CAP News vs. Volunteer

[Stonewall]

Okay, I've never started a poll before and this has been on my mind for a while.  I was disappointed when they got rid of CAP News sent out monthly.  I loved that thing and couldn't wait to get mine, especially as a cadet.

As a senior, after I read it a few times, I'd tear off my address label and leave it somewhere, usually in a reception office.  I kid you not, one day we got a recruit out of it.  A guy brought his son to a meeting and said he found this CAP Newspaper in the lobby at Jiffy Lube.

Anyway, what are your thoughts, or is Tedda and gang going to throw their Volunteer magazine at me for starting another poll  

[pixelwonk]

It's ok. I know it's the meds talking.

Seriously, I don't find myself caring much about either format now that the Volunteer has been out for a good while now.  But you bring up a good idea which I've done myself.  From time to time my past issues have gone to my kid's pediatrician and dentist/orthodontist offices.

[MIKE]

I don't really care either way... I rarely read much out of either format.

[RiverAux]

The Volunteer is much, much, much better than CAP News ever was.  Almost every story in it is about what CAP is doing.  The News was mostly columns from the leadership that weren't worth reading, a few press releases from around CAP about some missions, and a whole bunch of copied press releases in the back that weren't worth reading -- why do I want to read about who went to an SLS class in a state across the country.

Now, most of the articles are professionally written in true magazine style.  NHQ PA got this one 100% correct.  I'd actually be proud to leave the Volunteer laying around for someone to read and wouldn't ever consider it with the CAP News.  

[LtCol White]

I like Volunteer although I wish it had a better name.  Perhaps something like "Civil Airmen" or  "Civil Air Patrol Digest"

Volunteer as a title doesn't identify the organization

[TankerT]

Thing to consider... the Volunteer and CAP News have/had two separate target audiences.

CAP News was a newspaper targeted CAP members with the types of stories, etc.

The Volunteer is specifically designed with an external to CAP audience.

[LtCol White]

Thing to consider... the Volunteer and CAP News have/had two separate target audiences.

CAP News was a newspaper targeted CAP members with the types of stories, etc.

The Volunteer is specifically designed with an external to CAP audience.

Exactly why the name should identify the organization more than Volunteer. That could refer to Police, Fire, EMS, Red Cross, etc... or be a general publication for all categories of volunteers.

[acarlson]

Thing to consider... the Volunteer and CAP News have/had two separate target audiences.

CAP News was a newspaper targeted CAP members with the types of stories, etc.

The Volunteer is specifically designed with an external to CAP audience.

I liked CAP News ... but then I believe we need to focus more on retention... and then recruitment...  keeping the current volunteers trained, and retained, IMHO, provides for a stronger CAP.

[mikeylikey]

Volunteer but on a monthly issue would be awesome!

[Stonewall]

Found this via Google.  For those of you that are newer to CAP I thought I'd show you what a CAP Newspaper looked like.

[RiverAux]

Funny, the ones I got were always printed on dingy gray low quality paper that looks nothing as spiffy as what this looks like. 

[Stonewall]

They did used to be a dingy gray low quality paper, but remember, it was like in 2002 or something when they changed the quality of the paper as well as the layout.  It actually made it in the it's own Newspaper.

[RiverAux]

The Nov 2005 issue I just pulled off the shelf looks pretty much as dingy as the rest of them.  I will say that in the last few years they at least got rid of the ragged page edges. 

[BlackKnight]

This is a really tough call.  I like the more professional image of the new magazine, but I hate the fact that our newest Mitchell cadets don't get to see their names in print in the national magazine anymore.  I know they get listed in the on-line version but it's not quite the same. 

Again, it comes down to which audience is being targeted (external vs internal) and how much print space is available.  In the final analysis the new format is probably better for recruiting.  My household gets 4 copies of the Volunteer and we try to donate our extra copies to the lounge at the local FBO and surrounding school libraries.

[JCJ]

The Volunteer is much, much, much better than CAP News ever was.  Almost every story in it is about what CAP is doing.  The News was mostly columns from the leadership that weren't worth reading, a few press releases from around CAP about some missions, and a whole bunch of copied press releases in the back that weren't worth reading -- why do I want to read about who went to an SLS class in a state across the country.

Now, most of the articles are professionally written in true magazine style.  NHQ PA got this one 100% correct.  I'd actually be proud to leave the Volunteer laying around for someone to read and wouldn't ever consider it with the CAP News.  

+1

Maybe with a little more work to supplement with more detailed on-line info for members.  I know some of this is being done now.

[mikeylikey]

Again, it comes down to which audience is being targeted (external vs internal) and how much print space is available. 

NHQ is absolutely targeting external audiences.  You can find free copies being sent to recruiting offices, base commanders, Congressional offices and state emergency management offices.  The publishers are producing a marketing tool.  Plain and simple.

[afgeo4]

The format of the Volunteer is great and it's enjoyable to read, but it needs to come out every month. There are so many stories that don't make it to print 4 months later because of submittal/printing lapse. By that time, the story isn't news anymore.

[RiverAux]

I suspect publication costs are the primary issue.  A good portion of the dues that we pay to national probably are eaten up by Volunteer costs now. 

[jimmydeanno]

^Cessna and other sponsors/corporate partners pay quite a bit to advertise in them...

[Pylon]

^Cessna and other sponsors/corporate partners pay quite a bit to advertise in them...

Right, but I know that cost is/was a major concern with the publication.  They cut out many of the cadet and senior programs awards other than the highest, as well as Final Salute, just to save that small amount of space each issue.  Clearly the page count is a major concern of theirs.

Being somebody who pushes out a full-color, full-bleed glossy publication like the Volunteer, I understand how expensive they can be.  Those probably cost somewhere around $1 to $1.50 per copy to print, bind, and mail at their quantities.  Every four-page folio added (because remember, pages can only be added in multiples of 4) adds to the cost significantly when you're printing 60,000+ pieces.