.67 3.57 3.87 3.35 3.62 .889 493.3 3.20 .02
7 3
Inter. News 3.42ь 3.63с 3.95ª 3.11ь 3.57 1.05 697.7 7.06 .00
6 3 0
Business 3.53ª 3.46ª 3.63ª 2.75ь 3.46 1.05 670.6 5.88 .00
3 3 1
25
Culture 3.40 3.33 3.54 3.06 3.36 1.03 658.3 1.84 .13
0 5 8
Current affairs 3.28 3.20ь 3.74ª 3.18 3.27 1.19 891.9 3.61 .01
8 9 3
Opinion Anal. 3.27ª 3.29ª 3.62ª 2.13ь 3.26 1.12 791.1 13.9 .00
4 0 7 0
Religion 3.43 3.19 3.15 3.31 3.26 1.14 808.2 2.04 .10
2 2 8
Art & Artists 3.02ь 3.20ь 3.92ª 2.63ь 3.19 1.18 841.8 12.4 .00
3 2 4 0
Games/puzzle 2.95 2.85ь 3.39ª 3.06 2.95 1.19 884.1 3.52 .01
s 4 4 5
Medicine 2.86 2.79 2.79 3.06 2.82 1.23 934.4 .57 .63
1 2 7
The results in Table 8 show that Omani newspapers in general provide

satisfactory coverage of local news, sport, advertisement and Arab and
international news more than other topics. The total mean scores of these
topics are higher than others. It also appears that respondents found
Alshabiba's coverage of local news, sport, international news, business
news, current affairs, arts & artists and puzzles (crosswords) better than other
newspapers. The differences are statistically significant (p< .05). Readers
were equally satisfied with the Arabic dailies' coverage of local news. From a
journalistic point of view, opinion & analysis is the backbone of any
newspaper, yet Omani dailies' coverage of this topic did not seem to meet
their readers' expectations.
The results also show that gender, age, ethnic group and income were
significant factors in predicting readers' satisfaction. The results in Table 9
show that females were more satisfied than males with newspapers' coverage
of local news, culture, games & puzzles, religious and medical topics. The
differences between the mean scores of males and females in these topics
are statistically significant (p<.05).
Table 9
t-test on gender & readers' satisfaction with newspapers coverage of different topics

M F Total Total Total
Local News 3.95 4.12 4.01 .951 632.88 4.87 .028
Culture 3.28 3.50 3.36 1.03 719.00 6.76 .009
Games/puzzles 2.83 3.27 2.99 1.20 976.96 22.11 .000
26
Religious 3.22 3.42 3.29 1.15 894.76 4.89 .027

Medical 2.76 3.03 2.86 1.26 1072.95 7.50 .006
The age of the respondents also appears to be an important factor. The

results in Table 10 show that the younger age group (10-20 years) and youth
(21-30 years) appeared to be more satisfied than other age groups with their
favourite newspapers' coverage of all topics except ads, where the differences
were statistically insignificant. Their mean scores are higher than those of
readers aged thirty one years old and above. The differences are statistically
significant at 95% level of confidence.
Table 10
ANOVA on Age and readers' satisfaction with newspapers coverage of different topics
Age, 1= (10-20yrs), 2= (21-30yrs), 3= (31-40yrs), 4= (41+yrs)
Topics Means of age groups SD SS F Sig
1 2 3 4 Total Total Total
Local News 3.90 4.13ª 4.00 3.71ь 4.01 .951 632.88 5.03 .002
Arab News 3.90 4.13 4.00 3.71 4.01 .951 552.96 3.68 .012
Inter. News 3.63 3.65 3.47 3.27 3.55 1.06 768.72 3.65 .018
Opinion Anal. 3.10 3.45ª 3.22 2.76ь 3.26 1.14 886.71 8.71 .000
Business 3.64ª 3.48ª 3.55ª 2.91ь 3.46 1.07 759.69 7.57 .000
Art & Artists 3.40ª 3.36ª 3.03ь 2.71с 3.19 1.22 983.33 8.25 .000
Current affairs 3.84ª 3.33ь 3.14ь 2.97ь 3.30 1.21 993.96 9.49 .000
Sport 4.15ª 3.78ь 3.63ь 3.53ь 3.75 1.05 757.12 6.52 .000
Culture 3.62ª 3.49 3.19ь 3.03ь 3.36 1.03 719.01 8.25 .000
Games/puzzles 3.45ª 3.12ь 2.69с 2.78с 2.99 1.20 976.96 11.27 .000
Religious 3.84ª 3.34ь 3.09ь 3.01ь 3.29 1.15 894.76 10.86 .000
Medical 3.36ª 2.89ь 2.69ь 2.62ь 2.86 1.26 1072.95 7.12 .000
The respondents' level of education has influenced their satisfaction with

