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newspaper design, typography

Gimme some more space

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10.18.18: Gimme some more space

LAST WEEK’S HINT stated that you can give your newspaper a more open look by inserting just one extra line of space between the byline and the lead of a story.

Here’s another place where you can give your page a more open look, again with just one line of space: place that line between the text and a jump line on stories that continue inside. Again, it’s just one extra line, but it contributes to a more readable, more comfortable design.

And isn’t that what you want?

FAH promo

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Think you can’t afford a professional redesign?

Yes you can, with the Francis A. Henninger Grant

YOU MAY HAVE been considering a professional redesign for some time, but you think you just can’t afford it. Not so! With the Francis A. Henninger Grant, you can’t afford not to redesign.

The goal of the program is to make newspaper design services affordable for every newspaper—especially those with limited circulation, revenue and staff.

It’s an effort to reach out to those of you who believe your newspaper can’t receive professional design assistance. Ultimately, the goal is to bring a new level of design, direction and distinction to those newspapers that qualify.

The grant is named for Ed’s father, Francis A. Henninger, who believed in hard work, commitment to family and giving to others without any desire for recognition. He never made it to high school, sacrificing his education to help in his father’s shop as a printer’s devil.

The program is simple: It’s a way for your newspaper to benefit from a redesign at a significantly reduced investment.

Applying for the grant is easy: All you have to do is contact Ed (email or phone) and mention that you’d like to be considered for the program. He’ll chat with you to see how you can work together on a redesign that’s contemporary, compelling…and affordable.

You’ve got nothing to lose, a world to gain and an uplifting redesign project to experience!

Contact Ed today:
edh@henningerconsulting.com
803-325-5252

Caring for our readers

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Caring for our readers

EDITOR JERRY BELLUNE and I go w-a-y back. We’ve known each other since the mid-90s, when we worked together to breathe new life into a group of newspapers in New Jersey.

Jerry regularly writes a missive to the managers and staff at his newspapers here in South Carolina, and he shares those with me. For my column this month, I’ve decided to pass one of his pieces on to you. It’s bigger than just design — it goes to the heart of what we do for readers.

From Jerry:

WHO DO THINK is our first priority? Our readers, of course, you say. And you are right. Without readers, we are nothing.

Let me share with you a brief newspaper war story. When a smart publisher hired me years ago, he gave me a challenge: “We have a good newspaper for the 1940s,” he said. “But our people have forgotten who they work for – and it isn’t me. Talk with everybody and let me know who mentions our readers first.”

This gave me a chance to talk with people throughout the building. I rode with truck drivers delivering our newspapers in early morning darkness. I talked with more than 100 reporters, editors and photographers. I visited our bureaus and went on calls with our advertising sales people. I asked them what they thought of the paper and what we could do to improve it.

Finally our tough, aging chief photographer said the magic word. “I’ll tell you what’s wrong with this newspaper,” he said bluntly. “Nobody here thinks about or cares about our readers any more.” I could have kissed him.

We have not made this mistake here. All of us care about our readers. But caring for readers means planning, writing, photographing and editing for them. Here are three ways we do that:

1. In our reporting, we leave no questions unanswered. We think like readers. We gather facts and question sources like readers. Readers want to know the ‘why’ as well as the ‘what’ of news.

2. We think visually. How can we convey this information visually? we ask. We think about photographs, maps and charts as well as words in our planning. Readers want to see as well as read about the news.

3. We write short, easy-to-follow stories and sentences. That means 250- to 300-word stories and sentences averaging 15 words. We segment lengthy stories into shorter segments. That helps readers understand what we share with them.

Do we not run longer stories any more? If course we do. Inside feature stories can go 500 to 750 words. We do not continue stories from one page to another as some thoughtless editors do. And this applies to our electronic editions, too.

Readers lead busy lives. They have short attention spans. Let’s make reading our newspapers a pleasure for them.

 

JERRY BELLUNE has collected tips on editing, reporting and writing that he’s shared with his staff over many years in “The Little Red Book on Writing for Reporters & Editors.” Jerry is looking for suggestions to improve the book. He will send a digital copy to any of my readers who’s willing to read it and make suggestions.

WANT A FREE evaluation of your newspaper’s design? Just contact Ed: edh@henningerconsulting.com | 803-325-5252

Gimme some space

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10.11.18: Gimme some space

WANNA GIVE your newspaper a more open look? Well, then, look for the openings…where you can use just a bit more space. between elements.

Here’s one: just an extra line of space between the byline and the start of a story. Yeah, it’s just one extra line. But a line here…a line there…sooner or later, it adds up to a more open look.

And why wouldn’t you want that?