Publication analysis
About the publication
Title: Santa Cruz Sentinel or Santa Cruz County Sentinel
ISSN: 1072-446X (Print)1
Website: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/
Purpose, objective, or mission: To provide news and information to residents of the Santa Cruz area.
Target audience: Populace of Santa Cruz and surrounding smaller townships.
Publisher: MediaNews Group.2
Peer reviewed? No.
Type: Civilian newspaper.
Medium: Print and online.
Content: International, national, state, and local news; sports; entertainment; community notices; reviews; and various other topics of local interest.
Frequency of publication: Daily.3
About the publication’s submission guidelines
Location of submission guidelines: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/submit-letters
Types of contributions accepted: News, photos or videos, letters to the editors, and op-eds.4
Submission and review process: Submissions for news, photos or videos should be emailed to newsroom [at] santacruzsentinel.com.
Op-eds should be no more than 650 words and should be sent to editorial [at] santacruzsentinel.com.
Letters should be no more than 150 words and should be sent to editorial [at] santacruzsentinel.com. “We do not accept anonymous letters. Letter-writers should include their full name – initials aren’t enough – as well as a street address and telephone number. We don’t publish those details in the newspaper, but need the information for verification purposes.”5
Editorial tone: Informative.
Style guide used: None stated.
Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors
The first reason for publishing in a local paper is to garner support for the local library, announce upcoming events, or bring issues to the attention of the community. The second reason to publish in the local paper is to begin attaching one’s name and voice to library issues, which may cause the author to be contacted in the future on similar subjects. In other words, become an expert (or at least a contact) for local library issues and events.
Audience analysis
About the publication’s readers
Publication circulation: Unknown.
Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Readers reside in the Santa Cruz area. The Santa Cruz Sentinel is an English language publication.
Reader characteristics: According to the U.S. Census, the population of Santa Cruz County is 50.5% female, 49.5% male, and 87.0% White.6. Additionally, 40% of the population has obtained at least a Bachelor’s degree and the median household income is 78,000 dollars.7
Knowledge of LIS subject matter: As this is a lay publication, writers should not assume that readers know and understand LIS jargon, and thus should explain any LIS jargon they use in their work.
Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors
When writing and submitting pieces for publication, authors should be familiar with the area in order to tailor their piece to the concerns and interests of residents.
Last updated: September 27, 2020.
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