FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK: Catholic Standard Readership Survey results

By Catherine Sheehan

A big thank you to those who responded to our Catholic Standard Readership Survey at the end of last year. Apologies for the delay in letting you know the results of the Survey, however, as I’m sure you will appreciate, 2025 has been a very busy year so far, with many major events happening in our Archdiocese, and in the Church at large.

The Survey results revealed a fascinating trend amongst our readership, that I believe reflects a much larger phenomenon in the Catholic Church.

Here is a quick summary of the results for you. We received a total of 165 responses to our Survey, 58 percent of whom were female and 42 percent male. In terms of age, 110 respondents were aged over 50.  The vast majority of respondents (108) were located in southern Tasmania, with 26 in the north, and 19 in the north-west.

A whopping 83 percent said they read the Catholic Standard ‘always’ (54 percent) or ‘sometimes’ (29 percent) which is a fabulous result, indicating that the publication is indeed relevant and adds some type of value to their lives. Otherwise, I’m sure they wouldn’t bother picking it up!

Fifty-one percent agreed the newspaper is informative, while 26 percent disagreed, and 23 percent remained neutral.

Forty-seven percent agreed the newspaper is relevant, 32 percent disagreed, and 21 percent were neutral. This result is somewhat curious, given the above result showing that 83 percent read the newspaper on a regular basis, which one would assume meant they find it relevant at least to a certain extent.

A majority of 54 percent agreed that the newspaper was attractive and engaging, while a 63 percent majority agreed that the newspaper was easy to read.

The most frequently read regular feature was the Pope piece, followed by the Archbishop’s piece, and then Life, Marriage & Family Matters, and Education Matters. The most popular stories were ‘community news stories’ and the least popular were ‘political updates’.

In response to the question of what they liked best about the newspaper, the most common answers were, “the stories”, particularly local community news stories, and “the photos”, particularly the front-page image. People generally indicated that they appreciated being kept up to date with what’s happening in the Archdiocese, and that the newspaper is well presented.

In response to what they liked least about the newspaper, the most common answer was its lack of a ‘Letters to the Editor’ section which would allow for alternative views to be expressed. Once again, in response to how we could improve the newspaper, the most common answer was to include a ‘Letters to the Editor’ section.

A very interesting trend began to emerge as I read over the Survey results—the stark contrast between the older and younger generations. Those aged 50 and above tended to be more negative about the newspaper, while under 50 gave overwhelmingly positive feedback.

For example, a male in the 76 and above age bracket disliked the “minimum mention of the Synod” in the newspaper, stating that it was “Full of outdated piosty” and was “Way too conservative”. Meanwhile, a female aged 31-40 responded: “It’s orthodox and represents the faith well. I like that I don’t have to be wary of the content, because it’s consistently in line with Church teaching.” She added, “I particularly enjoy articles that teach things about the faith and about the lives of the saints. It’s a good paper. Tassie should be proud.”

A male aged 65-75 disliked “The extremely conservative and limited nature of the content”, adding, “It is a broad Church. The paper should but doesn’t reflect that fact. It presents as a cosy read for a cosy Church.” In contrast, a female aged 19-30 liked “The well-written articles and strong Catholic theology that is present throughout.” And she disliked “That it isn’t Australia wide!” Another female aged 19-30 concurred stating, “I love the Catholic Standard! I wish all Australian Catholic diocese had a newspaper like it.”

A female aged 65-70 complained that the content provided “nothing to feed the mind/soul” and that the newspaper was “disappointing and lacklustre”. However, a male aged 19-30 said he liked that the “Stories are engaging and keep a central focus on Christ”. In response to the question of what he liked least, he said, “Nothing, love it.”

However, there were a few exceptions to this trend—we did receive some positive feedback from those in the older age range.

A female aged 51-65 said she liked “How it engages with contemporary news items (political, social, cultural, etc) and sheds the light of the Catholic message on them.” She continued saying, “It often gives me an alternative view to what we get in the mainstream media,” and that she had, “noticed a significant improvement in the standard of the publication over the recent years”.

And a male aged 51-65 stated, “The reporting about other Catholics following their faith, embracing the sacraments and then using these strengths to carry out apostolate with their wider community is inspiring.” He added, “Reading how others are putting their faith into practical works gives me peace that others are living as committed Christians in the loving arms of our mother church… Just a big thank you to the diocese for funding this.”

And finally, a female aged 51-65 said, “It is positive and encouraging at all levels. It tells the ‘on the ground’ stories of life in our parishes and gives us great lessons in faith.” In regards to how the newspaper could be improved she added, “It is a great little paper. Well done to all who put it together.”

While it is disappointing to find that a large portion of our older readers view the Standard in a negative light, it is indeed heartening to receive such positive responses, particularly from those under the age of 50, who represent the future of the Church.

I believe the striking difference in opinion between the generations reflects the phenomenon in the wider Catholic Church around the world, where young Catholics who are practising the faith tend to be more attracted to orthodoxy and tradition than older Catholics.

The Archbishop’s piece on page 4 of this edition refers to the rise around the world in conversions to the Catholic faith, many of whom are young adults. Stories from the New York Post, The Telegraph, and The Washington Times earlier this year reported that these young converts are attracted primarily by the clarity and coherence of Catholic teaching, the beauty of the Church’s liturgies and traditions, and the sense of meaning and community that Catholic life provides.

Those of us who work on the Catholic Standard are grateful to all of you who responded to our Survey with your feedback. We take heart from the many positive responses and will certainly consider the suggestions for how we can improve.

Catherine Sheehan is Editor of the Catholic Standard and Communications Manager for the Archdiocese of Hobart.