newspapers' coverage of five different topics. Table 11 shows statistically
significant differences (p< .05) between readers with a high school education
and others. Readers with a high school education are more satisfied than
others with newspapers' coverage of sport, culture, ads, religious and medical
topics.
Table 11
ANOVA on education and readers' satisfaction with newspapers' coverage of different topics
Education: 1= less than HS, 2= HS, 3= Diploma & Degree, 4= Master & Ph.D
27
Topics Means based on education levels SD SS F Sig

1 2 3 4 Total Total Total
Sport 3.79 4.14ª 3.65ь 3.73 3.75 1.06 755.12 6.72 .000
Culture 3.44 3.61ª 3.31 3.16ь 3.36 1.03 711.99 3.61 .013
Ads 3.28ь 3.66 3.73ª 3.49 3.65 1.12 836.52 3.39 .018
Religion 3.36 3.67ª 3.25ь 2.87ь 3.29 1.15 887.14 8.01 .000
Medicine 3.13 3.11 2.79 2.66 2.86 1.27 1068.94 3.54 .015
The ethnic background of the respondents has also influenced their

satisfaction level with newspapers' coverage. The results in Table 12 show
that Omanis and Arabs appeared to be more satisfied than Asians with their
favourite newspapers' coverage of local news, Arabic and international news,
opinion & analysis and sport. The differences in respondents' mean scores
for these topics are statistically significant.
Table 12
ANOVA on ethnic group and readers' satisfaction with newspapers coverage of different
topics
Ethnic group: 1= Omanis 2= Arabs 3= Asians
Topics Means by ethnic groups SD SS F Sig
Omanis Arabs Asians Total Total Total
N=618 N= 42 N= 32 N= 692
Local News 4.05ª 4.00ª 3.25ь 4.01 .96 630.93 10.98 .000
Arab News 3.61ª 3.67ª 3.13ь 3.59 .89 545.66 4.64 .010
Inter. News 3.58ª 3.60ª 2.81ь 3.55 1.06 760.56 8.23 .000
Opinion Anal. 3.32ª 3.43ª 1.93ь 3.26 1.14 874.59 22.96 .000
Business 3.50ª 3.67 2.47ь 3.46 1.07 758.41 14.67 .000
Art & Artists 3.24ª 3.05 2.50ь 3.20 1.22 968.80 4.42 .005
Sport 3.80ª 3.76ª 3.07ь 3.77 1.05 744.37 7.10 .001
Based on income, readers from the middle income category ($1430 – 2990)
are more satisfied than other groups with their favorite newspapers' coverage
of Arab and international news, opinion and analysis, business news, ads and
medical topics. The differences between the mean scores of the three income
categories are statistically significant. However, readers from the low income
category appeared to be more satisfied than other groups with newspapers'
coverage of cultural topics.
28
Table 13
ANOVA on ethnic group and readers' satisfaction with newspapers' coverage of different
topics
Income: 1= low (R.O*. 100-550), 2= middle (R.O. 551 – 1150), 3= high (R.O. 1151 &
above)
Topics Means by income SD SS F Sig
1 2 3 Total Total Total
N= 233 N=294 N=139 N= 666
Arab News 3.44ь 3.71ª 3.62 3.59 .90 608.88 5.59 .004
Inter. News 3.39ь 3.63ª 3.57 3.53 1.05 716.83 3.49 .031
Opinion Anal. 2.97ь 3.45ª 3.32ª 3.26 1.13 829.54 12.13 .000
Business 3.24ь 3.63ª 3.43 3.44 1.06 716.76 8.73 .000
Culture 3.46ª 3.35 3.16ь 3.35 1.03 684.63 2.63 .027
Ads 3.33ь 3.79ª 3.78ª 3.62 1.12 811.20 12.92 .000
Medicine 3.01 2.76 2.69 2.83 1.26 1015.86 3.62 .027
* R.O. (Rial Omani). 1 Rial Omani = $2.6
Reading Certain Forms Of Writing & Satisfaction With Newspaper

Coverage:
Respondents' reading frequency of nine types or forms of journalistic writing

was correlated with their satisfaction with a newspaper's coverage of different
corresponding topics. For example, news, which was found to be the most
frequently read form of journalistic writing, was correlated with readers'
satisfaction with newspaper's coverage of local, regional and international
news. Therefore, a series of two-tailed Spearman rho' correlations were run.
The results revealed statistically significant and positive correlations between
the frequency of reading, news as a form of journalistic writing, and
respondents' satisfaction with newspaper coverage of local news (r= .91,
p=.017), Arabic & regional news (r= .146, p=.000) and international news (r=
.135, p=.000). No significant correlation was observed between reading news
and satisfaction with business, sport and arts news. Another set of
statistically significant positive correlations was also observed between
readers' satisfaction with newspapers' coverage of political analysis and
frequency of reading opinion & analysis articles (r=.198, p=.000), daily
columns (r= .85, p=.031), investigative reporting (r=.193, p=.000) and
interviews (r= .137, p=.000). Reading classified advertisements correlated
29
positively and significantly with readers' satisfaction with newspapers'

coverage of advertisements ((r= .236, p=.000). Reading puzzles also
correlated positively and significantly with readers' satisfaction with
newspaper coverage of advertisements (r= 331, p=.000).
In light of these findings, it can be argued that the more readers are satisfied
with a newspaper's coverage of certain topics, the more frequently they read
the form of journalistic writing that relates to these topics, and vice versa. So
the frequency of reading certain journalistic writings can be taken as an
indicator of readers' satisfaction with certain topics.
Readers' Views About The Design And Layout Of Newspapers:

Good newspapers treat graphical elements, such as photos, charts, graphs
and maps as the editorial equivalents of stories (Baskette et al.1992: 213).
Technological advancements have helped newspapers with their design,
layout and presentations. All newspapers in Oman are now using computers
to design and sketch their pages. They use popular software including
Publisher, InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. However, the final
presentation depends mainly on the creativity of the designers or the artists.
Many newspapers in Oman have also undergone layout changes. Alshabiba
changed its design and look in 2009 and is now printed on paper with the
dimension 58 x 32cm, making its width smaller by 4cm approximately than
other standard newspaper dimension in Oman. Oman and Alwatan also
went layout and design changes several years ago including the logo and
appearance of their mastheads. Azzaman is the only daily newspaper in
Oman that uses a tabloid format.
Newspapers design and layout refers to colors, fonts, spaces and

arrangements and presentation of the editorial and non-editorial content in the
pages of the newspaper. In this study, the operational definition of design and
layout covers seven areas that attest to the appearance and presentation of
the content in any given newspaper. These areas are; layout & design,
pictures, graphic & comics, print paper quality, printing quality, fonts type &
size and headlines. Respondents were asked to indicate their views about
30
these items in a 5-point scale (excellent, very good, good, fair & weak), where
excellent was rated 5 and weak 1.
Table 14 shows statistically significant differences between the mean scores

