We would like to know what you think about us.

It’s inevitable, as everyone gets rated in life. Kids get reportcards, employees are evaluated by their bosses, so why shouldnewspapers be any different? So we are asking for some help fromthose who mean the most to us — our readers, clients and membersof the communities we serve.

Beginning April 1, the DAILY LEADER will be conducting a localInternet reader survey. Our last one was in 2001 and provided uswith some very useful information to help us make this newspaperbetter.

It won’t take you long — about 10-15 minutes — but we wouldappreciate your opinion on the content of the DAILY LEADER, whatyou read, don’t read and your evaluation of the newspaper. Thesurvey also asks questions about your spending habits, where youshop and what type of items you most frequently purchase. Why do wewant that? Well, it helps us supply you with the local ads you wantto make informed purchasing decisions.

While answering the questions will take a small portion of yourtime, there will be many long-term benefits. The survey willprovide crucial information — what our strengths are and where wehave weaknesses. Please be candid. Criticize us if you wish(constructively, that is). Only by getting honest feedback can wetruly meet your local information needs.

From this information, we will learn how we can improve to serveyou better. We want to continue to provide a professional,high-quality local community newspaper that is committed tocovering the events and issues that are important to you.

Pulse Research, a nationally-respected research firm inPortland, Ore., will tabulate the results. Once completed, we willuse the information to adjust our product to help us better servethe needs in each all our departments — from the newsroom,advertising, circulation and production — to bring you a betterDAILY LEADER.

Without a lot of fanfare we recently celebrated our 120thbirthday — quite a feat by anyone’s estimation. Our success, ofcourse, is because of you, our readers and advertisers. Continuedsuccess can only be assured if we continue to satisfy yourneeds.

As a way of saying “thank you” for completing the survey, yourname will be entered in a drawing for a $250 cash prize. Winnerswill be selected from all respondents.

There is one catch — the survey is only being conducted overthe Internet. It is secure and private, and while you canparticipate on a single computer more than one time, only yourcompleted survey will be tabulated. Since all of the information isbeing handled by our research company, we at the DAILY LEADER willnever know the identity of the respondents.

So, point your Internet browser towww.pulseresearch.com/dailyleader, or you can goto our web site and click on the survey link. Please do so todayand tell us what you think. The survey is fun, easy and veryimportant to us.

Write to Bill Jacobs at P.O. Box 551, Brookhaven, Miss39602.