When The Arizona Republic became the latest paper to switch to the new 44-inch web format Gannett adopted last year, top Editor Randy Lovely told readers in a note on Wednesday about changes in the Phoenix paper's appearance. But I've re-read it twice, and can't find a word about the paper's getting more narrow. Or did I miss something?Writing about another paper's 44-inch switch, Anonymous@12:58 p.m., said here yesterday: "Our readers didn't make a peep when we shrunk -- and they are generally vocal. I think it actually makes it easier to use. It's funny to compare it to the size from five years ago (we've gone through a couple of size reductions). Makes you wonder how you managed a paper that large. Of course, I'm talking paper width, not page count."
[Image: today's front page, Newseum]
The mandate from Corporate was to not say anything in print about the 44 and to answer succinctly only when asked.
ReplyDeleteAnd more of us will be switching in the coming months. When my site sent down to 46 inches (from 48), we actually went one further.
ReplyDeleteWe're designing on a 44-inch template, and optically skewing it to 46 inches. (It makes everything and everyone look a little fatter. But if the camera can add 10 pounds, why can't we?)
Apparently it's going to take some pretty intensive (read: expensive) reworking of the press to go to 44 inches, but at least we won't have to redesign the whole damn paper again.
Rochester, New York's Democrat and Chronicle will be going to 44 inches next year. We're being told that paper costs will skyrocket 20 to 30 percent. It makes sense to use less paper. However I'm also told it will cost millions to re-configure the presses to accommodate this change. Penny wise, pound foolish? Can anyone crunch the numbers and explain this in plain English?
ReplyDeleteConsidering how fat the "managers" at that paper are, it's the only thing that's shrinking.
ReplyDeleteMeow.
Truth.
Truth be told, some Gannett sites found a way to increase revenue with the 48" web. It was done by tweaking the type in classified ads so that it took more lines before shrinking the width only (height remained the same). Of course, the cost was passed along.
ReplyDeleteSo while employees have to do more with less, the reader gets less for more $$$.