of the four newspapers in three areas. Alshabiba was rated highly by
respondents for its layout & design, graphics & comics and headlines. This
could be attributed to the fact that Alshabiba has recently undergone major
typographic and layout changes. The differences in the mean scores of the
four newspapers were statistically significant in the three previously
mentioned areas, especially between Alshabiba and Times of Oman.
Table 14
ANOVA on readers' view of the design and layout of newspapers:
Oman Alwatan Alshabiba Times Total Total Total
Layout & 3.90 4.00ª 4.21ª 2.50ь 3.97 .966 588.30 4.71 .003
Design
Pictures 3.81 3.81 3.86 3.50 3.80 .985 609.99 1.21 .304
Graphics & 3.48ª 3.50ª 3.57ª 2.88ь 3.47 1.041 675.42 3.99 .008
comics
Paper 3.64 3.55 3.75 3.22 3.58 1.102 753.64 2.13 .096
Quality
Printing 3.73 3.86 3.77 3.41 3.78 1.015 648.64 2.29 .078
Quality
Font size & 3.79 3.84 3.86 3.79 3.82 .993 618.70 .17 .920
Types
Headlines 3.73ь 3.84 4.16ª 4.06 3.85 .984 611.42 3.60 .013
.
Readers' Image of The Professionalism of Omani Newspapers:
Every newspaper has its own image, which can sometimes become either a
brand or a stigma. The images engraved in the minds of the readers affect
newspapers' credibility and readership. There are a number of image
characteristics assigned to newspapers, mostly relating to professionalism
derived from news values. Readers' might develop an image about a
newspaper as a result of a direct experience but they might also rely on
stereotypes and indirect experiences. However, readers' image of Omani
newspapers was examined through the subjects' responses to six
professional values and characteristics; censorship, credibility, responsibility,
sensationalism, audacity and timeliness.
31
Table 15 shows that Oman daily cultivated the highest percentage for
censorship. About 62% of the respondents believe that censorship is widely
practiced in Oman. This result conforms with the finding of Al-ariami (2002).
The fact that Oman is a government newspaper and has always been
perceived as the mouthpiece of the government might have influenced
respondents' views. In terms of credibility, 40% of the respondents found
Alwatan a credible newspaper but fewer than 25% said the same thing about
Oman. In terms of responsibility, 39.2% of the respondents believe that
Alwatan is a responsible newspaper followed by Oman with 37.1%. The
differences between Oman and Alwatan in this respect are marginal. About
37% of the respondents viewed Alshabiba as a sensational newspaper, and
35.2% said the same about Alwatan. Respondents also viewed Alwatan as
a courageous newspaper in reporting news that is not in line with the
mainstream media and policy. Slightly more than 39% and 25.4% found
Alwatan and Alshabiba to be so, respectively. Alwatan was also viewed as
a timely newspaper in covering events with 47% of the respondents indicating
this, followed by Alshabiba with 25.7%.
In sum, Alwatan was viewed more positively than other newspapers. From
respondents perspectives, it is viewed as a credible, responsible, courageous
and timely newspaper. This result would also explain why Alwatan is more
frequently read than any other newspapers. On the other hand, Oman was
singled out as the most censored newspaper.
Table 15
Valid percents on respondents' perceptions of Omani newspapers
Newspape Censorshi Credibility Responsibilit Sensationalis audacity Newness
r p y m
N % N % N % N % N % N %
Oman 330 61.7 13 24. 198 37.1 50 9.6 88 17. 13 25.
6 9 1 8 7
Alwatan 151 28.2 29 40 209 39.2 104 35.2 20 39. 25 47
9 3 3 3
Alshabib 21 3.9 70 12. 63 11.8 193 36.9 13 25. 87 16.
a 8 1 4 2
Azzaman 6 1.1 8 1.5 16 3 60 11.5 55 10. 18 3.3
7
Observer 8 1.5 14 2.6 13 2.4 12 2.3 13 2.5 8 1.5
32
Times 19 3.6 18 3.3 32 6 16 3.1 18 3.5 22 4.1

Tribune 2 .4 2 .4 4 .8 4 .8 8 1.5
Mct Daily 4 .8 4 .8 4 .7
Total 535 100 54 100 533 100 523 100 51 100 53 100
7 6 8
Discussion and Conclusion:
Oman is setting an example where print newspaper titles are increasing

regardless of the advancement of new information technologies. Since 2006,
four new dailies and several other free weeklies came out. The survival of the
new titles, such as Azzaman and ARro'yah is questionable without
government subscription and indirect subsidies. The indirect government
subsidies come in the form of paid advertisements and announcements.
Hard copies of newspapers are still popular in Oman since only 3% of the
sample reads the online version of their favourite newspaper. However, this
result was expected because previous studies indicated that the internet in
Oman is not commonly used to browse newspapers (Nagm & Alrawas 2004,
Al-Shaqsi 2011). Most newspaper readers are males with college and
university degrees. The privately owned Alwatan is favoured and read more
than other newspapers followed by Oman. Perhaps, the image of Oman in
the minds of the readers as dashed in censorship, might have affected its
readership. However, when readers' image or view about the professionalism
of Oman was correlated with the frequency of reading, a different result was
observed. Frequent readers of Oman were less likely to see the newspaper
as dashed in censorship. This means that occasional readers and non-
readers of Oman were advancing a subjective judgment, based on their
previous encounters with the newspaper regardless of any editorial changes
the paper has made in the recent years.
News was the most read form of journalistic writing followed by caricatures &
comics and daily columns, respectively. However, when socio-economic
factors were examined, statistically significant differences were observed.
33
Gender, education, age, income and ethnicity of the respondents played a

