Transnistria Newspaper Gives Readers a Voice with Outreach Efforts

For the first time ever, the newspaper Profsoyuznye Vesty in Transnistria, Moldova is reaching out to the public for their ideas in an effort to both better serve its readers and expand its subscription base. As part of its “To master information means to know” project, newspaper employees traveled to five cities to meet with readers from the left bank of the Dniester River and get their feedback about the paper.

From October 2009 through April, the group traveled to Grigoriopol, Slobozia, Ribnita, Bender, and twice to Tiraspol. They gathered in heavily trafficked areas like open air markets, post offices, or in central squares to ask the residents to tell their own stories. Their aim was to gain people’s trust by showing an interest in them and in their lives. The stories Profsoyuznye Vesty staff gathered sparked articles about problems in the five cities and helped open dialogue between the paper, the people, and local authorities on how to solve those issues. The newspaper’s activities were funded in part by a sub-grant from IREX through the USAID-funded Media Program in Moldova, through which the paper has also received substantial training in professional journalism practices.

Profsoyuznye Vesty representatives also handed out copies of the newspaper and their plans for involving readers in producing the paper’s content. Profsoyuznye Vesty plans to organize essay contests for which readers may write on topics like summer holidays, and the best Mother’s and Valentine’s Days, among other topics. The paper also plans to launch special projects to help collect necessities for underprivileged children and launch a TV program. In addition to the free newspaper, people who met with newspaper staff in their cities also received free calendars and pens with the newspaper’s logo, and could subscribe to the paper on the spot.

“During the entire subscription campaign the newspaper’s editorial office dedicated all of its attention to this activity as attracting and enlarging the circle of our readers is for us a matter of crucial importance,” said Ludmila Kovali, editor of Profsoyuznye Vesty. “In spite of the frost, because meetings with readers were organized during the cold period of the year, people showed interest to come and to speak with us,” she added.

In total, approximately 500 people attended the meetings. As a result, the paper’s circulation increased from 1,898 to 4,846 copies. Now the subscription circulation is 2,846 copies and the retail distribution averages 2,000 copies. To promote successful retail distribution, at the beginning of 2010 Profsoyuznye Vesty announced a contest for Best Stall Keeper for post office workers. The post office employee who sells the most copies of the paper will win the contest and receive a cash prize. The paper would also feature a story and photograph about the winner on the front page.

“We should say that we did not expect huge success from these meetings with readers. The meetings turned out to be useful both for the journalists of Profsoyuznye Vesty, and for the readers. While discussing the paper with them face-to-face we established relationships with subscribers and got to know their priorities and desires,” Kovali said. “And this, of course, will permit the newspaper’s creative team to check its editorial policy designed for the readers.”

The Media Program in Moldova aims to increase Transnistrian media’s capacity to serve local information needs.