How are we doing?

			ISSUE: 199

	Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake. - Napoleon Bonaparte
	NOTICES, ANNOUNCEMENTS

How are we doing?

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley used to routinely greet his constituents with, "How are we doing?" It was a savvy question for a politician to ask, and one that smart businesses ask their customers from time to time as well.

This is The Ukrainian Observer's 50th issue, a minor anniversary of sorts, but a good time to take stock of what has for four years been a labor of love for The Willard Group. We asked our Committee of 300 Opinion Leaders the question Mayor Daley would have asked, and they responded. While the survey is anonymous, it is by no means scientific. Still, we take all feedback seriously, however it is presented to us - in a survey, a letter or face-to-face.

We were pleased to learn that 67 percent of our respondents read the magazine each month, and that about the same percentage read all or most of the magazine. That's gratifying.

The respondents generally like the magazine, which probably explains why they read it so thoroughly, but not everyone likes everything. We have been working to improve the fiction we publish, and the survey reflected our concern over the type and quality of the material we receive. Look for improvement here in the coming months.

We were pleased to note that two relatively recent additions to our pages - current events reporting from Willard News Service journalists and John Marone's In a Word column - have been well received.

Do our Opinion Leaders' responses generally mirror your own feelings about The Ukrainian Observer? We're always happy to hear from readers.

Results

1 How often do you read The Ukrainian Observer?
Every month.	43 %
Almost every month.	24 %
Two or three times a year.	19 %
Almost never.	13 %

2 How do you read The Ukrainian Observer?
Cover-to-cover.	18 %
Most of the articles.	46 %
One or two articles.	24 %
I don't read the magazine.	12 %

3 What part of The Ukrainian Observer do you MOST enjoy?
Columnists (Random Notes, The Professor).	21 %
Cover Story.	6 %
Current Events (On The Ground).	27 %
Feature articles.	30 %
Historical articles.	8 %
Our Guest.	6 %
Short Story (Fiction).	2 %

4 What part of The Ukrainian Observer do you LEAST enjoy?
Columnists.	11 %
Cover Story.	2 %
Current Events.	8 %
Feature articles.	5 %
Historical articles.	13 %
Our Guest.	14 %
Short Story (Fiction).	48 %

5 Do you like the four cartoons we publish each month?
I enjoy the cartoons and read them regularly.	52 %
I read the cartoon pages occasionally.	35 %
I dislike the cartoons and do not read them.	13 %

6 Which of our columns are you MOST likely to read?
In a Word - John Marone.	15 %
Latitudes & Attitudes - Glen Willard.	24 %
Potpourri / Bits & Pieces.	24 %
Random Notes - Mike Willard.	29 %
The Professor - Volodymyr Senchenko.	8 %

7 Which of our columns are you LEAST likely to read?
In a Word - John Marone.	12 %
Latitudes & Attitudes - Glen Willard.	15 %
Potpourri / Bits & Pieces.	19 %
Random Notes - Mike Willard.	5 %
The Professor - Volodymyr Senchenko.	49 %

8 How much time, on average, do you spend with the Ukrainian Observer each month?
More than 90 minutes.	5 %
60-90 minutes.	17 %
30-60 minutes.	39 %
16-30 minutes.	15 %
0-15 minutes.	24 %

9 Your age range:
Under 30	12 %
31-39.	31 %
40-49.	20 %
50-59.	27 %
60 and Over.	10 %

10 Your gender:
Male.	81 %
Female.	19 %


UKRAINIAN DAYBOOK Events, Facts, News from Ukraine Strategic Approaches The Willard Group's monthly newslette UKRAINE UPDATE The Ukrainian Observer provides daily news headlines and briefs Monday through Friday. COVER Black Hole Theory and Ukraine DIALOGUE AND DEBATE Ruin Revisited - Ukraine Looks East Ukraine without Ukrainians RANDOM NOTES Four Rules for Sponsorship Or, The Celebrity Pothole THE WORKPLACE The 24-Hour Workday KNOWLEDGE CENTER Samuel Adams: Ukraine's Contribution to American Liberty Mykhailo Maksymovych Ukraine's First Social Historian IN A WORD Over Here, Black Ain't Black THE PROFESSOR A walk on the underside OUR GUEST Accidental expat Barry Pitts EASTERN APPROACHES Ukrainians in the Czech Republic SHORT STORY Widows Dance ON THE GROUND The Dam Leaks: Migrants Slip Through Ukraine's Porous Border Ukraine's National Fair A Historic Treat POTPOURRI Golfing with an older man The Mayonnaise Jar LATITUDES and ATTITUDES Culture, Alliances and the Tides of History NOTICES, ANNOUNCEMENTS How are we doing?
ARCHIVES The Ukraine Observer's previous issues To the current (last) issue
CARTOON Cartoons gallery
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