strong role in their preferences of certain forms of journalistic writings.
Respondents with a university degree or a higher qualification from the high
income category whose age is 30 years and above, read news, opinion &
analysis, daily columns and investigative reporting more than other
respondents.
The respondents overall satisfaction with Omani newspapers' coverage of

different content topics was relatively high. Respondents were more satisfied
with newspapers' coverage of local news, sports, ads, Arab news and
international news, respectively. Their level of satisfaction differs from one
newspaper to the other. Respondents found Alshabiba's coverage of local
news, sports, international news, current affairs and arts & artists more
satisfactory than other newspapers. On the other hand, age, ethnicity and
income were very strong factors in explaining the differences in respondents'
satisfaction level with newspapers' coverage of different topics. The results
also indicated statistically significant and positive correlations between
reading certain forms of journalistic writings and satisfaction with newspapers'
coverage of certain topics. Reading news correlated with the satisfaction with
newspapers' coverage of local, Arabic and international news. Reading
opinion and analysis, daily columns and investigative reporting correlated with
readers' satisfaction with the coverage of topics relating to opinion and
analysis.
In terms of layout, design, appearance and presentation of Omani

newspapers, the overall result indicated that respondents were to a greater
extent satisfied with the look of their favourite newspapers. However, readers
of Alshabiba were more satisfied with the layout and presentation of the
paper than readers of other newspapers. This was explained by the changes
in the typographic, design, layout and physical appearance that Alshabiba
made about three years ago.
Newspapers in Oman, whether private or public, work under the guidelines of

the Print & Publication Law. Yet, the general perception amongst Omani
34
readers is that private newspapers are more freer than the public ones in their
coverage and reporting. This is not true from a legal perspective, but private
newspapers are not strictly obliged to reflect the official viewpoints in all
matters as do the public ones. The results of this study indicated that readers
in general perceived Oman (public) as dashed in censorship more than other
newspapers by a sizable difference. The private Alwatan was seen as
credible, responsible, courageous and timely in its coverage and reporting.
Alshabiba, (private) was perceived as a sensational newspaper. These
results encourage future researches to thoroughly examine and study the
factors that shape readers' perceptions and images of different media in
Oman.
References:
(Audience Dialogue, 26 June 2006). "Glossary of Media Research Terms".
http://www.audiencedialogue.net/gloss-media.html#readership. Date visited
8/8/2011.
Al-Abd Atif. (1995). "Reading Habits of Newspapers & Magazines in Oman".

In Studies in Omani Media, Volume 1, Cairo, Dar Al-Fikr Al-Arabi. Pp. 21-
179. (In Arabic).
AlAraimi, Mirfat. (2002). Market Perception Towards Oman Daily

Newspapers. A Master degree dissertation, University of Northumbria,
Newcastle, UK.
Al-Ghabshi, Aysha. (2002). Omani Women Uses of Different Media and the
Resulting Gratifications. A Master degree dissertation (in Arabic), College of
Communication, Cairo University, Egypt.
Al-Kindi, Abdullah. (2008). "The genesis of Omani press in Zanzibar: A

Historical analysis study." In Al-Kindi, Abdullah & Al-Hasani, Abdulmonem
(2008). Studies in Omani Press. Al-Falah Publishing, Al-Ain, United Arab
Emirates. Pp. 19-72.
Al-Mukhaini, Hamed Ali. (2006). Omani People Uses of Newspapers and

Gratifications Resulting from Reading them. A Master degree dissertation (in
Arabic), College of Communication, Cairo University, Egypt.
Al-Shaqsi, Obaid. (2012). "Uses of different media by expatriates in Oman

and the resulting gratifications". This paper will be published in October 2012
in the Annals of Arts & Social Sciences, Kuwait.
35
Al-Shaqsi, Obaid. (2011). "Uses & Gratifications Resulting from Using Mobile
phones amongst Omani Youth". A paper accepted for publication in the
Egyptian Public Opinion Journal.
AlShehri, Fayez & Gunter, Barrie. (2002). "The Market of Electronic

