Data gathered as part of a media criticism project involving 109 New England daily newspapers were reanalyzed to discover community and organizational determinants of press performance. A content analysis of essays written about the region's press was used to obtain empirical indicators of press performance. The findings suggest that management decisions are related to newspaper performance in several ways. The number and kind of editorial staff, their training and experience, and the salary given them, all predict press performance. In addition, those newspapers which participate in professional seminars and workshops, as well as those which invest in self-study, are better papers than those which do not. Large papers, those with large news holes to fill (the estimated amount of space devoted to news), and those which are part of large media corporations are better than those with small circulations, small news holes, and independent ownership. There is only limited evidence that the community is a stimulating or restricting force in producing a good newspaper, though better educated and more diverse communities do have better papers. (Author/AA)