Last September, Urban Views Weekly grew from a small publication available in newspaper boxes and retailers to a publication that also services Richmond readers through the mail, and readership jumped from about 18,000 to more than 73,000. Data delivered last week by Circulation Verification Council (CVC) show that Urban Views Weekly is ahead of national averages in several measures including papers picked up and in circulation. CVC is an independent company based in St. Louis who audits publications nationwide to provide information about their circulation, readership and more. Publications rely on such audits to get an accurate review of their readership and market. CVC uses methods including field and on-site visits and phone surveys to obtain information and represents about 4900 daily and weekly newspapers and monthly publications with a total circulation of 70 million. If you would like to receive a copy of our audit, call our office at 804-441-6255. We continue to grow. On March 24, we began mailing our paper to 13,000 households in Petersburg; numbers that will be reflected in the next audit.
Urban Views Weekly would like to thank its readers for helping us make such a strong showing in our first audit. While we improve our website and launch the social network www.myurbanviewsweekly.com, we will continue to work to maintain local relevance while also bringing you features and interviews with national personalities. We invite you to contact us directly with comments and suggestions and to tell us what you would like to see in our pages.
Reader Snapshot:
Brian and Angela Curtis, Midlothian
As education and youth advocates, Midlothian residents Angela and Brian Curtis work to bring young people together with their brightest future; possibilities that typically contrast with the images reflected in media surrounding them. This week, the Curtises will take part in a professional leadership conference and enjoy a couple days of vacation in Las Vegas. As candidates in Ph.D. programs, they read a great deal. In addition to business and academic journals, they read Essence and Jet magazines. For news, they read the Washington Post, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and the New York Times online. They became regular readers of Urban Views Weekly early in the paper’s development.
“When I picked it up, I really enjoyed it because it focused on local people and in fact some people I knew,” Brian remembers. “I was familiar with a lot of the people and places that the newspaper focused on. I’m really into seeing positive media because so much that we see is negative, you get to a point where you’re tired of that. For me, it’s very inspiring to see other people doing positive things with their lives and not focusing on the crime and the violence.”
“I also look to those print media that don’t exactly go with my values because I want to see what the other side is thinking,” Angela admits. “Urban Views gives a look at what is going on in our community with a positive light and that is really refreshing in today’s society. People want to see a balance.”
Reader Snapshot:
Shanelle Calvin, Richmond
Shanelle moved to Richmond from upstate New York six years ago after graduating college. The 28 year old subscribes to fashion magazines and also reads local publications including Brick and Skirt. She receives UVW in the mail at her apartment in the Fan which she shares with friends. “The first thing I read is the main article,” she says. She also checks out local events and says, “I like live music, concerts, the symphony and theatre.” With her business Empowering Her, Shanelle teaches professional women essential skills that will empower them in a down economy. She took part in UVW’s first social media workshop in using Twitter. Follow her on Twitter @shanellecalvin.