Newspapers in the Arab World". Journal of Aslip Proceedings. Vol. 54, No.1,
pp. 56-70.
Arab press Network. (2010). Newspapers in the Arab World.

st
(http://www.arabpressnetwork.org/. Retrieved on 1 October 2010.
Baskette F., Sissors J & Brooks B. (1992). The Art of Editing, 5th ed.
Macmillam inc., NY, USA.
Bottle PR Agency, a UK based website. Visited on 8 February 2011,

http://www.bottlepr.co.uk/glossary.aspx
Dennis List (2007). "Measuring Audience to Printed Publications". Visited on

8 February 2011. http://www.audiencedialogue.net/meas-print.html
Dubai Press Club. (2010). Arab Media Outlook 2009-2013. ISBN 978-9948-15-
422-8.
Dubai, UAE. http://www.fas.org/irp/eprint/arabmedia.pdf
Effective Measure & Spot on PR (July 2010). Media Consumption & Habits of
MENA Internet Users. Date Visited 20 May 2011. http://www.spotonpr.com/wp-
content/uploads/2010/07/MENAInternetSurvey22Jul10.pdf
Elvestad & Blekesaune (2008). "Newspaper Readers in Europe: A Multilevel

Study of Individual and National Differences". European Journal of
Communication , Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 425-447.
http://stateofthemedia.org/2007/newspapers-intro/
http://www.moneOman.gov.om/book/syb2009cd/fscommand/tables/Population/1-2.pdf
Makkawi,Hasan. (1991). The Role of Oman TV in Setting the Agenda of its

Audience about Different News Issues", A Survey Study on University
Students. Journal of Communication Research. No.6, Cairo University. Pp.
120-132 (in Arabic)
MediaSource (2011). "Middle East Media Guide, pdf file", Visited on 4 August
2011. http://www.middleeastmediaguide.com/downloads/newspapers.pdf
Ministry of Manpower. (2009). Annual Statistics Report. Muscat, Oman.
Ministry of National Economy. (2003). Human Development Report. Ministry

of National Economy, Oman.
36
Ministry of National Economy. (2009). Annual Statistics Book. Issue 37.

Oman MNE official website. Visited on 15th September 2009
Negm, Taha. (2005). Motifs of exposure to Egyptian's Newspapers and

Magazines by Egyptian Expatriates Residing in Oman. Journal of Public
Opinion Research, Cairo University, Egypt. Vol.6 , No. 2.
Nemeth, Titus. (2006). The Current State od Arabic Newspaper Type and
Typography. An MA Dissertation Submitted to the Dept. Of Typography &
Graphic Communication, University of Reading, UK
News & Tech. (14 June 2010). Report: Newspaper Outlook Stable for Now.
http://www.newsandtech.com/dateline/article_2dc16a8e-6f22-11df-8c27-
001cc4c002e0.html,.
Raeymaekers, Karin. (2002). "Research Note: Yoing People and Patterns of

Time Consumption to Print Media". European Journal of Communication, vol.
17, No.3, pp.369-383.
Rahman. Saifur. (15 June 2004). Readership Survey: Newspaper

Penetration in UAE Reaches 59.5pc" Gulfnews.com website. Date visited 8
August 2011. http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/readership-survey-newspaper-
penetration-in-uae-reaches-59-5pc-1.325003
Readership Institute, Media Management Center at Northwestern University

(2001). The Power to Grow Readership.
http://www.readership.org/impact/power_to_grow.pdf. Date visited 1 August 2011.
Saleh, Sulaiman. (2002). Arabic book title Mustaqbal Alsahafa fi Thoo'e

Thawrat AlItisal. English translation: The Future of Print Media in the Age of
Information Technology. Nile library, Muscat, Oman.
Skogerbo, Eli & Winsvold, Marte. (2011). "Audience on the Move? Use and
Assessment of Local Print and Online Newspapers." Sage, 26 (3). 214-229.
State of the News Media. (2011). "Newspapers: By the Numbers." Retrieved

in 3 August 2011. http://stateofthemedia.org/files/2011/03/1-Print-and-
Online-Advertising-Revenues-Fall-in-20102.png
State of the News Media, an annual report on American journalism. (2007).

