A Questionnaire

How can we make Global Eyes, our premium news survey, most useful to you?

Would you like more photos like this in your newsletter, depending on my mood?

From Claire—I have questions for our readers and subscribers. I’ve opened the comment section to everyone, so you can answer in the comments; you can also send me an email; and you can even answer half of the questionnaire online, if you prefer. (Why only half? Because I didn’t realize you had to pay for the program after ten questions, and I’m not willing to pay just to send out a single questionnaire.)

I know that an email asking you to spend ten minutes answering a questionnaire is never hugely welcome—I don’t answer them when they show up in my In Box—but I really want to be sure I’m spending my time wisely and sending you something you genuinely want. Unless you tell me, I have no way of knowing or even guessing.

So I’ll offer an incentive: If you return this questionnaire to us, I’ll send you a link to a one-time-only secret Global Eyes full of surprises, delights, and wonders.

1. Are we sending Global Eyes—our premium news survey—to you too often, not often enough, about the right amount?

   a. Too often;

   b. Not often enough;

   c. About the right amount.

2. Does it arrive at a useful time of day for you? If not, when would you prefer to receive it?

   a. Yes, just right;

   b. I’d prefer a different time. (Please specify.)

3. How often do you read it?

   a. Every time;

   b. Sometimes;

   c. Rarely;

   d. Never .

4. Are we including too many items, too few, or about the right amount?

   a. Too many;

   b. Too few;

   c. About right;

   d. Too much of one region or type of item, too little of another (please specify).

5. Is it useful to you? Are the items we include interesting? What do you find most useful? What’s least interesting?

   a. Yes, very;

   b. Mildly;

   c. It’s hit or miss. (Please tell us what you like and don’t.)

   c. Not really.

6. How about the geographic balance? Recently we’ve been focusing more on Europe, for obvious reasons. Should we keep doing that, or do you prefer we divide our attention equally among major geographic regions?

   a. About right as it is;

   b. Too skewed toward one region (please specify);

   c. Should be divided more equally;

   d. I’d like more focus on a different region (please specify).

7. Do you read the articles we send and watch the videos, or do you rely on our summary of what they say?

   a. I read everything, or try to;

   b. I read a few items;

   b. I never read them; the summary is enough.

8. If the latter, would you prefer we include more in the summaries? If the former, would you be okay if we included less?

   a. More, please;

   b. It’s just right as it is;

   b. The headline alone would be fine; no need for summaries.

9. Do you prefer reading straight news reporting, or do you find the inclusion of analytic pieces, tweets, videos, and other material useful?

   a. Give me straight news only;

   b. Straight news plus analytic pieces;

   c. Keep including whatever catches your eye; all of it is interesting.

10. What about think tanks reports—do you read those? If not, do you find it useful to see the summaries?

    a. Yes, I read them;

    b. I don’t read them, but find the summaries useful;

    c. You can skip the think tanks.

11. The balance of English-language to foreign language news: Is it about right? Would you like more of the latter?

    a. About right;

    b. Too much foreign-language news;

    c. Too little foreign-language news.

12. Do you have any difficulty, technical or otherwise, reading the foreign language news via Google translate?

    a. Yes, I do. (Please specify the problem);

    b. No, it works like a charm.

13. Do you find the inclusion of foreign language news useful?

    a. Absolutely, it’s one of the most interesting parts of the newsletter.

    b. I find the summaries useful.

    c. Whenever I see that an item is in a foreign language, I skip it.

14. Would you prefer more commentary—including our interpretation and annotations—on the news items we send, or less?

    a. No, just give it to me straight.

    b. Yes, tell me why you think the item is significant.

    c. It would be helpful if you not only told me why it’s important, but offered much more commentary—historical annotation, cultural and linguistic insights—so that I better understand why this item is significant.

15. Is it generally obvious why we find the items we include newsworthy?

    a. Yes.

    b. Sometimes I feel like there’s something I should know about this, but I don’t know what it is. It would help if you offered more background.

    c. I often have no idea why you choose what you do or what the items mean.

16. Do you share Global Eyes? If not, why not?

    a. All the time.

    b. Occasionally. (When, and why?)

    c. Never. (Why not?)

17. What else would you like to see us include in Global Eyes? What would be most useful to you?

18. If you don’t subscribe, why don’t you?

    a. I don’t think it’s worth it (please elaborate);

    b. I’d like to, but don’t have the money right now;

    c. I keep meaning to, but haven’t got around to it;

    e. I’m new and waiting to see whether I really find it worthwhile;

    f. Other—please elaborate.

19. Is the format clear and pleasing to you?

    a. Yes, it’s well-organized.

    b. Sometimes it seems a bit hasty and scattershot.

    c. No, you need to spend much more time on organization.

20. Is Vivek’s Asia roundup useful to you?

    a. Yes, for sure.

    b. No, just include Asia in the rest of the roundup.

    c. No, but it could be. (Please specify how.)

21. Do you find it useful to read the CCP’s official line on the news of the day?

    a. Absolutely; I gain a lot of insight from reading that.

    b. Sometimes.

    c. Not really, but it’s entertaining.

    d. No. If I wanted to be scolded by the CCP every day, I’d move to Beijing.

22. If you’re a subscriber, overall, how important is Global Eyes to you?

    a. It’s why I subscribe.

    b. It’s a nice bonus.

    c. I wouldn’t care if I never received it again. I subscribe for the magazine.

If your answer to the questions was, “Don’t change anything, I love it just the way it is,” and the only reason you haven’t shared it or subscribed is that you haven’t got around to it … c’mon, guys! We’re working like beasts over here!

---

A lecture on Russian strategic culture by a Finnish intelligence officer: