Results of Our Spring Student Survey for the 2019-2020 Academic Year

During several weeks in April and May 2020, we emailed a survey to all 8067 students enrolled in our University Subscription Program. The survey involved 83 of the 94 colleges and universities participating in the program long enough for substantive results to be obtained. 11.4% or 918 students completed the survey. Below you will find the major findings along with a sampling of the 100’s of open-ended comments by the students.

How often do you read DailyChatter on average each week?

Daily	299	33%
Three or more days a week	276	30%
Two or more days a week	211	23%
One or less than once a week	131	14%

 

Would you say that DailyChatter has increased your knowledge of the world?

Yes	883	96%
No	34	4%

 

To what degree has DailyChatter increased your knowledge of the world? Please rate the increase from 1 to 10 with 10 being a great deal and 1 being very little.

Significantly Increased (7-10)	548	60%
Somewhat increased (4-6)	283	31%
None or slightly increased (0-3)	79	9%

 

How likely are you to share DailyChatter with friends, family and other students?

Highly Likely	332	36%
Likely	463	51%
Not very likely	122	13%

 

How did you learn about DailyChatter?

Email from your college or university	719	78%
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter	5	.5%
Faculty	80	9%
Classmate	26	3%
More than one or all of the above	70	7.5%

 

Which device do you primarily use to read DailyChatter?

Phone	470	51%
Laptop	397	43%
Desktop	35	4%
Tablet	15	2%

 

Do you primarily listen or read to DailyChatter?

Read	844	92%
Listen	25	3%
Both	48	5%

 

If DailyChatter offered a podcast, how likely would you be to use it?

Highly likely	202	22%
Likely	358	39%
Not very likely	357	39%

 

Please tell us which other news sites or newsletters you read at least once a week. Included are the news sites with more than 15 mentions.

New York Times	402	36%
CNN	188	17%
Washington Post	92	8%
Wall Street Journal	81	7%
The Skimm	56	5%
National Public Radio	60	5%
Economist	45	4%
Apple News	29	3%
CBS, NBC, ABC News	33	3%
The Guardian	26	2%
Fox News	21	2%
Morning Brew Newsletter	20	2%
Politico	32	3%
Google News	16	1%
Al Jazeera	13	1%

 

Selected Comments from Students

Survey question:

In what way has free access to DailyChatter made a difference to you?

It has led me to become a more informed person which has made a lot of difference in my conversations with other people and helped me in classes to have more knowledge of the world around me.

– Tufts University

It makes it easier for me to stay connected with what’s going on in the world and I feel like I’m getting the facts not just an op-ed. I also really like when you show on the map where the county or place in question is located

– Tufts University

I don’t usually have time to go out to several new sources to look for credible information about what’s going on in our world. DailyChatter brings those sources to me in a quick, concise, and credible manner. For a busy student who cares about the world and truly does want to be involved by being informed, I rely on your news more than I realized I would. Thank you for your service!

– Tufts University

It’s nice to get it in the inbox to review the info on the world. I particularly like the discovery section. It’s novel and enjoyable. If I’m in a hurry I scroll down to that to read it first and get the rest later.

– Regis College

I like the generally unbiased reporting and wide variety of news stories. This has been even more important during COVID-19 when major news outlets are not focusing on other non-coronavirus news topics. I find my daily read of DailyChatter refreshing and insightful.

– The Forum on Education Abroad

It saves me so much time each day and I feel as though I am learning a lot without partisan/group biases.

– Denver University

Daily Chatter…tells me a lot of the news I am looking for, and if I am overwhelmed by life, I can read my weeks’ worth of Daily Chatter emails at the end of the week or read it daily to figure out what is going on. It is nice to have that choice of when to catch up on the news of the world. Also, it is free and incredibly well-sourced information a lot of the time. This is super helpful and convenient, especially when some outlets demand overpriced subscriptions.

– Denver University

It allows me to access the news for free in a good format, making it easy to read. I do a lot of international law in my schoolwork and it helps with that.

– University of Maine School of Law

Because I am a third-year law student, financing my education through loans and part-time work, I have no money to spare for subscriptions, so I have to ration my visits to news sites. It is truly a gift to have free access to DailyChatter. I appreciate it.