"Newspapers – Intro". Stateofthemedia.org/2007/. (accessed on 30
September 2011).
Sulaiman, Zaid. (2009). Arabic title, "Assahafa Al-electroniah" English

Translation Electronic Journalism. Dar Usama Publishing, Amman, Jordan.
The Association of Magazine Media. (June 1 2000). "Glossary of Magazine

Research Terminology". (http://67.192.45.82/research/3410.aspx). Date
visited 8/8/2011
37
The Huntsville Time website. Visited on 8 February 2011,

http://www.huntsvilletimes.com/advertising/jargon/
World Association of Newspapers. (1 December 2009). "World Press Trend: Digital

Revenues Won't Replace Print". http://www.wan-press.org/article18330.html . Retrieved on 3
August 2010.
World Association of Newspapers. (2 June 2008). "World Press Trends:

Newspapers Are A Growth Business".
http://www.wan-
press.org/article17377.html?var_recherche=2008+World+Press+Trends+report+
World Association of Newspapers. (3 August 2010). "World Press Trends:

Advertising Revenues To Increase, Circulation Relatively Stable".
http://www.wan-
press.org/article18612.html?var_recherche=2009+World+Press+Trends+report+earch+ retrieved
on 3 August 2011.
38

Readership and Readers Perception of Omani Newspapers

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Readership and Readers Perception of Omani Newspapers

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Readership and Readers Perception of Omani Newspapers

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Global Media Journal Spring 2013 – Al-Shaqsi

Readership and Readers' Perception

Dr. Obaid S. Al-Shaqsi

HOD, Mass Communication Department

Print Media vs. New Information Technology:

However, in depth analysis reveals a very complex picture regarding the

The closure of some newspapers in the Arab region happened partially

From the circulation perspective, the World Association of Newspapers

increase in readership worldwide regardless of the circulation decline of .8%.

Print Media in Oman:

According to the list of publications obtained by the researcher in October

Circulation figures, readership rates and advertising revenue of print media in

Publication Launched Circulation language Ownership Owned By

AlWatan 1971 * 47,000 Arabic daily Private Omani Establishment For

Publication launched Circulation Language Ownership Owned By

Scope of Omani newspapers:

The scope of editorial content and interest of Omani newspapers is not

Alshabiba is also a general daily newspaper with a focus on sport. The

Azzaman is the fourth Arabic daily in Oman. It was launched in 2007 by

However, Al-Abd (1995), conducted the first readership study in Oman. He

study lacks robust statistical and theoretical analyses. For example, no

Al-Ghabshi (2002) studied Omani women's general use of different mass

negative perception of the paper stemming from their view of it as the

Al-Shaqsi (2011) conducted a survey study on 517 university students in

Al-Shaqsi (2012) studied expatriates' uses of different media in Oman.

In 2010, two international media research companies, Effective Measure and

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman's neighboring country where

In the United States of America, the Readership Institute at Northwestern

personal finance; science, technology and environment; police, crime and

Significance of the study:

This study was not intended to provide a conclusive account of readership of

1- What are the general characteristics of the readers and non-readers of

Readership is a very complex term to measure, though it is widely used. One

audience" for readership, and defines it as "the projected number of people

It is obvious that there is no consensus as to what readership precisely means

These series of questions show how complex is the operational definition of

The survey questionnaire:

The researcher hired three individuals to distribute and collect 1000

which mainly academic institutions, ministries and private companies in

General Characteristics Of Readers And Their Reading Habits:

Amongst free weekly tabloids, Futoon appeared to be the most read

Most Read Forms Of Journalistic Writings:

Forms of writing Always Occasionally Don’t Read Total

Further analyses revealed statistically significant differences between the

Topics Means based on age groups SD SS F Sig

The respondents' level of education was a significant factor in predicting their

Topics Means based on education SD SS F Sig

According to Table 7, respondents from the high income category frequently

Topics Means based on income SD SS F Sig

Readers' Satisfaction With Newspapers' Coverage Of Different Topic

Readers' satisfaction with 13 different topic areas was assessed by a 5-point

Topics Means SD SS F Sig

The results in Table 8 show that Omani newspapers in general provide

Topics Means SD SS F Sig

Religious 3.22 3.42 3.29 1.15 894.76 4.89 .027

The age of the respondents also appears to be an important factor. The

The respondents' level of education has influenced their satisfaction with

Topics Means based on education levels SD SS F Sig

The ethnic background of the respondents has also influenced their

Reading Certain Forms Of Writing & Satisfaction With Newspaper