In a recent column, Executive Editor Africa Price said the nearly $16 million project investment and makeover to a modified tabloid format will better serve readers and advertisers. "Our improved color reproduction, sophisticated redesign and content treasures will enhance your overall experience with the paper,'' she told readers.
Shreveport's Berliner will be the third in the United States and the second within Gannett. It was modified in The Netherlands, and the first pieces began arriving in Shreveport in April. Its installation comes when Gannett has been shuttering presses and consolidating printing at other Gannett papers or at non-Gannett production plants.
Price says the new format will be accompanied by expanded sports, business news, and opinion coverage.
The Times reports circulation of 44,067 Monday through Saturday, and 55,844 on Sunday, according to the latest ABC figures.
The prototype featured on ShreveportTimes.com looks more like a broadsheet that's shrunk to fit. Shreveport should have looked to their corporate cousin in Lafayette IN on how to repackage for Berliner format.
ReplyDeleteI like it. It is clean, clear, uncluttered, and looks professional. Good job Shreveport.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to their circulation? Does anyone have a true track of their losses? How are they doing against other region papers? Will they get the boost other new presses experienced?
ReplyDeleteWhy is the redesign so traditional?
Lafayette printed several prototypes for them, the paper looked very good. Berliner is the way to go. But like most say, it will be the last new press Gannett will ever install. The days of big iron are over
ReplyDeleteI love the new paper. Great job, Shreveport!
ReplyDeleteI only with The Times would resume uploading its front pages to the Newseum's database, so we could all take a look.
ReplyDeleteI worked for the Times in the mid-90s, so I know a little of the history behind this. The Times was in a JOA until around 1990, when Gannett bought out the other paper. Both were in the same building; the Times owned the building, but the other paper owned the press, so the buyout included buying the press. The building was literally built around that press, essentially requiring that any new press would need a new building to go in, upping the cost factor. Still, that doesn't really explain why Gannett waited so long to replace it. Maybe they felt they needed to completely amortize the purchase of the old one first.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was there, the circ was around 60,000 daily/80,000 Sunday, so it's dropped precipitously. I'm guessing the lousy print quality of the old press was a part of that. You can make a letterpress paper look only so good.
I like it. It is clean, clear, uncluttered, and looks professional. Good job Shreveport.
ReplyDeleteOK, who's the bot who posts "It is clean!" every month?
ReplyDeleteThis will do nothing to raise circulation. Another money pit.