What Interests Women

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30809, 22 July 1965, Page 2

What Interests Women

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) NEW YORK, July 21. A headline announcing the remarriage ot the widowed Mrs John F. Kennedy would attract “the widest readership among American women everywhere, “McCalls” magazine said today, United Press International reported. The magazine said it polled 150 women publishers and the theoretical headline—“ Jacqueline Kennedy remarries” —ranked as the one that would attract the most female readers. “World peace” ranked sec-

ond in the survey, “McCalls” said. The newspaper women, commenting on the likes and dislikes of their women readers, said the female reader often ignored high quality news and feature stories in favour of syndicated household-hints columns. “McCalls” said the woman president of a leading newspaper in the south-east thought the headline, “Richard Burton holds open house for women tonight” would get the widest readership. Other headlines voted most likely to succeed with women included—“ Woman elected U.S. President,” “U.S. declares tax on bachelors,” "Instant cure for obesity,” and “Widows exempt from property tax.” Asked whether women were more interested in news to-

day than a decade ago, 83 per cent of the publishers said, “yes.” Ninety-nine per cent said local news interested the woman most, with stories about personalities rating second. Katherine Graham, president of the “Washington Post,” said: “It is my personal feeling that many, many women watch the news as a kind of barometer of security, eager for signs that world tensions are easing or that the world situation is more hopeful.” Oveta Culp Hobby, editor and president of the “Houston Post,” said: “Among our readers we have found that women are interested in sports, politics, international affairs, cooking, home building, antiques, as well as fashion and beauty care. So are men.”