– University of Maine School of Law

I read it as soon as I wake up, and it alerts me to the issues that I need to be aware of and look into more before I attend my international studies and political science classes each day.

– Miami University

I’m able to have access to top stories around the world without a pay wall. Additionally, DailyChatter includes important topics, in less publicized nations that I haven’t heard of at all from major news and has majorly helped in expanding my knowledge of global politics, which has in turn helped with my studies.

– Miami University

I’m no longer informed just about the biggest topics going on or constantly looking just at the news of one region in the world. I am far better informed about the general affairs of the world on a daily basis.

– American University

I have been able to have a news source that I trust and that is very easy to access daily.

– Wesleyan University

I don’t seek out news, frequently, so a lot of what I read comes through social media, which is very US-centric. I appreciate getting perspectives from other countries.

– Xavier University

It has allowed me to receive news without having to worry about a membership fee, as college is a very expensive place to be.

– Coastal Carolina University

It has allowed me to gain a better understanding of the world without having to navigate around paywalls, which has been an exponential help in my foreign policy and international relations classes.

– University of Oklahoma

It has been a wonderful resource during this time of global crisis to stay informed on both COVID and unrelated issues that may be overlooked during this time.

– John Cabot University

With the start of this pandemic, it was nice to have the information sent directly to me rather than having to go look up these statistics, which helped me feel in control.

– John Cabot University

Reading the major happenings in the morning all in one place is a really good way to start my day.

– Hamilton College

I have been able to get–in one resource–global current events that have helped amplify my learning experience by tying academic or theoretical concepts to the real world.

– American University in Bulgaria

Has become a wonderful part of my morning routine and adds an important element of international news to my normal reading.

– Brown University

It’s a much better news resource than the other free ones I am subscribed to. It reports on a much wider scope of issues throughout the world, not just developed countries. It allows me to be much more informed on a greater amount of topics and has helped me stay informed as an International Relations concentrator.

– Brown University

Before DailyChatter, I felt like I lost sense of the world every time I returned to campus. DailyChatter makes campus feel a little less like a bubble. I also have learned so much more about the greater world and feel like my news consumption is more balanced country–wise than it would be otherwise.

– Brown University

It’s nice to have a simple, consolidated list of what’s going on in the world around me. Saves me a lot time (and money)!

– Carleton College

It’s one of the best ways I’ve seen to get quality news about what’s going on around the world, not just in the US.

– Carleton College

DailyChatter has made it easier for me to be current with global news especially news that I would otherwise have never known. Sometimes I feel it doesn’t concern me but then again, I know something that may help me in future so all knowledge is good knowledge.

– Ashesi University, Ghana

I have especially liked having the daily coronavirus numbers. I am usually not too aware of politics and events outside the U.S., so I would say it has definitely increased my global awareness.

– SUNY Cortland

I don’t usually have time to look through news sites and catch up on what goes on around the world, so free access to DailyChatter really helps bring succinct knowledge of what happens worldwide to my inbox daily. I can assure that subscribing to the DailyChatter emails has definitely increased my desire to read the news often.

– Yale University

It compels me to actually know what is going on in the world. It is so nice to get DailyChatter right in my inbox because then I don’t have to go searching for news. Since it is brought right to me, I love to just read a little bit or if I have time, I will read all the articles.

– South Dakota State University

It has helped me be more aware of what’s going on, big issues and small.

– University of Mississippi

I’m exposed to news that I would not always otherwise see.

– Guilford College

It has helped me start my days in the context of the larger world.

– Yale University

Now I get to know news from around the world effectively within a short amount of time, which is really amazing.

– University of South Carolina

Having free access to DailyChatter has opened my mind to new topics, new places that I never knew existed and it has shown me that there are more news outlets than the typical biased and mainstream ones we see on TV.

– Auburn University

Amazing! Much more accessible – Harvard University

It’s greatly broadened my awareness of international news. It’s sad that a lot of important news isn’t shared in major media outlets because they don’t have mainstream appeal, and I love that your context exposes me to those stories.

– Harvard University

I don’t want to pay to subscribe to a variety of different news outlets, this way a variety of information comes to me in one place and it’s a no-brainer to subscribe to because it’s free.

– Northwestern University

Made me want to learn about the world and what is happening.

– Trinity College

I really appreciate the global perspective; it is an accessible and easy way to stay abreast of important issues. It is hard to find time to read global news, and it is a nice way to be exposed to a thoughtful curation of information.

– University of Notre Dame

I really enjoy having free access to DailyChatter, as it makes it easy to get quick, to the point news updates every morning. There are helpful links available when I want to get more informed on a topic, and I think that this program is very helpful for those with less economic means to access important news information.

– University of Minnesota

Journalism is important to me. I think that providing a free, daily breakdown of international news is fantastic.

– University of Minnesota

Free access has given me a chance to learn about the world without having to pay any sort of money. DailyChatter has made it possible for me to think of something other than just the US, that there are new things to learn about every day from any part of the world virtually through my electronic device.

– Washington State University

I love receiving concise, relevant, and fact-checked information directly every morning.

– Colby College

I do not subscribe to other papers, so it is a huge deal to have free access to news.

– Colby College

The short and less biased nature of DC has made politics and global issues more approachable for me

– Mass School of Art and Design

As a student on scholarships, it is difficult for me to pay to have access to information. I really appreciate that DailyChatter has given me free access because now I feel like I have an equal opportunity to learn about the world as everyone else.

– College of the Atlantic

9

It has allowed me to learn what is really happening in the world outside of the U.S. So much of what I read on DailyChatter is not covered in any other news outlet I use, which allows me to broaden my understanding of other cultures and government. I believe that is an important education you can’t necessarily get without paying for traveling abroad or expensive news outlets.

– University of Massachusetts Lowell

It the first thing I read in the morning.

– University of Massachusetts Lowell

It’s part of my routine in the morning. I love that it focuses on areas that are out of the US and even out of mainstream international news. I don’t keep up with any science news, so the last science focused piece is always cool.

– Boston College

These days, it is valuable to receive reliable, true information about the world and world events. I also love that the coverage is niche — not always about coronavirus or mainstream issues, but about other stories.

– Tulane University

It has exposed me to global events to an extent that I would not have achieved by searching for news stories on my own.

– Wellesley University

The biggest way is that I am reminded that there is a LOT going on in the world. I also REALLY like the COVID-19 updates–very relevant in this time…Even skimming through it reminds me that there is much more happening in the world. It reminds me that my little problems are pretty petty, and in that way it also increases my level of gratitude and perspective about my own life and role in the world.

– University of North Carolina Charlotte

I have access to unbiased news coverage, and it keeps me in the loop without going through the trouble in sorting through the other numerous news sights.

– Indiana University

10

Even if I don’t read them daily, I can still easily catch up with them on the weekend. Being free means I have a reliable source of information with what’s going on in the world without having to subscribe to other news sites.

– University of Alabama

It makes my news consumption much more well-rounded.

– Colorado College

I love having an option for news that I know is true and well reported on.

– Winona State University

As a college student, I don’t have the opportunity to listen to the news often…However, DailyChatter allows me to easily read about important events around the world, not just the US and it lets me do it on the way to class. Not to mention, it’s impartial reporting, which is very nice to have in today’s biased news world.

– University of Wisconsin, Stout

DC reminds me of the larger picture; living in the US, I get such an America-centric viewpoint and it’s so helpful to see that in context of other countries and their patterns of leadership, economics, and religion.

– Vanderbilt University

Getting this service for free has been an honor.

– American University of Nigeria

I don’t think I have a news source that does such a good job summarizing the details of many of the world’s conflicts. I love having access to this information.

– University of Cincinnati

I believe the information in DailyChatter is based on facts and is free of any bias.

– Loma Linda University

Prompted me to research more on global matters,

– American College of Greece

Keeping up to date without a premium – and from trustworthy sources.

– Columbia University

11

I never sought out world news, so when it’s delivered to my inbox for free I’m motivated to read it. Accessibility was the only thing keeping me from it.

– University of Georgia

I seem connected to the world through DailyChatter.

– Forman Christian College

Seriously, I’ve always wanted something quick to read in the mornings to feel aware of what’s going on internationally, and DailyChatter has been EXACTLY what I want. It’s amazing, and I feel informed.

– Brigham Young University

I am able to keep up with world news all at once as opposed to searching for multiple different articles online.

– Schreiner University

It’s made it easier for me to access unbiased news.

– University of Tennessee Knoxville